USS Monitor in the American Civil War

USS Monitor in the American Civil War One of the first ironclads constructed for the US Navy, the origins of USS Monitor began with changes in naval ordnance during the 1820s. Early in that decade, French artillery officer Henri-Joseph Paixhans developed a mechanism that allowed for shells to be fired with flat trajectory, high-powered naval guns. Trials using the old ship-of-the-line Pacificateur (80 guns) in 1824 showed that exploding shells could inflict significant damage on traditional wooden hulls. Refined over the next decade, shell-firing guns based on Paixhans design were common in the worlds leading navies by the 1840s. Rise of the Ironclad Recognizing wooden ships vulnerability to shells, Americans Robert L. and Edwin A. Stevens began the design of an armored floating battery in 1844. Forced to re-evaluate the design due to rapid advances in shell technology, the project came to a halt a year later when Robert Stevens fell ill. Though resurrected in 1854, the Stevens vessel never came to fruition. During this same period, the French successfully experimented with armored floating batteries during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Based on these results, the French Navy launched the worlds first ocean-going ironclad, La Gloire, in 1859. This was followed by the Royal Navys HMS Warrior (40) a year later. Union Ironclads With the start of the Civil War, the US Navy convened an Ironclad Board in August 1861 to assess potential designs for armored warships. Calling for proposals for iron-clad steam vessels of war, the board sought vessels capable of operating in the shallow waters along the American coast. The board was further spurred to action due to reports that the Confederacy was seeking to convert the captured remains of USS Merrimack (40) into an ironclad. The board ultimately selected three designs to be constructed: USS Galena (6), USS  Monitor (2), and USS New Ironsides (18) Monitor was designed by Swedish-born inventor John Ericsson who had previously had a falling out with the Navy in the wake of the 1844 USS Princeton disaster which had killed six people including Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur and Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer. Though he had not intended to submit a design, Ericsson became involved when  Cornelius S. Bushnell consulted him regarding the Galena project. In the course of the meetings, Ericsson showed Bushnell his own concept for an ironclad and was encouraged to submit his revolutionary design. Design Consisting of a revolving turret mounted on a low armored deck, the design was likened to a cheese box on a raft. Possessing a low freeboard, only the ships turret, stacks, and small armored pilot house projected above the hull. This almost non-existent profile made the ship very difficult to hit, though it also meant that it performed badly on the open sea and was prone to swamping. Highly impressed by Ericssons innovative design, Bushnell traveled to Washington and convinced the Navy Department to authorize its construction. The contract for the ship was given to Ericsson and work began in New York. Construction Subcontracting the construction of the hull to Continental Iron Works in Brooklyn, Ericsson ordered the ships engines from Delamater Co. and the turret from Novelty Iron Works, both of New York City. Working at a frenetic pace, Monitor was ready for launch within 100 days of being laid down. Entering the water on January 30, 1862, workers began finishing and fitting out the ships interior spaces. On February 25 work was completed and Monitor commissioned with Lieutenant John L. Worden in command. Sailing from New York two days later, the ship was forced to return after its steering gear failed. USS Monitor - General Nation: United StatesBuilder: Continental Iron Works, Brooklyn, NYLaid Down: October 1861Launched: January 30, 1862Commissioned: February 25, 1862 Fate: Lost at sea, December 31, 1862 Specifications Type: Monitor-class ironcladDisplacement: 987 tonsLength: 172 ft.Beam: 41 ft. 6 in.Draft: 10 ft. 6 in.Complement: 59Speed: 8 knots Armament 2 x XI-inch Dahlgren smoothbores Operational History Following repairs, Monitor departed New York on March 6, this time under tow, with orders to proceed to Hampton Roads. On March 8, the newly completed Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia steamed down the Elizabeth River and struck at the Union squadron at Hampton Roads. Unable to pierce Virginias armor, the wooden Union ships were helpless and the Confederate succeeded in sinking the sloop of war USS Cumberland and frigate USS Congress. As darkness fell, Virginia withdrew with the intention of returning the next day to finish off the remaining Union ships. That night Monitor arrived and took up a defensive position. Returning the next morning, Virginia encountered Monitor as it approached USS Minnesota. Opening fire, the two ships began the worlds first battle between ironclad warships. Pounding each other for over four hours, neither was able to inflict significant damage on the other. Though Monitors heavier guns were able to crack Virginias armor, the Confederates scored a hit on their adversarys pilot house temporarily blinding Worden. Unable to defeat Monitor, Virginia withdrew leaving Hampton Roads in Union hands. For the rest of the spring, Monitor remained, guarding against another attack by Virginia. During this time, Virginia attempted to engage Monitor on several occasions but was refused as Monitor was under presidential orders to avoid battle unless absolutely required. This was due to President Abraham Lincolns fear that the ship would be lost allowing Virginia to take control of the Chesapeake Bay. On May 11, after Union troops captured Norfolk, the Confederates burned Virginia. Its nemesis removed, Monitor began participating in regular operations, including reconnaissance of the James River to Drurys Bluff on May 15. After supporting Major General George McClellans Peninsula Campaign in the summer, Monitor participated in the Union blockade at Hampton Roads that fall. In December, the ship received orders to proceed south to aid in operations against Wilmington, NC. Departing under tow by USS Rhode Island, Monitor cleared the Virginia Capes on December 29. Two nights later, it began to take water as it encountered a storm and high waves off Cape Hatteras. Foundering, Monitor sank along with sixteen of its crew. Though in service for less than a year, it profoundly influenced warship design and several similar ships were built for the Union Navy. In 1973, the wreck was discovered sixteen miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. Two years later it was designated a national marine sanctuary. At this time, some artifacts, such as the ships propeller, were removed from the wreck. In 2001, recovery efforts began to salvage the ships steam engine. The next year, Monitors innovative turret was raised. These have all been taken to the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA for preservation and display.

