“To use the words of one of the workmen, he had ‘put more than a bale of oakum in the opening.’
“The construction of the ‘New Ironsides,’ ‘Monitor,’ and ‘Galena’ had already been practically taken out of the hands of the Construction Department of the Navy by the Secretary of the Navy, who became a convert to the monitor craze after the battle with the ‘Merrimac.’ The ‘Monitor’ had become the ideal type of armored war-ship, and a sort of sub-department of the navy was created and located at New York for the sole purpose of building and fitting out monitors.
“This establishment in New York was placed under the immediate supervision of Admiral Gregory, the active head being Chief Engineer A. G. Stimers, who had been the chief engineer of the ‘Monitor’ during her engagement with the ‘Merrimac.’ He had associated with him Isaac Newton and Theodore Allen, the nephew of Mr. Allen of the Novelty Works in New York. This board was in direct communication with the Secretary of the Navy.
“The monitor party, which may be described as the executive of the ring or the New York section of the Navy Department, soon assumed a position of great power and responsibility; the balance of the Department amounting to practically mere nothing in the way of new construction.
“Mr. Stimers and Mr. Allen were autocrats. They spent money lavishly, ordered vessels, designed them, made contracts, sub-contracts, made purchases, and carried everything with a high hand.
“Mr. Lenthall, the Chief Constructor of the Navy, and Mr. Isherwood, who was on his staff as engineer, were entirely set aside, and practically disappeared from the scene as far as new constructions were concerned.
“A large number of monitors were built, slightly improved in structural detail over the original, and were engaged as soon as finished in the operations before Charleston.
“The head-quarters in New York was often called the ‘draughtsmen’s paradise,’ on account of the great number of draughtsmen employed there, and who were getting twenty dollars a day. The most extraordinary displays of drawings were issued to the various machine-shops which were building monitors at that time. They were particularly noticeable on account of the extravagant character of the shading of the circular form of the turrets, smoke-stacks, conning-towers, etc.
“The inspectors of construction that were employed by the New York party emulated their superiors in carrying things with a high hand at the various concerns where they inspected the vessels.
“Up to that time our concern had not built any monitors. We were not in what was called the ‘Monitor Ring,’ not having indorsed the type nor manner of construction, besides being the authors of the ‘New Ironsides’ type, which the ring had determined to suppress.