New-York tribune., 1890-04-13
NAVY YARD TOPICS.
TRIALS or AUTOMOBILE' TORPEDOES
AND "TI- 81 INIST BOILERS.

AND "TUBU LOUS' BOILERS
Now that there is no feet of commissioned vessel,
at the Navy Yard. there last year. the work
there goes on much the same from week to week
There has been little change during The last week.
but the usual ha been pushed the formidable
war weapons Of the battle ship Maine, the new 1900
ton cruiser 80. = and the double turrctod monitors
Many of the stores have been taken from the Enter
Prise but the commission pcnnant at her main VIII
probabIy not be hanlcd down. but the present officers
and crew will be relieved hy new detail, as the
ruairs 10 hc made upon her well bee done while
in commission. Cruiser 40. is continually growing
and now about twenty Of the frames in place, and
some of the plates for her hull have arrived. Tho
heh pressure cylinders which have been cast for tho
engines Oi Cruiser, 40 and No. are being finished
up and preparations are being made 70 cast the sec
ond intermediate cylinder. one having been cast al
ready. The erection shop. which opens into the biz
machine shop in the torth end II the Yard. and n
which the engines Boz sct mp they are huilt
i. being completed and made ready for use The
heavy beam. for the four erection platforms q IN
place and on these the steel flooring ls 10 b. mld.
Here the engine to De erected before they arc
pii into the ,c.-el, some oilices being finished
of af one side Of the erection shop. for the a''omp
dation ~ the officer. = railroad connects Oh" MA.
chine shop and the erection shop hy mean, Of which
the heavy piece, of machinery can be more easily
moved
The biz monitor Terror is stlll In the rydock.
bu, tho construction vor. i- not stopped llcr b''"
ha. been eean.d and painted and she VIII probably
l. taken out II the dock this week Tie work "n
Tie .oop of war Essex j. very nearly finished ana
tie I'D ~ this month is the day -ei for p"'hn-
h.r i,,a commissions gang of men is siu cri l1Y'd
AZ co,.trirtin. the deck on the Alarm ou when th"
o. inch Kun - o. hc placed. The other "ofh necessary
10 make her ready for u-c /. also h'n- carried on'
ard sAe Will probably Dee ready - receive 'r'"
I'm A fcw wcci-. The work u tearing away O." clf'h
which a., present block, the month Of thc new wol'n
dr., dock ls being advanced. but It be- not probable
tla, IN. dock viii be opened much before Juno l.
Tho action u the House Of Representatives. IN
s,r,ue from the bill providing f1r the increase ot 'h'
N.vv that which provided for the bu.ldns OF h''u'
shin. formed an interesting subject Tor '-'N 'I''
anon, Naval officers who had been encouraged Z"
i.i eve that the Improvement Of the Navy hy 'ni'i-
nofh arrnorcd and unarmorcd vessels was 70 continue.
The, commented upon the fact that while in $50
tl.-e were forty sv -ea-cong vessels In commission
10 dav there are only thirty three. ~ these four are
In Fnropc. cl-ht on the Pacific. five in China ana
Japan waicr. four in the North Atlantic. tvs" ln t'
-ou,h Atlantic and ten on special service fi-ht 'i
,hs thirty three are steel vessels ~ the now Navy
five ar q iron but prior 10 l-'d three are wooden
SAILING vessel. and seventeen 40" wooden steam
,....els I, i, estimated hy the 'hef Nayal Con
.,-nc,or - the Navv Department that ten oi the
.r,erfcen last mentioned viii he eliminated from I'D"
Navy REGISTER within The next three years. Hence
even with the addition of The ncw vessel, Authorized
,o be- Constructed the Navy five year fiom no" Will
l,r, NOT moro than forty forts i've vessels.
The Department has authorized trial of the auto.
mobile torpedo invented by captain John \. Howell
commander Il tie cruiser Atlanta. now in Europe.
tn determine the effect fcuc-- of the thirty which
Congrc,, authorized to he purchased for the NavN.
The trials are hc made 1t tie Newport torpedo
station. the contract having been made for them a
wear asl. The dimcr ions nN'd for those torpedo
were IT,. inches in diameter length anywhere between
nine and one half T. twelve feet. with ht varying
proporilopate, from ~ f. I53 pounds spacc hcln-
allowed 10 store property charge oi Nct compressed
gun cotton equal to l. II per cent Of the total
weight of the loaded torpedo The effective range g.,
limited not les than 900 yards. "a mean speed OF
not JOSS than twcut, two and half knots an hour
It is to be fired from torpedo launching
apparu-. fitted in the bow or stern lroad-.de OF
the cruising vessel.
The periodical effort OF the city II Broohlyu tn
secure part Of the property belonging To the Navy
Yard for market purpo-c, has again com. before,
Congre~-. and the House Naval Commit IA, author
izcd favorable report upon the hin IN acconlan,c
with TIE suggestions Of secretary Tracy. The hll
provides that the secretary shall have survey, and
plans made OF the property living between Wa-hineton
ave. auc the Naval Hospital grounds. ami between
the Kent ave. canal and Flushing ave. IL !, unim-
proved property and for several year ha. been a
dumping ground for refuse building materials. Tho
hiu also authorzcs the sale ~ the ground TO the
city 81 BROOKLYN at price TO bc determined by "a
board Of three appraisers Who must report with
In ninety days after their appointment. The pr,
coed, Of the sale to BE used for the mpfuv, m, mt
Of the Naval Hospital ground. and To- build "A stone
wall and improve th" ground, the east side If io
marine barracks. The plot TO be sold contain, about
nineteen acres including the triangle Of about four
acres taken from the north end Of the hospital
al nup a. Il, / d.
reported time and again that the ground, wonld
never be needed FOR the purposes Of the Navy Yard
and that that portion belonging 10 the Naval Hospital
gromnd, necessary for the purpose, Of hospital
The accident to the Cowlcs boiler which ha, in.
tcrruptcd the tests ii the boiler which being mado
al the Navy Yard, is being made good by Engineer
Cowlcss able assistants. The accident occurred in the
following way. There was a defect in one of tho
tubes and the action Of the heat caused ii To burst
Two men in the closed fire room AT the time and
the steam rushed out upon them. one man lcapcd
through window in the room, but the other in TRYING
10 get ont at the door scaldcd severely Engi-
ncer Cowlcs saw one man ont, but not seeing
the other escape rushed to the fire room 10 rescue him.
and the steam scaldcd his face and hands, The
scadci workman Will probably recover and Enginoe
dOOr, Had the blower been let alone. The accident
might not have injured any one for the pressure of
the air would probably have forced the steam up
% mc ,,ne wav i",nning av,r . ,,, V",'uc lno ,,,
had occurred. stopped the blower. and this removal
Of Tie air pressure let the steam pour into the room
The boiler /, now bcins repaired and il is 10 be
fitted with clo'ch an pan a. lc plan, originally
ouircd. ihc closed a,npan VIII do away with the
necessity Of closed lire room.
For the la, fifteen years naval engineer, have been
cndcavoring 81 Obtain type of boiler which would
stand the of salt water and at the same time he
srfSlccablr for War~hp purposes. II r. that tho
tubulous boiler, heretofore tried could not bc used
with .ali water without being ruined In
very -npt llW' Inc present tests
Of the tubulou, boilers being made with /,
view of determining the type to be used the coa,
fence vessel Monterey. The specifications for the
vessel call form Of tubnlou boiler addition
TO supply Of scotch boilers. 50 far only two ty pes