USS Monitor replica’s christening is a smash

With the thud of a sparkling wine bottle against a steel hull, a replica of the USS Monitor was christened Sunday afternoon. An array of dignitaries gathered Sunday afternoon at The Mariners’ Museum to recognize the full-scale replica of the famed Navy ironclad. The ship won’t be sailing but instead will be the centerpiece of the museum’s $30 million USS Monitor Center, which is set to open March 9. Northrop Grumman Newport News built the ship with steel donated from the Navy.