The famous constructor of the Monitor.] The _Merrimac_ was promptly on time the next morning, and was accompanied by two gunboats; but while steaming toward the remaining Union vessels the _Monitor_ darted out from behind the _Minnesota_ and boldly advanced to meet her terrible antagonist. They silently approached each other until within a hundred yards, when the _Monitor_ fired a shot, to which the _Merrimac_ replied. The firing was rapid for a time and then became slower, with the intervening space varying from fifty yards to four times that distance. A number of the _Merrimac's_ shots struck the _Monitor's_ pilot-house and turret, the crash doing no harm except almost to deafen the men within. Most of the shells, however, missed or skipped over the low deck of the smaller boat. The latter was able to dodge the rushes of the larger craft and play all around her, but the terrible pounding worked damage to both, the _Monitor_ suffering the most. The iron plate of the pilot-house was lifted by a shell, which blinded Lieutenant Worden, and so disabled him that he was forced to turn over the command to Lieutenant Green. Worden, who lived to become an admiral, never fully recovered from his injuries. The firing, dodging, ramming, and fighting continued for four hours, but the _Merrimac_ was unable to disable her nimble antagonist, and slowly steamed back to Norfolk, while the _Monitor_ returned to her former position, and was carefully kept in reserve by the government against future perils of a similar character. FATE OF THE MERRIMAC AND MONITOR. Neither of the vessels was permitted to do further service. Some months later, upon the evacuation of Norfolk, the _Merrimac_ was blown up to prevent her falling into the hands of the Unionists, and the _Monitor_ foundered off Hatteras in December, 1862. The battle wrought a complete revolution in naval warfare. The days of wooden ships ended, and all the navies of the world are now made up mainly of ironclads. More important work was done by the Union fleets during this year. The government put forth every energy to build ships, with the result that hundreds were added to the naval force, many of which were partial and others wholly ironclad. OTHER COAST OPERATIONS.