New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-29
WORK IN THE NAVY YARD.
THE RETURN OF THE DOLPHIN.

RECENT CHANGES IN oFFICERs-ITEMs OF IN.
TEREsT IN REGARD TO MEN AND VESSELS.
One of the special features of interest in local
| Naval circles at present is the dispatch boat
| Dolphin, the vessel which has just completed a
cruise around the world; but by her safe return
those who have prayed for the past two years
that she would break up and founder before she
reached home, so that their declaration that she
is structurally weak" would prove true, will be
denied the pleasant privilege of saying, " / told
you So" Nevertheless, she is here, and without
the loss Of splinter from her spars a start in her
seams the breaking of a rivet. She did not
come up to the Navy Yard yesterday, and it was
thought that she would not 80 there at all Where
she would go or what would be done with her is
/ not yet determined.
| The orders which substituted the Kearsarge for
| the OsSipee to take Frederick Douglass, the new
Minister to Haytl, to Port-au-Prnce, have been
ceved in the yard. Captain Shepard and several
of the officers of the KearSarge are away on leave,
but they have been ordered to return and will
probably be back to-day. A few stores were
taken board yesterday, barrels of -four, etc,
and she is about ready to start Mr.. Douglass will
| leave Washington for New-York on Monday, and
at once go board the vessel, ready to leave for
| Hayt Tuesday One of the officers of the
| vessel said yesterday that she would probably
make the trip down and back in three weeks.
| A report has been circulated that the reason
for the change in the designation of the vessel
to carry Mr. Douglass due to the antipathy of
Commander A. Co. Kellogg toward the colOred
race, and that he was opposed to commanding the
ship which should carry Mr.. Douglass This is
ridiculed and declared probably untrue by
the officers of the Navy notwith-
standing that Commander Kellogg was detached
from the ship and placed waiting orders about
week ago. 1t is probable that the excuse given
for making the change the bad condition of the
boilers was the correct one.
The Pensacola moved yesterday from the
coal dock to the ordnance dock She is almost
ready 10 start on her trip to Africa. The big old
ship, one of the largest remaining types of the old
wooden Navy, has much cabin room and is said
to be one of the most comfortable vessels in the
Navy; hence the members of the scientific expe
dition can be as well accommodated on her on
any vessel in the service.
little painting was done on the gunboat York
town yesterday. She will probably start from
the yard tomorrow or Tuesday and go up the
Hudson to West Point where she is ordered to be
on October .. She is to convey the delegates to
the Congress of the Three Americas to the Fall
River Line steamboat, and will then probably re-
turn to the Yard Her officers appear pleased at
the results of the trials at Newport,
and think that eighteen knots an hour
could be developed under proper conditions, as she
made nearly seventeen knots In her Newport trlals,
which in itself was much more than the Cramps
developed in the official trial. The Chicago is at
her old moorings, and one enters the yard at
the YOrll-st. gate he may see part OF her big
white hull ahead of him at the foot of the street
The work of changing her boat davits and OF
repairing her cap,tan has been rebegun, ana
it is thought that this can be completed III about
a month.
The Boston is once more a whole boat, tight
and sound and is almost ready to come out oil the
drv-docll. after being in there more than month.
The holes which were punctured in her bottom
have been stopped up by taking off the injured
plates and putting good ones in their places, and
tIe indented plates were also replaced with new
ones Some of the frames, too, were bent and
some broken, and it necessary to repair these
also. This work has at last been completed. and,
after little cementing has been done the
inside of the new plates, she will be ready to
come out of the dry-dock. 1t was thought at the
Navy Yard yesterday that on Tuesday the vessel
will be foated ont of the dock She has
not vet completed her speed and tactical
trials, which the Chicago, the Yorktown and the
Atlanta have just undergone at Newport and 1t is
probable that she will shortly proceed to Newport
TO finish the trials interrupted by her accident.
Work has already been begun in anticipation
of the building of Cruiser No. ~ as the new
3 OOO-ton cruiser TO be built at the Navy Yard |
is 10 be known until name is picked out for her
Comics of the plans and specifications have come
IN the Navy Yard and the work OF laying down |
this vessel will be begun as soon as the monld-loft
floor and the appliances can be made ready ana
wi n he pushed to completion with dispatch. The
vessel will be built on the site where the Colossus
A,,fIt nd
foundation or bed-bloc<rG. erecting keel-block-
ing and crbbing will be begun at once. Eng neer,
In Chief George w. Melville at the Navy Yard
a couple of days ago making preparations Tor the
nlant necessary to build the engines OF both the
b 0O0-ton cruisers An addition to the machine
shop is 70 be built for the erection OF the new
an Ines and among the tools to be purchased are
a crane for the heavy machinery and boring
machine for the big cylinders.
Commodore Ramsay who is member OF the
General Sforexecpers' Board. which has been in
session at Washington for several days: has re;
turned TO his duties in the Navy Yard. The board
will not complete its work until the systems IN
nractice at the New-York. Norfolk and
Portsmouth Navy Yards have been examined to
learn their advantages and disadvantages. IL Is
probable that the consolidation OF stores ana
the recognition of the purchase system advoc'iea
by Secretary Whitney will be considerably modl,
fed, as it has worked great ineonvenlences ana
no small amount OF CONFUSION. Inc wrong e0ouS
are frequently sent upon Tequisltlon, and there
is more or less difficulty in getting things
promptly.
made at the Navy Yard during the past week
Passed Assistant Engineer G. S. Wlletts has
been detached from the Boston and ordered as
instructor at the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn; Cap
tain Theodore F. Kane has been ordered as chief
equipment officer TO relieve Commander William
H. Whiting; Lieutenant Ridgely Hunt has been
detached froln.he Kearsarge and placed wait
ing orders Ensign w. B. Shoemaker is detached
from the receiV ing ship Vermont and ordered
10 duty at the Johns Hopkins University Balt-
more Commander o. F. Heyermann, who recently
commanded the Yantic, is ordered TO duty as
Inspector of the Eleventh Lighthouse District
10 duty at the yard, TO relieve Assistant Engineer
F. c. Bowers, who goes to duty the Fish Com
mission steamer Fish Hawk; Lieutenant 4. Ross
10, haan CHI al fror Tho panCaeo1a and