New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-30
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
THE MAINE BEING COMPLETED.

WAR VESSELS NOW IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION
-HoSoRED BY THE AUSTRIAN EMPEROR
The new armored cruiser Maine, which al
nresent is no more than hollow steel shell, sui
commands much If the attention of visltorset
the Navy Yard, and these include both laymen
and experts The work Of completing the vessei
is now being carried on and the din OF nam
mers. which, for some time previous to the launch
ing of the vessel, was almost unheard, now Uses
again from fer as the worxmen drive the rivets
and do the other work. Chief Naval Constructor
Theodore d. Wilson, the designer of the Ship VINO
is recognized as one Of the foremost naval archl-
,ects of the world and whose services to the Navy
and assistance to its head have been appreciated
not only in the Navy but by the taxpayers as
we'll. naturally felt no small amount of anxiety
about the vessel from the time her first Eee-block
was laid until she wass given into oceans arms
on November 49, Then she set so gracefully, so
evenly on her keel, without listing to one side or
the other, and her bow was tilted just enough 10
suggest a rakish and defiant trim, that Comma
dore Wilson's heart was made at once light and
happy. He expressed his feelings in one word
Perfection"
The delays which have occurred in the delivery
of plates for the new cruisers have caused no
little embarrassment by keeping the work behind
Especially is this the case with CRUISER NO. q
the stern-post OF whck is long overdue But all
invoice Of it was received at the Navy YARD yes
terday and II is probable that before many
days this long awaited piece will be ready 10
nut in place. While the work of constructing the
vessel itself is being rapidly carried on and n
large number of the frames and plates are in
position, the work on the engines of both this
vessel and Cruiser No. 8, being built at Norfolk.
| ie ,,,oI in no ncfp
Now that the sixteen cylinders have been cast the
workmen are busy casting the condensers for the
engines Although both the MiantonOmah and the
Terror are in ry-dock the construction work on
these vessels has not been stopped. Last winter
the bottom OF the former vessel was painted
with one make of paint and that of the latter
with another, AMI these are now being examined
to ascertain which kind Of paint has acted the
better as protective agency against the action
of the salt water OIL the iron OF the ships The
bottoms of both vessels are to be reprinted. The
forward turret of the Terror has been put in
place on board the vessel. II is of interest to
note the ships now in various stages of completion
at different ports in the country and their cOndi-
ton:
Newark, p c., Philadelphia. ready for trial.
Concord, c., New York. almost completed.
Mantonomah, D. T. NJ. York. completed jan
Terror. D. T. NJ, Yew-York approaching compile
Amphiti,e, D. T. NJ, Norfolk, approaching compile
Monadnock D. T. NJ, San Francisco. approaching
Puritan. B. NJ, New-York work begun.
Bennington; g. ChesjeT nearly Us Somple dfs,,a
Monterey, c. D.. san Francisco not vet launched.
No. g. San ls rsapIscs G keen ss sH'' laid
No. 7, p c. New York, being built
No. s. p G.. Norfolk. being built.
No q y Ral
No. 10 P. G., baltimore. being built
No. H. p. c.. Boston, being built.
f:nnsSat No. no. 3 ha afn s sSnE 9 sd
Rs SNIP no. keel S Ssng a a$
Battle Ship No. g. San Francisco, keel being laid.
Denss Ra Ss to be so 90
Torpedo Boat No. .. bids TO be opened December 60
Torpedo Boat No 1. bids to be opened February IL.
1891.
The initials in the second column above refer
TO the classes of the vessels and have the following
meaning
p c., protected cruiser.
D. T. NJ, double turreted monitor.
b. NJ, barbette monitor.
A. C., armored cruiser.
{. D., coast defence.
The cruiser Dolphin returned to the Navy Yard
yesterday morning. and came to moorings along
side of the cruiser Boston. The work Of putting
in the new electrical plant is TO be completed.
The work of repairs to the flagship Chicago and
the cruiser Boston continue about the some
they have for several weeks There have been
several changes in the position Of the vessels in the
yard in the last week The monitor Terror was
put into the dry-dock, and the Boston was moved
10 the place which the Terror vacated. The
Maine was moved from Manst. 10 the dock thus
left vacant by the Boston The torpedo boat
Cushing was moved from the little slip at Cob
Dock which she has always occupied while in the
Navy Yard, and was m0ored along side Of the
monitor Puritan. And finally the cable ferry
which for years has piled between the yard and
the Cob Doc1, landing in the yard just above
The sbip-house in which the Maine was built, has
been bee mo moved up Waabont Bay, so tha, now the
ward landing is on the lower side OF the granite
dry-dock.
Jackets belonging to the iirst.class and entitled
TO liberty went from the yard yesterday to West
Point TO witness the game OF football between
the West Point and the Annapolis cadets.
No orders have yet arrived for the Cushing to
leave the yard, and it Is not known when she
will go into winter quarters The report of the
with the Thornycroft tubulous boilers on the
Gushing has been forwarded to Washington. The
object Of these tests was to make comparison
of efficiency with this importcd boiler and the
Ward tubulOus boiler which recently tested
at the Navy Yard and which has been adopted
for the coast defence vessel Monterey, now being
built at San Francisco The results OF the twelve
hour trial under forced draft with the Cushng's
boiler with an air pressure of three inches of
water, show that the Thornycroft evaporated
greater weight of water per pound of coal than
the Ward boiler But the relative efficiency of
the boilers for each ton of weight Is in favor
of the Ward. The actual evaporation for each
square foot of heating surface from and at 2l2
degrees temperature was SCI pounds Of water
by the Ward, and only 5,5l pounds by the
Thornycroft. The horsepower under the same
conditions, at 90 pounds of water for each horse
power was: Ward, 430 1-2: Thornycroft. 275 10
The horse-p power for each ton OF boiler with
water was Ward 1858: Thonycroft, 6l.3s
As the chief reason for adopting tubulous boilers
is to economic weight and space on shipboard
and the Ward boiler made much better showing
as far efficiency for ton weight concerned. it
is probable that the Ward boiler will he adopted
for the new 750-ton torpedo cruiser.
Rear-Admira da Sveira, the commandment of
the Brazilian Squadron now here, upon his ar
rival on Tuesday, remarked that the vessels would
least two weeks before these two shins can