The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-17
THE YORKTOWN IN DRY DOCK
HER STEEL PLATES NOT IN SUCH
nan CONDITION AFTER ALI.

Tho English Red Paint on her Hull nj
Fault, hut n coat OF American Paint
viii Replace Et-'rhr Process OF FITTING.
The rankest inldel on board tho United
States man-of-war Yorktown whispered u
pray or yesterday morning when he left hiS berth
to the effect that the day might bring forth no
disaster 1t was nm eventful dav To every man
connected with tho "prettcst cruiser ailoai.
In the first place there was he difficult Job OF
getting her safely into the dry dock, and then
was the more important problem Of how badly
the bottom plates had lccn rittod. Every
sailor knows that 1t Is no easy work to place u
heavy steel Vessel right sdo IN with care in
the very guot In the dry dock W; ere according
to Nil calculations, she ought to be- 1t calls
for tho most careful figuring and Just MS care
iul man uvring md execution altcrward
AtS', Uc'Cck in the morning tho rrevara-
lions for IarnG the vessel in tho dry dock
were bc.un. Jcloro tho water was lot into tho
dry dock tho blocks on which tho York own
was TO rest were adjusted in such II manner
that thcy would not bo likely to got out of
place. Tho orktuwn looked her beauty rs
she slowly rode into the dock. Then tho latter
was closed and tho steam pumHS were set ut
work To- pump out tho water. IT was exactly 10
When this wur, was finished, ana ch"crch
from NE crew an mo 9thcera Hnu n!Im IN m, ,ho
through the ordeal lho centre OF tho Ork-
towns keel lay exactly in the o,nirc OF tho
blocks on tho bottom Of tho docs. !mme Il
ntey the crew we've sct to work with iuckeis
o. water and hEooms to yrrp ~ Tho
HH nd Sang I to c "T c way
across the Atlantic iron N" Mcditv, rnne9n
first place. tho pittcd paris OF tho steel raics
had Gown II" 80 since th"r wcrr examined
at Malta. prior to The orEt WI = sainG for
this port, in the second. tie Ln%lsh red pnirt
that had boon rut on tho hull below tho water
- i
dent that the uHint WAS not un TO the REQUIRE
mcnt,. and closcT examination leyoated the
presence OF arsenic, wh.ch mad made It moro
liable to corro-ion than it would ordinarily
be. a new coat of American paint Will tako
Tn SrS reporter accompanied the officer OF
the day in n trio through tho dry dock in tho
afternoon. \ score "f men were stll busy
hoaId side about tire feet below tkH water
line and six feet from tho stern, was an oldi-
inches in With. il didn't lo9l; IS III ugh it
could oven ito any harm 10 tho big massive
vessel mat posed SO GracGiHIIy H. iho centre
was Very serious hIenish, which might have
worked II good deal OF mischief lad 1t been
only thu eS:eieGihs Of an inch thick, you can
the the t oher @Sgnh 10 there he e Would Be
hole in the hull big enough TO LEI in tons
o WHsS am Esd Il S%y tMa' nMe rnE
WAS examined in Malta. All steel ami iron
ves7e.s, esp"cially, The former. are Liable to
pittinc. The vessels of tho English navy have
suffered great deal rom this. The ycNntious
thng ABOUT biting is that It has hitherto been
TO. II may lie corrosion. or il NAV be- gaINantc
action The wetGht OF opinion now inrIneS to
tho huh i Of the Yorktown was pi'tei, We con-
Guided to get out oil the Mediterranean. the
winters Of which arc especially favorable 10 tho
Tie oiilcer pointed ont heavy block of zinc
on each OF the pioi eL.cr shafts. 1t vas PLACED
softer metal attracted the electrical currents
spot n the starboard side of the hull but this
was not quite so far advnnced As tho other.
There wnrn suots all over, tho nort side below
thing. The officer said that he assertion Ct 4
morning pnr"r. that tho cause OF the hitting
plates ': We're hurt by the acid in which they
We're ni@kIed and w4eh it wd is HllE HSys
Leen shown =, in n, very short time
two worst places on his vessel were caused by
scales or clndcr These wore in tho metal
in without being noticed. Being softer than
the rest # the IlntcS,, they first succumbed TO
4 Hoard OF Survey. as it is called has been
sent on by the United States Government to
examine the pitted places and TO determine
thorc wero scales III the affected plates; the
Cramps. who built the orktown may 10 held
to account. The Board may order new plates
pu in, or merely have the pitted spots iiiIcd in
with cement
While the outside Of the vessel was being eX-
aminrG yesterday workmen were Onsily IN
gagged in repairing the steering Genr. While
IN" Yorn town was, 500 mio, off tho Azores, the
tito" ropes slipped out OF position and allowed
n mass of stool Included in the steering gear
to thump against the steel sides of tn" hull. 1t
was Il question as to whether the hull plates
wonlh give or the steel gear would hI eak. Two
STEEL rods. onch five inches in dinmetor. which
worried on" Of the cross, arms. snnpped Oft AMI
now being replaced. The disposition of the
Yorktown after leaving the dry dock is still
proUlematical.