USS Montauk Interesting Observation - Nothing Earth Shattering but...

[Barry Cauchon]

Hi folks: I am slowly getting back to analyzing photos and images again. I want to point out an 'interesting, but hardly earth shattering observation' regarding the illustration of Booth's autopsy aboard the USS Montauk. The Harpers' Weekly May 13, 1865 illustration shows the deck of the Montauk being clad in wooden planks. The decks of Passaic class monitors were all clad in 1" iron plates. So unless there was some radically different change in design that occurred during the Montauk's initial construction or later renovations made during the war, it is safe to assume that the Harper's illustrator took some artistic licence in his creation (whether he was actually there at all or whenter he took his inspiration from the lost Gardner photo). IT'S A MYSTERY [insert suspense-filled music here] DUH DUH DAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Barry

[John Stanton]

The deck of the Montauk is not as strange as the deck of the recent Aircraft Carrier with a Basketball Court in the middle of the touch down area. Wierd!

[Joe Gleason]

                                

     This photo of the U.S.S. Passaic and the U.S.S Montauk was taken on the building ways at the Continental Yard at Green Point Shipyard, New York.
    Passaic (in the ship house) is the lead ship of the new and improved monitor class to follow the original U.S.S. Monitor. She was launched August 30, 1862.
     The Montauk, with incomplete hull side armor, would follow Passaic into the water several months later with her launching on October 9, 1862.
     Command of the ship would be given to John Worden, the wounded captain of the original U.S.S. Monitor.
                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                           MONITORS   The Men, Machines and Mystique by Jerry Harlowe

Barry,
 I haven't read the entire book yet but if I come across any references to the decking I will definitely post them for you.

                            
                                                                           U.S.S. Onondaga
                            

                            
                                                        U.S.S. Catskill with several 1" iron plates removed

[Joe Gleason]

I also have some "issues" with Frank Leslie's Illistrated sketches that were supposedly drawn within weeks of the assasssination.
 
1. If the lower photograph of Baptist alley is authentic, then Leslie's depiction is clearly wrong.
2. Booth is going the wrong way in the artist's sketch.
3. The small door ( looking at the photo) wasn't there at the time.

                                    
                            

                                    

                                    
                                                                

[BoothBuff]

     Joe - I believe that photo on the bottom is 1880's - 1890's, after much renovation was done to the theater after the Gov't took it over. He does appear to be going the wrong way, though. 

[John Stanton]

Did O'Rielly post that picture of The USS Anondaga?  Because it is "o'really" the Uss Onondaga. ...first double turreted monitor class...spent its entire lifeon the James River

[Joe Gleason]

Thanks BoothBuff,
The "Picture History" photograph is dated 1865, which also leads to the confusion. So, 1. The sketch on top is dated correctly at 1865. 2. The photograph below it is incorrectly dated at 1865 and should be dated 1880-1890's. 3. During renovation the doorway(s) were again reverted back to a large and small door like we see in the sketch and the photo below. Is that right?
                                                  
           comments on east wall of theater pg.30  http://www.archive.org/stream/restorationoffor00olsz#page/28/mode/2up

                                        

Thanks John. Correction made and fault admitted. I make lots more mistakes than O'Rielly, only I won't charge you first and then let you find them afterwards.  

  

[BoothBuff]

     Yes, that's right. I would have to look up when, but at one point, the entire east (back) wall had to be rebuilt.



     I looked that up - after the 1893 collapse, the east wall was found to be 10" out of plumb and entirely demolished.