Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-10-05

4. HOW The WATER kUShES IN.
While we are pressing forward, there
fore, ship by ship and gun by gun, to a,
new navy that will make our words
strong and our diplomates potential
everywhere, this new dry dock becomes
. thing Of importance. 1t is a part Of
the navy, essential to the navy. II is
unlike the dry docks OF Europe and the
cider docks in this country because it is
built Of timber. A few yards away is an
old dock made Of stone, started when
John Quincy Adams was president of
IL United States, and completed under
Andrew jackson. 1t has done service
from that day to this, but has cost sew
esAl fortunes in repairs. The frost takes
hold Of II and fills it full Of cracks and
seams. But the new dock is built of ce-
msnt and pine timber. Tho cement will
last forever, the timber facing for life
time. Where decay sets in replenish.
msut may be easily effected.
have said the dry docking Of a yes
eel % pretty process, and I'll prove it.
The Yantic, famous for her Arctic voy-
ages, lies out in Elizabeth river with
barnacles hanging to her copper bottom
and In sad need Of a scrape. She is in
holiday attire. Signal flags make fore
and aft line Of red, white and blue from
her stem to her stern. The Union Jack
and the rear admirals flag float from
her tops. Her brass guns glisten in the
sun. The captain and his officers are
resplendent in dress parade, bit of gilt
showing on the dark blue, white gloves
gripping trumpets of gold, on the quar-.
ter deck. Fore, aft and midships are
groups OF jack tars, merry fellows who
are not afraid to show their bronzed
breasts through the lapels of the sailor
jacket, nor their teeth when the whis-
pered jest goes round out of officers
earshot. Even the gunners are at their
posts, looking anything but bloodthirsty.
Only tho captain and the marines are
solemn. The latter, drawn up proudly
IN line, carbines and ship swords in
place, helmets on their heads and the
strings thereof under their high held
eAins, all stiff and ungainly. form O
striking, contrast to the active ana unre-
strained tars who bob about them.
The deck Of the Yantic is full of peo-
pie. One says you couldn't fire a gun
shot across her broadside without carry
ing . dozen men overheard. Another
inquiries If all those people sail in the
ship when she goes out to sea-
Certainly" says jolly Admiral Jouett.
"She IL crowded, that's true; bat, YOU
see, we have more sailors than ships.
more gunners than guns. more marines
than marine. We have the men and
the money, too, but, by jingo, we haven't
the craft to put them in.
30, as Mr.. Blaine says. everything
comes back TO the question of new
navy. We have the diplomatic. and the
national pride. and the maritime and
commercial ambition, and the sailor lads
ead all that, but we haven't the ships
esd the guns
Ihs fantic Is waiting 10 get in the dry
eock. The invited guests are gathered
eoost great hole in the ground. Il i.
nsarly thirty three feet deep ara more
sahae Ave hundred feet long. sraa /, Is
Yeesscsly dry. end men al q awcn,cn walk
r1pwp 20 the bottom, the r,noers of
: which it b constructed forming every.
where Aight Of stairs with eight incll
gtesss snd ten inch treadA Eserybods