New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-08
SIGHTS AT THE NAVY YARD.
MECHANICAL IMPROvEMENTS-THE NEW
DRYDOCK ACCEPTED.


symmetrical forms Of naval architecture and naval
weapons There will be the coming and going Of
the modern and the ancicnt-f vessel butt twenty
years ago may be called ancient. There will b
the stately white Baltimore. with It's steel huh, tn
heavy arnor belt, its breech- loading rifles, rapid
firing and machine guns and torpodoes: and there
will be the old frigate Minnesota. now used
ship to train American boys to become good and
worthy seamcn with her old smooth bore guns. Thew
will be the trim white painted Dolphn-as its name
implies, a swift swimming and beautifully formed
vessel-recenty returned from $4,000 miles cruise.
a vessel OF the modern steel construction wth hs
latest improved fighting fittings, the Baltimore Lx
has and there will be the Kearsarge. the mention n
the name of which makes patriotic bosomS swell With
pride. Then there will be the great roncai moni.
tors now being completed.
The the Yantic were at work yesterday
coaling the vessel. About ninety tons are to be taea
on board, which, with what she already has, viii
mako tho required amount. She Is to sail from The
yard on Tuesday or Wednesday, and go down the Bay
TO take ammunition on board and 10 wait Tor tn
apprentice boys whom she is TO take on a cruise.
The old sailing ship MonoDgahela, which has beca
used storeship for the Pacific squadron for sew.
erl years may be expected ~ arrive here within the
next few weeks. She left Francisco for Ncw.Yort
March 2s and she will probably be the last Unite>
states Navy vessel 10 round Cape Horn. IL this
vessel which in February, 1859. started from Msv
Island for samoa with supplies for the crews Of the
vessels which had been wrecked there during hurr
cane, and which was believed 10 have been lost b.
Of the long time she was ut sea without being
heard from. The Monongahca is one 0f the Ola
sailing ships of the Navy, vessel Of 2.loO tons dis
placement and barl-rigged. She is a stanch. sounA
vessel has often had her power TO lie bow TO- IN
the open tested. she was also IN the West Indies
at the time Of the tidal wave In 1863. and thrown
upon the coast where she lay for several weeks befN
she foated of again.
NEW MECHANICAL IMPROVEMENTS.
One OF the most important questions arising In con.
nection with marine machinery at the present tine
in the United states Navy, well a. the navies 1t
other leading nations. is that concerning the improve
ment Of the steam generator the boiler Assistant
Engineer > H. Leonard a icw days ago read d able
paper on this subject before the American society n
Naval Engineers, which was discussed by other en-
gncers OF the service And this. together VITA
the experiments being made at the Navy Yard
with the tubulous boiler invented by Passed
Assistant Engineer Cowles, in competition with
other tubulous boilers has awakened wide interest
among engineer experts. The paper Of Leuten'
ant Leonard as well as those who discussed uA
subject recognized that the locomotive type Of boiR
put In several Of the vessels Of foreign naves had nos
been satisfactory in their performances up to the PRE-"
ent time; that many accidents had occurred on TOR
pcdo boats fitted with them several OF which nan oeca
fatal and serious leaks occurred about the nioes
notably the English vessel Barracuda.
