New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-19
WORK At THE NAVY YARD
A GLANCE DOWN MAN-ST.
| THE YORKTOWN PREPARING FOR CRUISE
CHANGES FOR THE vEsuvIus

THE YORKTOWN PREPARING FOR CRUISE
CHANGES FOR THE vEsUvIus
Many people took advantage Of the warm and
pleasant air yesterday to visit the Navy Yard and
see their friends among the officers or men and
view the many and interesting war appliances
there. Since the old ship-house in which the I'M
finished hull Of the wooden frigate New-York stood
until IL was sold has been torn down, one, ae
he walks down Main-st toward the water, gets
pleasant sight of the East River, with It's moving
panorama Of ships. tug and ferry boats, and the
various other craft which daily ply about this
part OF the stream. Nearly all the old wood and
other debris which when the ship-house was
torn down were scattered over the ground where
the old building stood have been cleared up
On the right Of Main-st. stands the partly com
pleted hull of the cruiser No. 2. The work Of
construction on this new war-vessel Is advancing
rapidly, and with the many frames and plates
which have been put into position the mass Of
steel begins to look something like ship. The
work on the engines for this cruiser and also
for the cruiser No. 8, which Is being built in
the Norfolk yard tboth Of which engines are
being made Of the New-York Navy Yard, is being
carried on we'll Another Of the low-pressure
cylinders Is to be cast at the foundry in the
yard tomorrow afternoon. Some parts Of the
engines have already been put on the erecting
beds in the new ercction-shop.
At the right OF cruiser No. Z, in q big wooden
ship-house. is the new armered cruiser Maine.
which is soon to he launched. The putting IN
place and riveting Of plates still continues. The
day set for the launching OF the Maine was
November 10. and work on the launching-ways
was begun and preparations made to slide the
vessel into the water at the appointed time, but
there has been a rumor about the yard that
the shin would not be launched on that day. In
the absence OF Naval Constructor Mintonye in
Washington on official business. one Of the at
taches Of the constructors department was asked
about this rumor who said that while the vessel
could be launched at that time. there was other
work which could be done on her before she
was launched. and perhaps better than when she
was in the water There is also much to be done
On her before she will be ready to launch. 1t was
not known in the Construction Office when Con-
structor Mntonye will return. although it was
said that he might come back on Monday. His
sudden trip to Washington was taken in refer
enoe to the gathering of steel manufacturers who
met there on Thursday. The requirements for
supplying steel for structural purposes to the
Navy are, it is said more severe
than those Of any other nation, those
now in use obliging the contractor to
of the ships The manufacturers Of steel say that
il is not necessary to use the same kind Of steel
for inside construction as that used for the out
side work and that which is to be exposed TO sea
water and they think that the requirements
should he modified.
/ At Main-st the big flagship Chicago is moored,
and her white hull in the distance is one OF the
first objects seen by visitor as he enters the Navy
! Yard The work Of making the repairs needed on
the vessel since she returned from her several
months cruise abroad has not vet been begun.
Among the things on the Ship which have given
some trouble are the evaporotors. which, it IS
said, have failed to supply the amount OF fresh
! water which the ship requires.
| The gunboat Yorktown. also of the White
SQUADRON. is being put into condition for another
! cruise The repairs TO her steering-gear have
been completed, and now some changes are to be
made in her. cabin and mess-room arrange
ments. Captain Chadwick the commander of tic
vessel said Yesterday that she will not get to sea
this week but that she will probably go out to
have some target practice before long. Preparar
tions were making yesterday morning to hoist on
board of the cruiser Boston, the third vessel OF
the White Squadron now at this Navy iard-the
fourth, the cruiser Atlanta, went to Norfolk TO DE
repaired-two new galleys. The door at the en-
trance to the cabin in the after part OF the snip
has been taken down, and monitor water-uglit
door is to be put in its place. One can now
stand at the side Of the engineroom hatch on the
spar deck, and look down, down the hole 10 the
inside plating of the double bottom. IL IS SAID
that the crank-shaft which was taken out on ac-
count Of being broken is to be repaired ana put
back instead Of putting a new steel crank-shai'
in, as was the original intention The crank
pin is to be shrunk on to the two pieces of the
crank-shaft, thus fastening them firmly together'
and then this replaced in the ship
Worknen were busy yesterday on the little
torpedo boat Cushing, another white vessel, al
Though not belonging to the White Squadron
putttnx into place the apparatus which Is to be
ueed In making the boiler tests on the ship. Some
wooden staging has been built out from the side
OF the vessel to hold in position steam exhaust
! nine This pipe will connect with the boilers anu
win extend along the deck to the side OF the YES
sell where it will make turn and reach down into
the water; the object Is to lessen the noise made
nv III. escaning steam-which will not he
! ailsved to enter the cylinder-by having it ex-
banst under water It is possible that the tests
will be. begun tomorrow, and they WILL probably
be finished this week. The boilers are Of the
Thornycroft pattern, and, as has been explaineo
| before, exhaustive tests are to be given them
There are TO be two tests, each with forced draft
though 1T different pressures, and each Of twelve
| hours, duration. The Board Of Engineers, OF
which Chief Engineer C. H. Loring is chief, is
making the tests It was said the cruiser
DOLPHIN yesterday that the propeller will not be
taken of after ALL it had been decided to he
unnecessary. The propeller had been partly loos-
ened, preparatory to removing it to restave the
bearings The bottom Of the vessel is being scraped
and is soon to be painted. The work OF putting
the new electric light plant on the vessel was be-
gun Yesterday The ship Is to receive new
DYNAMO. new incandescent lamps, and is to be re-
| wired AS the reporter stood on the deck talk
ing with the officer on duty he witnessed one OF
| the time-honored customs Of the Navy. flrst one
Of the men blew the bugle-call announcing that