Tragedies and Tearjerkers - Top Ten Saddest Plays

Tragedies and Tearjerkers - Top Ten Saddest Plays The following list is a continuation of the Top Ten Saddest Plays Ever Written. You can read the entries #10 through #6 by checking out the beginning of the list. #5 - Medea Heres how Ancient History expert N. S. Gill describes the basic plot of Euripides Greek tragedy: Medea is a witch. Jason knows this, as do Creon and Glauce, but Medea seemed appeased, so when she presents a wedding gift to Glauce of a dress and crown, Glauce accepts them. The theme is familiar from the death of Hercules. When Glauce puts on the robe it burns her flesh. Unlike Hercules, she dies. Creon dies, too, trying to help his daughter. So far the motives and reactions seem understandable, but then Medea does the unspeakable. In the gruesome tragedy Medea, the title character, murders her own children. However, before she can be punished, Helios sun chariot swoops down and she flies off into the sky. So in a sense, the playwright creates a double tragedy. The audience witnesses a tragic act, and subsequently witnesses the escape of the perpetrator. The murderer does not get her comeuppance, thereby infuriating the audience all the more. #4 - The Laramie Project The most tragic aspect of this play is that it is based upon a true story. The Laramie Project is a documentary-styled play that analyzes the death of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay college student who was brutally murdered because of his sexual identity. The play was created by playwright/director Moisà ©s Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The theater group traveled from New York to the town of Laramie, Wyoming - just four weeks after the death of Shepard. Once there, they interviewed dozens of townspeople, collecting a wide array of different perspectives. The dialogue and monologues which comprise The Laramie Project are taken from interviews, news reports, courtroom transcripts, and journal entries. Kaufmann and his team of activists turned their journey into a theatrical experiment that is as innovative as it is heart wrenching. Learn more about this play. #3 - Long Days Journey into Night Unlike the other dramas mentioned on the list, no character dies during the course of the play. Yet, the family in Eugene ONeills Long Days Journey into Night is in a state of constant mourning, lamenting lost happiness as they reflect upon how their lives could have been. We can tell within the first few exchanges of Act One, this family has grown accustomed to harsh criticism as default form of communication. Disappointment runs deep, and although the father spends a great deal of time and energy complaining about his sons failures, at times the young men are their own harshest critics. Read more about Eugene ONeills dramatic masterpiece. #2 - King Lear Every line of iambic pentameter in Shakespeares tale of an abused old king is so depressing and brutal that theater producers in the Victorian Age would allow substantial changes to the plays ending in order to give audiences something slightly more upbeat. Throughout this classic drama, the audience wants to simultaneously slap and embrace King Lear. You want to smack him because he is too stubborn to acknowledge the ones who truly love him. And you want to hug him because he is so misguided and so easily fooled, he allows the evil characters to take advantage of him then abandon him to the storm. Why does it rank so high on my list of tragedies? Perhaps its simply because I am a father, and I cant imagine my daughters sending me out into the cold. (Fingers crossed they are kind to me in my old age!) #1 - Bent This play by Martin Sherman may not be as widely read as the other tragedies previously mentioned, but because of its intense, realistic depiction of concentration camps, execution, anti-Semitism, and homophobia it deserves the highest place among the saddest plays in dramatic literature. Martin Shermans play is set in mid 1930s Germany, and centers around Max, a young gay man who is sent to a concentration camp. He pretends to be Jewish believing that he wont be persecuted as much as the homosexuals in the camp. Max undergoes extreme hardship and witnesses obscene horrors. And yet amid the abject cruelty he is still able to meet someone kind, a fellow prisoner with whom he falls in love. In spite all the barrage of hatred, torture, and indignity, the main characters are still able to mentally transcend their nightmarish surroundings at least for as long as they are together.