II was recognized by the engineer Officers OF ne
Naval society that If quaduple expansion engines aN
soon to supersede the triple type a. now seems hshU
probable. steam Of 30 TO $50 pounds pressure per
square inch must be supplied, necessitaflns radea
change in the general type Of boiler now IN use IhH
subject is commanding much attention in naval
circles a. is the Improvement IN aruor ana g'h~
At the present time, with few exceptions qnadrupn
evanston engines are working at pressure OF $50
pound, 10 the square inch Hitherto II mas not been
found possible % construct marine uoIer oaPaoe /"
outstanding pressures much exceeding I'D pouhdH
without considerably reducing the diameter or mcreas
ing the thickness Of the steel plates reiueuoh OF
diameter is backward step, while steel plates IL
~ l B. inches thick are about the maximum capaos
, Of being worked with satisfaction. on me one
hand ar for being used for the transmission ~
heat on tie other. Hence the naval en-
glneers are looking 10 thc watertube OF lnouou'
boiler for the solution Of the question OF higher
pressure. Among the many advantages Of this wv
claiming attention It, capacity Of WORKING al any
| nrc,,urc which can be utilized by the steam en-
! CINE and at the time greatly reducing ths
danger from explosion the parts Of the boiler being
small the scanillnC, may be light and the regulsltS
| factor Of safety retained The large and enecuVe
! heating surface, together with the small ouiK Oh
water which has RAPID circulation enables 'm'
tyne Of boiler TO generate steam rapidly without IN
! iury 10 itself which j. always great adVah'aso'
especially to naval vessels.
several Of the officers II the Engineer Corps nave
added many Improvements to the machinery 90
/ ,,,,, ~ tba Naval vessels through expert
/ ,,orts and studyinc ont great problems. ohe Ok
,hss. Of recognized value is a bronze metal mVen'oa
by Passed Assistant Engineer John A. I"oE III
! charge Of the engineering department oil IN ''"'
cola, which returned from West AFRICA o'Up'e %
week, ago lie has adapted 1t 10 many "NS ~
naval and marine construction ana Oo"s
manufactured by the Ansona Brass and 'oppe.
',,,,.,,. ,,,dcr his supervision. by reason Of
/ H., non corrosive properties II has come INTO s'h'rA
| ~ a., tine construction Of the new cruisers for al
/ ~ the bolts for copper pipe connexions s'l '
! for conden,ers and. IN fact for all paris N"o7
NON corrosive metal is required. this metal haS oe'a
pss ON the Philadelphia. Baltimore. 'esu,'''
charleston. Concord and the torpedo boat '","ns'
W., rolled hot il is remarkable for its hgh e'auo
! t,,r tensile strength, toughness and UNIFORM -
! - and the facility with which II con Dc 49,
and stamped either by hand or m'' mn az IRON nv
pe'n itS tendency To corrode would not answer
for the purpose .,
THE NEW DRYDoCK ACcEQTHD'
,ho revc timber drydock having been suble'''n
most rigorous examination and test since VIC 80
,on,rc ,,ro weeks ago has been formally aocep''" "
Vpo','s a.,,,on, II will he remembered that imme
/ ,t,,,y a,,er ,he docking OF the barbette'ur''
! ,,, ,,,r,,ar II va, rtmored that break mao oc''
| di.,overcd in the foundation OF the structure ~
the ouicksands The investigation proved .nar ~" =,
report was untrue 1t is believed that tne ou'ln.
mis- dock and also the one at H9 S Wi STATIONS
huding similar docks at the ohe, , ~ "a
nH dock and also the granite DOCK arc nnen
be employed for some 5m Sot tS to Morrow probably
WI l, ,ho snpporting blocks readlused SO uas ~,
bottom along the line Of ,he sssi may Then the
pansarola' Yantic. Dolphin, jamestown All" 'o'''
mouth arr aii0 70 cb DS Of officers at station ves
,,ey'd by the Navy Department last week y sss
fotnsr Yates 10 bc relieved Of the comushu 81 ~
nr,oia ON saturday next by Captain Albert s sser.
r 90 10 the boston Navy Yard as eAeeut's r m:
1 n renector Luther q. Billings, detarheu Hv v.nns
i Inv - to take effect on June 30. and u S'. ,.s
acnt peymaster OF the North Atlantic slusdrnp porter
v vo ON tne Baltimore and Palmastor = y.yv
yun,nt Nho was general storekeeper AZ the -,
Yard until year TO go TO The lensacoa af,n;
Thomas \ gill. ~ the Ja,,ee'omm, ,p us rom Nc