The Blockade Runner — page 77: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

8 THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. rimac would sally forth again to complete the destruc- tion of the great steamship. Night passed away, and morning came. It was the dawn of a beautiful Sabbath day, calm and peaceful. At half-past six three vessels were seen advancing from Craney Island. These were the Merrimac and her consorts of the day before, the Jamestown and Yorktown. The Monitor lay quietly in the water within pro. tecting distance of the Minnesota, whose men were ready for the conflict. Disdaining to notice the cheese-box looking craft that threatened to engage her, the Merrimac pushed straight for the Minnesota. Captain Van Brunt at once beat to quarters, and suddenly opened on the Confederate with his stern guns, as he signaled the Monitor to engage in the attack. Commander Worden made for the enemy, and to the surprise of every eye-witness, laid himself right alongside, and opened with his monster cannon. The fight—the grapple of the giants—was now fairly on. The two iron sea-dogs were at close range, muzzle to muzzle-one might say, pouring their heavy metal against each other in a constant shower that seemed entirely resistless. Yet the shot of the Merrimac fell harmless from the sides of the Monitor’s revolving turret, while Worden seemed to do his antagonist no great damage. For nearly two hours the ships battled for the mas- tery with the rage of wounded lions. - eomicbooks.co 3