Latin american history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Latin american history - Essay Example analysis of the political and economic history of Columbia, Cuba, and Mexico, this essay demonstrates that the flawed economic policies of the countries are predominantly at fault. In Latin America, the 1980’s are referred to as ‘Decada de aprendizaje doloroso’ , or the decade of painful experiences. Nowhere were these experiences more evident than in Columbia. According to David Robinson, â€Å"economic problems†¦had a significant impact on the political systems in the region. Elected governments still tend to support their own interests or those of elite groups (Robinson).† The government had increasing levels of foreign debt, which forced them to devalue the currency repeatedly. People from rural areas became poorer. Even the resource-rich Columbia faced internal problems of guerrillas and the drug cartels. According to a May 8, 1990 Time magazine article, kidnapping and murder of political aspirants became a routine affair carried out by the drug cartels, in order to influence the outcome of the elections. According to the magazine, 503 people were murdered and 18 kidnapped in a single week in May. From the United States per spective, Columbia is of national importance because of its geographic location and natural resources Although Columbia is an ally of the United States, 90% of the illegal cocaine in the United States comes from Columbia, which has still not become a safe place. Fighting continues between the armed groups maintained by the drug cartels and the government forces. A United Nations report indicates that â€Å"2 million people have been displaced because of armed conflict in Columbia† this year. Most of the internally displaced persons were Afro-Columbians, who fled because they were frightened of the fighting between the Columbian army and the armed groups operating near the Atrato river in north-western Columbia. Although a determined effort by the government to overcome the drug cartels has resulted in a semblance of order in

Enviroment science lab3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enviroment science lab3 - Essay Example According to Budyko (1982), anthropogenic activities of man more so industrialization and agriculture are the key contributor to the greenhouse gases. The data clearly indicates that, between 1990 and 2005, there has been an increase in the CO2 by more than 20 mol-1 in the five regions. Anthropogenic activities in the regions of studies in regard to the production of greenhouse gases, which are deforestation to create space for industrial development and agriculture and combustion of fossil fuels, have been on the rise. With this being the trend, is clear that in the last forty year, CO2 emission was lower. This is because industrialization was low and the population that needed to be fed from agriculture was low too. Therefore, deforestation and green gas emission was low making my hypothesis is right (Budyko, 1982). Earth System Research Laboratory: Global Monitoring Division. (n.d.). Retrieved from U.S Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Research web site: http:

