New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-16
NEWS AT THE NAVY YARD'
INTEREST IN THE COURT OF INQUIRY.
CONDITION OF THE ENTERPRISE - NEh-p W
VESSELS FOR THE NAVAL MllAllA"H
ORDEAL OF AN ENGINEER PASS
ING AN EXAMINATION

The Court Of Inquiry to investigate the cnarseS
against Commander McCalla, OF the Enterprise
now being held in the Navy Yard. has been 'ne
most interesting topic Of conversation there oul-
ing the last week. The court which is OPEN Is
held in the new building No. 7, and lts doihes
are of so important nature that the of'cers uis-
cuss them with much relish. The general COURT
martial of which Captain Henry Erben is presl-
dent has suspended because there arc no more
cases TO he tried This court held its sessions in
the Lyccum building, at the yard and had before
it several cases of men VINO were charSeo "i0i'
deserving from the Enterprise.
The Enterprise went into the dry-dock on Fri
day. and the water having been pumped out some
of the officers of the yard inspected her yesterday
II was found that her hull is in good condition..
but n line of the copper sheathng extending from
her bow backward for about third of her length
on one side, it was found, had been stripped OH
by the anchor. The vessel was anchored in shoal
water at the time and settled on her anchor thus
ripping of the copper shcathing IL WILL
also be necessary to make other repairs In va
rous parts of the ship and she is to be painted.
but the work on her will probably not be ex-
tensivc How long she will remain in the dry
dock is not known.
WORK on THE MlANToNOMAH.
In order TO dock the Enterprise 1t was neces-
sary to take the torpedoboat Alarm ont oil tne drS-
dock Her bottom, however, had been panied
and now she is being made ready to receive tho
sy-nch gun which is to make her suitable for %
runnery boat The monitor Miantonomah APP
breaches nearer completion every day, but the
work with great steel and iron castings and
forcngs is necessarily slow. For many weeks
worl1men have been busy boring through the
great turret to enlarge the gun-port, and when
the other turret is put in place it will be necessary
to do the with that The turrc'S
were all right according to the original plans, but
IL became necessary to increase the size OF the
norris owing to an alteration in the plans, which
enlarged the brcech Of the gun TO be mounted
in the turret. The electric drill has been iscu
to advantage on this work. 1t is doubted whether
| the report from Washington is true which says
| that il is probable that when the Miantonomah Is
| finished She will be used in New-iork haroor
70 give instruction 10 newly formed companies OIL
naval militia. The reason given for ordering
the Miantonomah to this duty Is that as she VIII
bc the newest and best type Of the coast de-
tenders of the new navy, it has been thousn'
advisable 70 make the auxiliary naval forces
thoroughly familiar with the sort OF Vessei 'neS
| may be ordered TO man in time OF war.
The work of constructing the new cruiser NO -
and the new s,OOO-ton line-of-battle ship Maine
|
propeler tube, the naa-arrval of which has Tor SO
long DELAYED the work the Maine, is now on
It's way to the Navy Yard from Bethlehem, fenh
The Coyles boiler which has been erected IN
thc foundry in the yard is nearly ready for test
ing one boiler has already been tested, and IL
| is thought that the Cowes poiieI
will he the only other one to enter inc COIN
pctitive trial for boilers for the new coast "'-
fence vessels An alright iirc-room Is now DC
me built. and then the boiler will be ready Tor
the test.
THE NEED OF NEW GUNNEEY VESSEL
n is possible that the Lancaster. which re-
turned from the duty OF flagship in the European
| Souadron about a year ago. will become gun
ncrv vessel An estimate Of 100000 for putting
her in condition for this purpose has been shu 10
| Congress Commodore Ramsay. the then Act-
| inc Secretary Of the Navy. in making the recon-
mendation for this increase states that IN view
Of the number of new ships afoat and the larger
number rapidly coming forward. the need OF n
! considerable number of men we'll trained III 'Ie
| care and use OF new service armament IS very
great II is important that n certain number
in any crew Just drafted into ship should e
familiar with the use and care OF her armament.
! and rs there are proper means at present. Ior
trimming a sufficient number of men for this pur
|
mcndcd can be wisely expended in fitting out the
| Lancaster with modern battery and one years
supply of ammunition for this purpose
| BlTs Of THE OSsIPEES HISTORY.
The condemnation Of tho wooden sloop-of-war
| Ossipcc by the Statutory Board which examined
her a few weeks ago because she cannot be
| nut into condition for service within the limit
of 20 per cent of her original cost. as prescribed
| npl.
vessels OF the old wooden navy from active service
| hut blots from the inventory Of the navy Vessei
which has had some experience oil islor!G Ih D.
! She was built hy the Government AT the for's-
mouth y H.. Navy Yard III 1861. ana Is Sister
ship 10 the Juniata of Arctic cruising fane one
of her notable cruises was when she was uhnei
| command of Captain Joseph y. Miller. now cAecu-
| tive officer Of the Navy Yard. after she WAS ic-
| tachcd from the Pacific squadron while AZ Payta.
Peru and ordered TO the Ncwiork Navy Yard. As
only one other navy vessel had ever been throaSh
SMITHS Channel. and as Professor AGassz mad
recently made run through the tortuous ana mar
row channels of that seldom-nayiSated waterway
| and had collected many valuable data and spccl-
mems of fish, birds and ferns, the Navy Department
| ordered that the Ossipee should go through
Smyths Channel and the straits OF Mase,lan Mne
mad. the passage in the winter season, conse,
| nueutlv the days were only few hours long ana
the daily runs never more than hity miles.
| and seldom more than twenty-five. ii was TWO
'Yeeks bcforc ,hc reached the straits after enter
nq the channel at the Gnlf OF Pcnas Inc ON
ears shot steiner ducks and other birds and gath
cred much valuable information
4 THOROUGH EXAMINATIONS
Passed Assistant Engineer II. Schuyler Ross
who WAS recently ordered before the Philadelphia
BOARD for examination for promotion TO the next
Grade TO fill the vacancy caused by the death OF
Chief Engineer John 7. Kelly, has successfully
mas ed and his name will soon be sent to the Sen
otc for confirmation. \ fair idea of the extent
and scopc of an examination and the strain upon
thc candidate may be Obtained when IL 10 borne
in mind that candidate Is kept for from fifteen 10
twenty DAYS before blackboard or at Il table be-
fore Board OF superior officers ANA experts solving
intricate problems and making irce-hand sketches
of boilers their engines and their valves and other
narts He must he able To show his knowledge OF
The practical building and repairing OF steam
machinery. from the laying out OF de-
signs TO finishing the articles III "c
shon. no must know about the strength of
materials, practical metalurgy. general theory ana