New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-02
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
MORE TROUBLE ABOUT THE MAINE.
ANOTHER DEFECT DISCOVERED = REPAIRING
THE FLAGSHIP OF THE WHITE SQUAD
RON FOR TARGET PRACTICE.

80. ,.,;oh Is IN he launched on November IS
-. s,.n oreatlvi disturbed and for good reason
-. ,he discovery of defect in the starboard strut
- .hs vessel. The strut is steel casting which
r,nnorts that part OF the propeller-shaft which
s.,rs hetweon The ioutboafd bearing on the inside
Us tho shin and the propeller: and IN view of the
,,.at strain always upon 1t when the engines are
Cunning and the difficulty in getting at it at such
sa,,,h puder water 10 repair it, II is necessary
.,o. Il should be absolutely perfect. 1t appears
,hat there were several holes found in it, and
w ~ Chief George W. Melville, Passed
Ass,s,aut Engineer J. II. Perry, and Naval Con-
s-rnctor Philip Hichbom. We're sent from Wash
. ...tor n examine the defective casting and TO
: sa,c-mipe whether it would lie necessary TO put
a. new one They reported that the strut
,,as imperfect aud must be replaced.
The renewing of the strut will not delay the
launching of the vessel. as her present condition
viii not Interfere with launching her, and new
strn, will be cast for her and be made ready
20 he put in place when she is put into dry-dock.
s7,e contractors win be at the expense of supply
inc the new casting under the conditions of the
tcontract
The fact that this great steel casting has
rroved detective adds one more to the list of
,hose which within the last few months have
tbcen condemned for a like reason. In the
present case in others, the defects In
tho steel were such that they were not discovered
until the finishing of the casting. not being visible
on The surface sOf about seventeen steel cast
,n,s Of columns recently made for one of the
new cruisers now being constructed, every one
WAS found 70 have defects and was consequently
tyeec,ed. Some Of the largest ship-building con-
Germs in the country, which have contracted for
naval construction work, have been cndeavoring TO
obtain permission TO substitute steel forgings for
s,,cl castings and il is thought that some such
change will now be made.
, An anchor has been hung in the bow of the
sAlane and the other things necessary to make her
ready for launching are being done.
81 The flagship Chicago. OF the White Squadron,
i receiving some minor repairs. The rigging is
oeing overhauled and a little work is being done
10 the boilers; some new anchors are also to be
nut ON board 70 replace those OF old style which
She is now using. Every morning squads Of the
enlisted men are drilled in infantry tactics on
the shore. The small guns-a howltzer, a hOtch-
kiss revolving cannon and one-pounder rapid
firing Hotchkiss ri1e-which stand on the shore
alongside OF the big ship, are used IL some OIL Tie
drills and the men are taught the handling OF
these weapons on land. Very little work Is now
being done on the cruiser Boston, OF this squad
ron but the Job of putting in place the water
tight doors on the superstructure continues The
broken cranlxshaft which was removed from the
vessel not long ago Is 10 repaired in one Of the
machine shops in the yard, and it will probably
be several weeks before the shaft can he put
back The next, work be done on the gunboat
Yorktown is the change in tile mesSroom anu
cabin accommodations.
Tie engines OH the torpedo-bOat Cushing were
run for about Two days last week, and IL Is
thought that when the data is worked out oy
the engineer officers. the tests Will be louhu
10 he successful in every way. NO accidents
have occurred. and il was found that the arrange
neut for reducing the noise made by the escap-
Ilg steam during the tests which was put on
the vessel fully accomplished its purpose. Inc
vessel was black and dirty from the enec's u
t,e coal dust, but she will soon be as clean anu
white as before the tests we've begun Inc Dig
tile of soft coal which week ago loomed up
IN the dock had disappeared 1t was said 10 w
,ossibIe that another test, short one, would DE-
made tomorrow. After the tests are completed
the little vessel will probably go to Washington
"a receive her four one-poundcr rapidfring Hotch-
ass rifles The torpedo tubes 100 have not yet
lnen put In place, as 1t was mol uecl'eu ""''
End of tOrpejoes would be Used.
The cruiser Dolphin was hoated out OF the dry
dock Yesterday about noon Since the vessel was
nut into the dock, a few weeks ago, her sterh'
which was damaged by collision with the ne"
cruiser Baltimore. In Boston HarboT, several "eeAS
Ego has been repaired, and her bottom mas oeeA
scraped aud painted. The work oil putting Ii /"
new electrical plant has been begun, ana tius
viii probably not be completed inside oil month
The sloop-of-war Yantc is being painted. Inc
cabin has received fresh coat, the null has oeen
.craped and is now being painted Inc stern l.
being repaired. Some rotten planks We're 1ouhd
there. and the rail las been torn away Ii oraer
that the bad places may be repaired
la hopes OF improving the facilities lof sin"u-
arms target practice on both cruising anu recei'
Ing ships, and with the desire TO put into enec'
the best scheme which can be devised ZOE e"oi
one of them, Commander F. NJ Ramsay Chiel ol
the Bureau of Navigation, has issued an order
,,royidinr for a system of awards for such prac
ice in order of merit. 1t has given much satls-
f.ction among the enlisted men, and will be an
incentive to them to improve themselves In small
arms firing. 1t provides for four prizes OF 81
Al 20 81 and so cents. respectively, corresponding
Ia first second. third and fourth class marksnen'
The record firing on cruising ships Will consist OF
Ten consecutive shots with the service rlle, hreu
within a period of five minutes al b. Army reSu-
lation target at 800 yards, the iirer being on poaIu
shin or in floating boat with all artihclal rest
desired and OF six shots with service reviewers a.
tIlirIv wards at an A. Army reguiaCoA tafee.. 1
'Ffe following scores must De mace u reach tne |
Standard OF the class Sixty for iIst class loItS
eight for second class, thlrty-sIA iSH .nn o ~
aHd ,yyentv-fve for fourth class. Inc IIIue OH |
1a1 1 ships viii probably be more elaborate
tlan that on cruising vessels ana VIII lncduu ae
some firing with the riiie al as Efi i SanshIv
eco wards This practice VIII result IL d ie'''o0i'
securafe- classification of the men.
II i very probable that sooh AFTER the uesie on
HE torpedoboat Cushing have oeen o
,ttention will be given To making experiments u.s., oI
49,, 10. ~ al as fuel for naval vessels series
~ eSoerments but only minor in their character
because of the lack of proper furnaces mrS w.
Ia a board Of naval engineers at Nle N"ss -.
few wears ago. and efforts have been niaue Va
',t authority 10 continue them when, ~ - ca
pected. will now be successful one ope..o ~ ~
he use of oil as fuel is that experiments .nue
- have proven il TO be more expensive Ihal
,oal hence would not be generally adopted ~
merchant vessels. Another opecuoi " hon
was lis element of danger but TINS mas Pel