The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-07
RlSKING OUR SAILORS LIVES.
TIE ROTTEN WYOMING TTvKERED UP
AND orr ON HER VOY1GE


AND orr ON HER YOYIGE
About Forty seamen and Marines Desert
Rather than Take the Chance OF Go,na 90
the Bo,tom-Iow the Tink erips was Done.
The United States slOop-of-war Wyoming
started yesterday afternoon TO make sec
ond attempt 10 reach Hnvre. The state OF
the vessels hull ns exhibited on the removal OF
the copper. and tho subsequent tinkerlng to
which 1t was subjected. has far from quoted
the fears OF officers and crow az TO her sea-
worthincss. Neither paint nor copper. they
say, can strengthen rotten tmbers and Joints.
although they may hide them from view. Since
the ships arrival here. there have been forty
assertions among her crew. soamen and ma
rncs. 1t is said also that her large passenger
list has been materially lessened. On Wednes-
day Just before she left the dry dock n seaman
slipped out of the yard gate when the calkers
and carpenters went to dinner. 1t was ascer-
tanned afterward that he had put n carpentery
overalls over his clothes, and gone out bare
headed. He sacrificed his kit OF clothes. and II
is said nearly months pay. II is asserted In
the yard that one of the wyoming's officers re-
marked on Wednesday I'm the,hearng Of several
persons: " II we don't leave here soon well not
have any crew left to man the shipl"
At noon yesterday the Wyoming hauled of
from the long dock and steamed over to tho
farewell buoy. Relatives Of the officers and the
crew. and shippers OF exhibits for the Paris Ex-
position watched her throughout this slow and
short journey. She lay-to of tlfe. buoy. the
crew making the decks shipshape. and trim
ming the $50 tons Of coal that were crammed
into her bunkers at the long dock. At $3.50 she
began to steam seward. yet no demonstration
was made In her was Charles Thompson one
of the numerous offspring OF MIR, Dick Thomp-
son. the do facto Secretary OF the Navy.
and Naval Constructor Webb made an, ex
animation Of the vessel on Thursday Their
tary Thomson. II IL said that In their re-
port they give ns their opinion that the vessel
is in fit condition to make the run 10 Havrc and
return.
4 singular discovery was made last week. sus-
tanning the carpenters in their theory that the
ships apron. which supports the stem. is
checked. An attomTN was being made 10 find
the large leak complained Of in the bows. Melted
tallow was poured through some rents found in
the apron. To tho surprise OF all present the
tallow ran down through both apron and stem.
ns though they had been. sieve, and fell upon
the carpenters staging below. To repair this.
the place was tinkcrcd mp with what are known
as stop-waters. and then thoroughly calked.
under the main chains and below the copper.
aud running aft as far IA the mnzen channels;
The plank was rotten that the workmen had
to put white zine shim-p pieces on the back. TO
prevent the oakum from going through None
of the bottom panks were disturbed. Under
meath the port stills there are seven or eight
wales. Under these arc the bottom planks
Shin pieces are tri angular pieces Of plank. put
in rs a sort OF make-shiit. In this case they
oming safe. even in ordinary weather. experts
say that some eight or ten streaks OF wales
should have been taken of from her fore and
aft and replaced with new material. Her clamps
and ceiling, which are very much decayed.
should also nave been removed and replaced.
II would have taken months to have done this
properly.
gentleman thoroughly conversan: with the
management Of the navy dyes,erday pointed
out the secnnd-rat steamer Alaska 10 a re-
porter for The sun. Tho repairs 70 that
ship said he. have Just been completed. She
arrived last July. The Superintendent OF Con-
structon and Repairs. Mr.. Webb, ordered
b@twesn the load ana iieht lines she V WAS thor S
oughly rotten. Her officers reported, Also that
when under canvas her spars acted like levers
needed repairs upon the Alnska as shown by
the survey, u compared with that OF the Wyo-
ming, would prove almost Identical That IL to
say the Wyoming. when she arrived here two
a was III the "SIagHa in in last July. Aiisr
the latter vessel this is what WINS found:
Forward and aft thirteen streaks Of her wales
uhe timhers lying between, the port sills and
the light line were rotten. Her pIanking down
to her foorheads needed removing on account
to se TI Her and ID beer S %
were all gone. The hanging knees under her
gun-deck beams and most Of her lodging knees
ward and aft anu her berth deck knees were
rotten. and the beams. needed soaring Eight
-
The cost was $3.50 900"
II IL due 70 Naval Constructor Webb 70 any
that he is not responsible for the unseaworthy
condition in which the Wyoming is about TO
leave port. II was learned on good authority
that he decided after a careful survey that II
would take NJ least two months TO fit her for a
years cruise. Before he got his men AZ work
however. Mr.. j. W. Easily. Chief OF the Bureau
OF Construction and Repairs in Washington,
arrived at the Brooklyn yard. He. 10y order ~
Secretary Thorn son. gave the order TO rush
Naval Constructor Webb said yesterday " IL
Is impossible to know the exact condition Of the
wyoming or any other ship, without thorough
~ Oyerhauling her. This we have not had time
to do. We believe. for instance. in the exist
cnce OF milk in the cocoanut. but We cannot say
positively until We crack 1t open. We found
several auger holes in her cardboard streaks.
alter taking OF the copper. Besides this some
OF the seams in tho bottom had not been calk-
ed. The apron was found to be rented and
checked II was this leak in the apron that
flooded the storerooms forward. 1t is
we're put into some OF the streaks
OF wales whore the top or bottom was rotted
away. and would not hold the oakun. In case
Of severe blow. think the ship would be safe
OF course no man can foresee what might hap
in ordinary in the Washington Navy Yard. She
was light, ana Of course all the streaks above
the light line were exposed to the hot sun. This
caused the rot"
Yesterday the iron torpedo boat Intrepid and
the navy tugbOat Catalpa were hauled into the
dry dock for repairs. The result OF the survey
u the ship Brooklyn shows her to be- rotten
from stem to stern. Ii has not yet been de-
cided whether she Is worth repairing.