The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-10-06


! While we are pressing forward, there
fore, ship by ship and gun by gun to
new navy that will make our words
strong and our diplomates potential
everywhere. this new dry dock becomes
n thing Of importance. IL Is part OF
the navy. essential 10 the navy. IL Is
unlike the dry docks Of Europe and the
older docks in this country because 1t IS
built of timber. \ few yards away Is an
old dock made OF stone, started when
John Quincy Adams was president OF
the United States, and completed under
Andrew jackson. 1t has done service
from that day 10 this, but has cost sew
cral fortunes in repairs. The frost takes
hold Of il and fills 1t full of cracks ana
SCANS. But the new dock Is built OF ce-
,nent and pine timber. The cement will
last forever, the timber facing for a HE
time. Where decay sets In repienish-
ment may be easily effected.
/ have said the dry docking Of a YES
sel is pretty process. and III prove IT,
The Yantic, famous for her Arctic voy-
aoes. lies out in Elizabeth rover with
larnaclcs hanging 10 her copper bottom
and in sad need Of 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 adinirals flag toat from
her tons. Her brass guns glisten in the
sun. The captain and his officers are
resplendent in dress parade, bit OF gut
showing on the dark blue, white gloves
cripping trumpets of gold, on the quar-
Ter deck. Fore, aft and midships are
groups Of jack tars, merry fellows VINO
are not afraid 10 show their bronzed
breasts through the lapels OF the sailor
Jacket. nor their teeth when the wills
pered Jest goes round out OF oiilcers
carsho,. Even the gunners are at their
POSTS. looking anything but bloodthirsty.
only the captain and the marines are
solemn. The latter, drawn u7 proudly
in line. carbines and ship swords IN
Mace. helmets on their heads and the
strings thereof under their high held
cb,ns all stiff and un0ainlv form a
strlIing Contrast 10 the active ana unfc-
strained tars who bob about them.
The deck Of the Yantic is full of peo-
pie. One saws you couldn't fire gun
shot across ter broadside without carry
ing q dozen men overheard. Another
inquiries if all those people sail in the
ship when she goes out 10 sea.
Certainly. says jolly Admiral Jouett
"She is crowded. that's true; but, yot
see. we have more sailors than ships
more gunners than guns, more marines
than marine We have the men anC
the money. too. but, by lingo, We haven
the craft 10 put them in.
So. as Mr. Blaine says, everything
comes back 10 the question OF a new
navy. We have the diplomates, and thu
national pride, and the maritime an'
commercial ambition, and the sailor lad
and all that, but we haven't the ship
and the guns.
The Yantic is waiting TO get in the DIR,
dock The invited guests are gathered
about great hole in the ground. II i
nearly thirty three feet deep and NOR
:s.xn FIVE hundred feet long Now it j
perfectly dry. and men and women wall
down 10 the bottom. the timbers o
which il is constructed forming every
where fight Of stairs with eight incl
risers and ten inch treads. Everybod,
says il Is big thing, that you could pu
row OF three story city houses blocl
long Ia 1t. that game of baseball coult