From the Jan. 14th Virginia Daily Press.
Ed, a cuddly stuffed bear, in a customized plastic bubble with weights, paid a visit to the turret of the USS Monitor, six feet deep in a fresh water tank. Ed is currently on a tour of all fourteen national marine sanctuaries. He is a creation of Steve Savage who blogs about Ed's trips. http://adventuresofedthebear.blogspot.com.
Said the Monitor's project manager, David Krop, "Technically, this is the first bear to explore the USS Monitor's turret" which is 20 feet in diameter and 9 feet high. It will remain in fresh water for fifteen years to prevent further corrosion.
The turret was recovered in 2002 from the Monitor's wreck which is now classified as a marine sanctuary.
I'm sure glad they were able to recover at least the turret and would have liked it even better had they recovered the whole ship. Unfortunately, it has deteriorated to the point that is not possible. Too bad someone back in the late 1800s didn't have the foresight to save at least one monitor as well as some of the Civil War ships that were still around.
We'll Take What We Can Get. --Old B-R
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