Coconut Tree Essay Example for Free

Coconut Tree Essay The coconut tree as a â€Å"tree of life† is characteristically a food supplier as this tree provides fruit and is well-known to be devoid of any anti-nutrient factors and is known as a whole food with 5,000 years of recorded use in food preparation with health benefits.The fruit is edible at any stage of maturity. It provides not only a solid food but a large volume of very safe and healthy drinking water-based juice. The fruit of the coconut palm is the main source of many food products such as coconut milk/cream, desiccated coconut, coconut chip, coconut water, nata de coco, coconut oil, copra, etc. Apart from these, the unopened inflorescence can produce coconut sap or toddy (tuba) which can be processed into high value and nutritious food products. Coconut sap sugar, considered to be one of the best natural sweeteners, is truly a perfect and healthier substitute for artificial sweeteners because it is not a product of chemical laboratories, not an artificial sweetener and not a by-product of sugar cane, not brown sugar nor muscuvado sugar. Coco sugar is good for both diabetic and non-diabetic consumers because it does not induce high blood sugar because it has a Low Glycemic index. Glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers-the higher the number, the greater blood sugar response. So a low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger the opposite. GI is about the quality of the carbohydrates, not the quantity. Coco sugar can be good for weigh maintenance. (Dr. Trinidad P. Trinidad, Scientist II of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute – Department of Science and Technology.) It is also rich in various amino acids, vitamins and minerals that are essential for the human body to benefit.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotlan

Robert Louis Stevenson was born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland Throughout his childhood, he suffered chronic health. A Study of Robert Louis Stevenson’s use of settings, characters and symbolism in ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Robert Louis Stevenson was born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland throughout his childhood; he suffered chronic health problems that confined him to bed. He lived in constant fear of death and some people believe that this was where he got his grim outlook on life from. The strongest influence during his childhood was that of his nurse, Allison Cunningham, who often read aloud Pilgrim's Progress and The Old Testament, his most direct literary influences during this time. Originally he did not intend to be an author, his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become an architect. He lived in Edinburgh for most of his life; it was split into two, both sides played a part in molding his personality and outlook. On one hand was the New Town, respectable, upstanding, deeply religious, and polite. On the other was a much more bohemian Edinburgh, symbolised by brothels and shadiness. The juxtaposition of the two aspects in contrast to each other made a deep impression and strengthened his fascination with the duality of human nature, later providing the theme for ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. Throughout the history of the book critics have struggled to choose the genre in which the book falls. The most popular opinion is that it is a Gothic novel and lies alongside Frankenstein and Dracula. Like these books Stevenson put most of the events in the book happening during the night to give it a ‘gloomy’ feel. The part where ... ...pectives. In the beginning chapters to set the scene Stevenson narrates the story as a third person, for example he describes the ‘door which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker,’ of the house in which Hyde lives. The Carew murder case was told as third person, but also had a detailed account from the maid who saw it all out of her window to make the tale more believable. In the chapter, ‘The Last Night,’ Poole the butler gives his account of the Jekyll and Hyde story, which gives the reader an insight into different characters and their personalities. And the final points of view are from Dr Lanyon and Jekyll’s letters. I think that both these letters give the reader a chance to be a ‘detective’ and piece together he two stories and find a constant theme. It also makes it seem more believable and less bias if it is written by two different people.

Disastrous Date Essay

Three years ago my good friend set me up on a blind date, but before going on the date I wanted to get to know my potential date. After talking to him for a couple of weeks and getting to know him we finally decided to have our first date. He was a gentleman he came to the airport to pick me up, opened the door and was polite. Our conversation in the car had no awkward moments of silence as we headed to our restaurant. The restaurant was his pick which was a surprise to me since it was Ruth’s Chris Steak house. We ordered appetizer’s and drinks to start off the date, we talked and laughed over dinner and shared some embarrassing moments over dessert. In my mind I thought is this night too good to be true. We spent over three hours talking and laughing as the night came to an end the waitress brought our check. This is where it gets interesting. As he’s frantically checking his pockets for his wallet in my mind I’m thinking he’s joking with me he did have a sense of humor over dinner. Don’t get me wrong I don’t ever mind paying for dinner, but on a first date â€Å"forgetting your wallet† might be pushing it especially when you’re having dinner at a steak house. At the end I ended up paying for our dinner which wasn’t cheap, we headed out and drove back to his hotel and it turned out his wallet was left behind now I don’t know if it was intentionally left behind, but it was defiantly at the hotel. We freshened up and headed out again to continue our night. Till this day my husband and I laugh at my first disastrous date and what’s even funnier is that my husband is the guy who â€Å"forgot his wallet.† So my bad experience actually ended up turning into a good one.