USS Monitor's Engine arrives at NNS

The steam engine of the USS Monitor arrived at Newport News Shipbuilding on Tuesday, July 17 after being recovered by Navy divers off Cape Hatteras, N.C.

NNS disconnected the 30-ton engine from its frame for transport to the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, where it will be displayed. 

Located off Cape Hatteras about 230 feet below the ocean's surface, the Monitor is steadily deteriorating and divers have been recovering items such as the engine in hopes of stabilizing the wreck and preserving its history before it deteriorates further. NNS has been involved in the recovery project from the beginning, and earlier this year many NNS employees volunteered their time to help the museum construct a 35-foot-square holding tank that will accommodate and preserve the historic ship's engine.

Daniel Harvey (background) and Marlow Towns (foreground) are just two of the many NNS employees involved in the USS Monitor recovery project.