New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-05
WORK AT THE NAVY 4ARL
r1EET OF WAR VESSELS THERE.
MANY ATTRACTIONS OFFERED ~
poRruNTT1Es OF COMPARING OLD
AND NEW SHIPS.

AND NEW SHIPS.
On every day since the Centennial celeora~on
tbs Navy Yard has been thronSed WIN NiSiVofs'
Some are from the county. ana having never
heen 70 a navy yard before. are eager 10 'isi0
the Nations great naval workshop. others are
old residents who have been attracted tV the 1act
that there are now so many OF the new vessels
IN the ward The machine and other shops. the
vessels and all places Of interest have been fuil
Of visitors, and the guards have been busy Keeping
reople within bounds. Many people, too have
been attracted by the large number of guns OF
the old type now lying an the Cob Dock These
great black monster lie on their sides. and their
yawning mouths some of which are large enough
for a man to crawl in. makes one shudder ut
the thought of the awful missiles which might
come from them. The Navy Yard is. in fact.
more interesting place to visit now than 1t
has been for many years. and much interest is
added, not SO much on account OF the
large number OF vessels there. but because
they represent the different patterns OF modern
and ancient war craft. One Of the most ancient
of the obsolete craft is the old lne-of-batte ship
Vermont, an old 74-gun frgate, but now with
ONLY three guns dismantled and almost beyond
identity as a ship, and housed over for the ser
vices of receiving ship-a hulk-house to care for
newly enlisted men waiting to be assigned to ships
Or men whose terms Of enlistment have expired and
who are waiting to be paid off by the Government.
THE OLD JAMESTOWN!
Thea there is the old sailing-ship jamestown,
with battery of twelve howit7ers, used only asa
training ship for seamen apprentices. She was
recently repaired at Norfolk, and came here to
take mart in the Centennial. She yesterday trans
ferred twenty-five men to the Kearsarge, forty men
to the Chicago, and about ninety men TO the Min
nesota which is lying at Twenty-third-st and tile
North River She will 60 from here to Newport,
where she will take on board another crew OF
seamcn apprentices, whom she Will take Tor a SIN
months cruise at sea. These apprentices Will then
be ready for active service on some one OF INC
naval stations This is the regular routine OF
work which this vessel carries out Next TO be
mentioned is the steam sloOp-of-war Ianhc, one
of the old type of wooden vessels now used as
peace cruiser She will soon go to duty in the
North Atlantic Squadron. The historic old hear-
sarge is in commission, and will take tour OF
duty in the North Atlantic Squadron. AS she
sppears to-day she is the identical ship that fought
and sunk the Alabama of CherbourG
harbor on June 10, 1864; in fact, with the
exception that here and there some new tmbers
have been put in her, she retains oil Oh hcr
original structure. Her rudder.LcSt, with The
empty she, which lodged in it after 1t left the
mu2zle Of one Of the guns of the Alabama,
which, fortunately for the kearsarge, dld not
explode at TIE time, is at the Smithsonian lnsu-
tuition. cad of survey on this vessel
yesterday, TO sc what was necessary 10 De oohe
before she again could go to sea. The engines
are low being repaired. and lew other minor
Improvements are necessary.
The Brooklyn is also one OF the famous SHIPS
of the service, and has not changed much In
sppearance since the time when she led the Gulf
feet in the fight at Mobile, going ahead of the
Hartford because CT an accident To that vessel
She recently returned from thrce-years cruise
in the Asatc Squadron. board OF inspection
has been on this vessel, and although they nave
not yet reported to what 1t Is necessary 10
do, she will probably BE- put out OF commission
and fitted for another three-years cruise. Inc
Essex vessel 400 tons larger than the lahtic aiso
recently returned from q cruise IN Aslatlc waters,
is another Of the old type of wooden vessels anu,
like the Brooklyn and Iantic, is armed with
smooth-bore guns.
THE JUNIATA GOES BACK TO NEWPORT.
The Juniata, another of the thirdrate wooden
vessels, which recently returned from the Aslatc
Squadron and has since been detailed for duty as
training ship for boys, has returned to Newport
She took back with her the 400 seamen apprentice
boys who were in the military parade on Tuesday.
The double-ture ted monitors MlantOnOmah and
j
standing the fact that they are of the type which
originated during the Civil War, an extension of
the single cheesebOx' monitor designed by Cap
tain Ericsson are interesting and formidable
weapons. The apprehension which was first felt
that they could be used only as floating harbor
fortresses was removed when the MiantOnomah
went to Europe soon after the war, and cOntended
with heavy weather equally as well the largest
Then there is the skeleton hull Of the torpedo.
boat Intrepid, which lies on ways in the Yard and
ll,,.r .n.,,
Porter, which is III course OF construction
The Atlanta the first Of the protected cruisers
Of the new Navy which was completed, has already
done considerable service since she was furnished
bv John Roach Il Sons. Officers who have sailed
on her testify that she is the most satisfactory
vessel in which they ever sailed. All things con
sidered she equals in power and efficiency nine
tenths of the unarmored ships Of her tonnage and
class which are now adOat. She looks the war
vessel that she is. Her comparatively low sides,
her superStructu-e for about bali her length amid
ships. her two masts, her two smoke-plpcs and
her eight-inch guns, firing 250pound projec-
tile give her formidable and war-llke appear
Aspnwsll, WHITTIER she was sent to protect
American interests, in anticipation OF trouble
BY the collapse ,of the Panama Canal scheme.
She is now lying at the Cob Deck and, although
no orders have been received, IL Is expected
that she will 20 TO the Chinese station.
The Boston, lying near the Atlanta at the Cob
DOCK Is In oil the essential 1eaturs OF con-
struceon and srrang ement duplicate Of the At
lanta She returned here from llayti about four
months ago, infected with yellow fever, since
which time she has been thoroughly fumigated,
steamed and ceansed, and is now perfectly
beautiful ship Rumor says that she is going TO
duty in the Pacific The set Of colors which the
City Council OF Boston ordered for presentation to
this We sci is completed. The set comprises eight
oags, steamers and guidoDs. One large United
states Tag is made Of silk and bears this inscrp-
ZION: Presented by the city of Boston, Mass
ises" The remainder Of the set consists OF
.nfse days made Of buntng-one United States
Sgn, one Pennant, one union jack and set OF
ost@non colors-fof the infantry, two blue guild
oA'' ana Tor the artillery, two red guidOns.
PRAISE FOR THE CHICAGO.
Inc chicago, another Of the new vessels built
oy roach d Sons, attracted marked attention by
everybody who saw the paval M roda an Monday