New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
NOW A BIG CRUISER Is MADE.
er,py TO BEGIN WORK on M" "
SOME POINTS ABOUT nER-oHANsls

SOME POINTS ABOUT HER-chAN0N'
IN THE YARD
r..,. h.. been nothing, perhaps, OF erea'er IN.
o. ordinary visitors at the navy
IA during the last few weN' 49,.
l"'' atoms ~ oecin the building OF inc
'ne 100 CON c,,iscr. at present known as NO
w ~, ,,i.,ch il is thought. will prop"oIy oe
o,uoa ,bc BROOKLYN These preParauon' -.
H. Zoo, ~ Maip-st.. near the water .Ue, ~
- Nd ohont six weeks ago ana '"es ""'
S.aua sa,isfac,ion 70 the curious anu "''
.'.1 r,,s, ,reat hardwood blocks were cuV
's mi, in The ground at Intervals oi "'ou'
-. g.. ,be foundation Of the oiocNs upon
"Ne ,eey w ,.,al ,s 70 be laid. On top OF these
WHICH 'H' - ,rere fastened other blocks, the
io"hu""O ror;o,s heights, so as TO form
'opS ",'ae .,;ao5 nlane. and these were careiuIV
,"n -, experts OF the constructor iorce'
aleHe" ~ ,;no uas run from the block at the
lons' re- . ,be one al the waters edge, ana
upper e' .o- surfaces were trimmed down. so
tnei s,raicbt-edge were run the enurc lehsth
-, ,orld not be a difference OF ohc-siA'eenth
- inch in their corresponding Levels. hl'er
- we're laid and trimmed, ready tor inc keei
,Io,es 10 be put on, there were SET up ABOUT
huodred stout, upright poles, standing thrty iee'
:, morc above the ground, upon which Is 10 DC
sors,rpctcd the scafolding Tor the worKmeh
md for the braces for holding the
,,ckle IN placa for hosting the plates, ana ior
sustaining the supports for the sides OF the YES
.e Near these uprights " circus IS efecuhs
Tbis * not the land OF circus of which
,he pain,cd clown is king, but is used IN con-
s,ructjng a ship. A derrick is put up and around
tins i Il circular space or yard This Is dVided
into streets, and into these streets arc put the
s.eel plates used on the vessel. When any plate
i wanted the derrick fits il out and puts 1t
On a car. which conveys it TO the place where 10
Is needed.
THE NEW CRUISER.
Tho construction OF naval vessel is long
and technical job. In the case OF cruiser No. 4
first the plans had to be drawn and accepted
They were then taken TO this Navy Yard where
on the floor of tine mould loft" the vessel was
laid out with every part the full size. Then
uatterus were constructed. The patterns OF the
stem piece, which are now making in the pat
,ern-maker's loft" are constructed carefully ana
vreeisey after the form in the mould-loft2 From
lhis will be made the mould for the casting. and
hence great care must be taken TO have the maj
casting exactly correct without alteration Id
doing this allowance must be made foc shrink
age" for the steel casting will shrink signify
and unless this allowance were made would dc
too small. The stem-post is TO be made IN TWO
castings, which are rveted tose ther ana r9ush n
estimate puts its weight at $4,000 TO lo,OOO
pounds the stern-pOst and rudder are also 10
be cast. Every frame and plate Is nude Tor It's
own particular position on the vessel
According 10 the terms OF the contract, INC
delivery of the material for the new cruiser was
TO begin a month after the contract was signed,
and hence it is expected that the hrft snpnf hs
work cdn begin The keel plates are bent and
Put in place on the keel blocks the vertical keel
is then put on. Then the frames are put ON ana
riVeted into place the stem and stern posts are
erected and the longitudinals are put in. After
ward The plates are rveted on the frames. max
Ing the double bottom, and the deck beams are
Cruiser No will be twin-screw steel
cruiser, with heavy protected deck, OF great
speed and heavy batteries OF rapid-hre guns
There will be poop and forccasle decks, with an
open gun-deck between. and bridges along the
tops Of the hammock MEETINGS, connecting the
poop and forccaste. The principal features are
the dimensions The vessel will be 800 feet long,
az feet beam, feet draught. 3,lS5 tons ais
placenrnf 900 indicated horse power at GA
revolutions of the engine. and 20 knots speed
She will bc provided with triple-expansicn ver
Z cal inverted and dircct-actng engines, and sup
rcd with four double-ended boilers. - Fol full,
speed running she will be supplied WIN lorceu
draft. When the forced draft is used the ash
nit Will be closed tight. and means Will be taken
prevent the leaking OF gases out oil the furnace
doors. The cruisers rig VIII be mat OF TWO
harbctte galleries for machine guns Just below the
tops As the subject OF coal-consumptlon on the
new cruisers has been much discussed OF late ana
has been attended with much criticism oil inc Navy
DEPARTMENT and suggestions that congress
would be inclined to tighten the strings around
the money bags OF the Treasury against the build,
ing Of more of the modern shlpS-of-war. IL VIII
I've Of interest TO note the estimates OF the coal
consumption on the new cruisers. They VIII each
have a capacity for 55G tons of coal AT fulI
power and 20.knot speed each would consume
o. oP
at knots ~ tons, at IA knots a. II tons, at
J . knots 26 IL tons, at I 0 knots 10 1-2 tons
md at knots 10 l-2 tons
REPAIRING OLD VESSELS.
During the last week the rudder of the training
ship Portsmouth at the Navy Yard has been taken
out repaired and replaced. There Is now some
work going on the ports, and there is some
other construction work 10 be done before she
leaves the yar& but it is probable that she will
starr on her winter ctuisc IN about two weeks.
The ESseX which has been IN the dry-dOcK Tor sew
eral weeks having new copper bottom put on
her has been brought out. and IS mOoreu along,
side the Puritan The big floating derrick stood
By her Yesterday lifting some Of her heavy
machinery. Her coa-bunkerS arc TO he made,
and her gun-crcles are pcBg taken up The
arydock is making ready TO receive the 4; MAD an
yard for long time without being locked. ana
like al steel vessels it is necessary to dock her
occasionally 10 preserve her bottom.
liz addition which is building TO the new
machine shop opposite the Maine Is nearly COM
p.c,cd, and will soon be ready for use. IL has
become necessary 10 have room for more machinery
in the construction of the vessels in the yard, |
aud this addition will afford little extra room.
The lower part of building No. o is being cleared
ont and Is 10 be used Tor storing heavy castings
II, which could be connected by a shaft with the |
engine IN the new machine shop. which stands |
near il.
Ono Of the improvements al tho Navy Yard. not |
IN The Tribune's resume of the report |
Of The Permanent Board two weeks ago, is that |
Of Cob Dock Island. 1t is proposed 20 make this
Tie WallabOut Channel. available Cor naval pur-
poses, 1t is ncoD, enient OF access. and IN its
present decayed and dilapidatcd condition II can
not be Of much use, but when the Whitney Basin
Is finished and when the quay walls recommended
are bnilt, and the necessary dredging around IL
IS done. il Will possess "a water frontage includ-
u. a 2 linear i