The Daily Press reports that David Albert, superintendent of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, hopes the cannons will be ready for display within two or three years; 13 News Now, however, cites an estimate suggesting closer to ten years.
The Monitor's turret sank upside down, filling the cannons with coal from the engine. So when conservators began boring into the cannon barrels last week, the majority of the materials recovered were black water and chunks of coal-colored marine concretions.
A preliminary search of the cannon barrels in 2005 showed no sign of cat remains, and last week's borings yielded a similar result. The only artifact found of interest so far is a single metal bolt.
Laurie King, an assistant conservator at the museum says she loves the cat story, regardless of its veracity.
"Even if it turns out to be not true, I really like Butts and the fact that he had such an imagination, and felt like, 'No one's going to know the difference," says King. "I don't think he ever would have imagined that we could bring it up a hundred and fifty years later. It's wonderful to be able to do this archaeology to confirm or deny stories and oral histories that have been passed down for generations."
--Old B-Runner
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