New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-04
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD
p11sH1yG REPAIRS ON ALL THE CRUISERS
RELIEF THAT SOME OF THEM ARE TO ~ ~
chilli DESPITE DENIALs.

% tb fact that so many of the largest anu no
and most formidable of the war-vessels are 'neio ~
going an overhauling or repairing tor serNiCo "
The various reports-largely surmiScd-ha'0 - ~
sovoral Of them are being made ready lof eeiv w.
ChiIian waters to protect the interests Oh tio .d
et.tee which were reported to have been threa'one
bv the new Government there. on MONDAY aiaii, n
renorts from Chill caused consultation uo,.
President Secretary Tracy and heads Oh
~ the Navy and representatives OF inc 0'e'. -,
ment at Washington. On the same Gay NHloi ona
Constructor Theodore D. Wilson was al INC S" -,
made a thorough inspection OF the piosioSo " onn-
q, the vessels there on Tuesday there was Oo
tororco betveen the commandant, captain he"iy
Prhcn Assistant Secretary of the Navy % huS'o -,
colcr Chief Constructor Wilson, Rear-Admira "ne,u
and the commandments of the ships. BuU II ""o W
that this was the result Of any Instructions iuN
ineton TO ct out the vessels for lhlehueu uoP"
for Chill. Nevertheless all of these circnins'a a.
other things were linked together ana gave 80
presumption that some of the vessels "ere " ~
the earliest day possible for the Pacnlc' ,,.
Tho facts are that nj the yard there are the fhia
do,nbia Poston and Concord with the Kearsarse aU
1>rentv.t bird ST. of the North Atlantic squaurou %
Atlanta and Bennington, Of the squadron Vi
tho yorltoU-n. which was detached from the ia'VcI
souadron two weeks ago and oruefed u oe NO.
FOR duty in the Pacific Squadron the fetrci' 1'.ne
alta ont for a cruise in the Asiatic waters anu 'io
Yoptic under orders TOT inc cOuu' >''-'
e.ols Tho yorl,town is going to Chill and she Is 10"
obout readv TO sail She has been fitted OUT lor "
long cruise in foreign waters. The engines aio ~
GOOD condition, the bunkers are fuii Oh c'a' az
supply of provisions and stores Is on DOalu a
magazines are filed with ammunition u -
ous kinds Three watch ohcers aro o.
on the vessel, but otherwise she Is Ill inc INC
nroper condition for long Vo9"eeI ~
probably will sail some tune 'i7 "eeA' p
Wednesday or Thursday. , , =,
The BOSTON is now in the dry-dock. Inc WIN -,
the vessel Is being carried on with all possioie
-evcn during part OF the highland the emp - ~
readv for sea about Wednesday The AtiahVa "e"v
tho ward on Friday, and order was receNeu va
M work he begun upon her which 1t would take NOV
than four DAYS to finish. The work on the VesSel mas
o4 ,ot boen becun II the vessel were only going
an bor ordjnary winters cruise she would propaDiS
etav in the Navy Yard and have full repairs naue'
which would take about six weeks. AloseV'ei' No
General opinon Is that the Boston ana Albania a0 "
o, IN Chilli No orders have yet been recciNcu ~,
them. and even charts or iags nave peei ,
(Which nv their nature would indicate the 'es'ei
d,rotion, and 50 there Is no way OF telling dccsVey
who're tho ships are going. No one In the yaIu
knows unless possibly Captain Erben but the geherh
oplnion of the officers in the yard and on the sp'
That the Boston and the Atlanta as well as inc ioA
town. are intended TO 60 to Chill.
The work of preparing the flagship Philadelphia LOT
uo, IN start aUay 1t is rumored that she VIII not
On directly to the West Indies for her winter cruise Du
will first GO to Germany with an Official letter 10 'ne
Empcror The other vessels Of the squadron are hlaA
ing ready for their duty under the hagshp, anu dIo
to be ready for sea by october 10. The concord Is
about ready for sea, but theTe Is SUN niu'i ~ ~ ~
on the Bennington. IT.
receiving ship Vermont The wooden Despatch sun
remains in the yard The sloopofwar fantic Is 10 SAL
for her station next Saturday. 1t VIII prObaDy DC
some time before the Petrol will be ready to start LOT
China The pipes for her boilers have not arrived ahu
when they do come it will take some time to put them
in place.
Doubtless It VIII be long time before there viii
no so many var-ships in the Navy Yard again. Nearly
every doc, is occupied, and the white painted steel
monsters are to be seen on all SIDES But WIN Vnc
efforts that are being made to get these vessels OH 10
sea- and the vast amount OF work that Is being uohe
This condition of affairs will not last long, Ihis week
will probably sec the departure Of some of them. ana
I'm two or three weeks nearly all Of them VIII be gohe'
eome IN stations many thousands OF miles away.
II is thought that the Mantonomd should be ready
for sea about the middle Of December. The vessel
probably will be put into commission soon' ana htef
that the final work can be done well as. or better
than. before The work on the engines for the Tn
cinpau and the Raleigh goes on apace.
Officers of the Navy who have been waiting WIN
carcd the Phythan Promotion Board, the detail of
officers charged with devising scheme TO assist pro
motion in the Navy, were gratified yesterday An
abstract of the report was published In The tribune
A Great many original" ideas have been suggested
n the BOARD and these have been carefully and
Thoroughly considered in time for the deliberations to
he mt into shape for the final revision ana presena
tlon in the form Of report TO the secretary OF lhe
Navy The report in full, would cover about five
nh u'rfIu 0nn Cppcinl feature
report is a proposition for the retirement OF certain
officers from five TO eighteen years prior to their reach
Ing the age Of sixty years the present age limit Tor
retirement one of the suggestions made was thai
an Officer below the rank Of rearadmiial, now re
tired or who may he reTc5 or account o. age or after
forty years of faithful service upon the active hat
sbould be retired with the rank of the next higher
grade 1t is thought that such provision would en-
courage voluntary retirement several years before the
dale Of compulsory retirement, for which an officer is
likely 10 wait that he might secure the advantage Of
a possibe higher grade. II there were such a pro
vision of law now, every one cf the ten conmodoreS
could voluntarily retire and become rear admas ana
twelve of the captains could ask to be retired and
become commodores. This would make twenty-five
vacancies in the line to be filled.
The whole service is In favor OF some changes In
be system of promotion, and also in the rcadustment
of the nav tables. An officer at the Navy Yard Of
relative rank with colonel In the Army, said yester
day: "The report Of Captain Phythan's board has
some good features but there are very large number
who will not favor the promotion by selection clause.
II leaves too much of a lOOphole for favohtsm. The
nropotlo for an active and reserve list Will meet
considerable opposition, and the protestants VIII cite
the experience in the British Navy, which has caused
moro or less dissatisfaction, IN fact almost dem0rallza
ton in the last few years II Is not ut all Likely that
line Plythlan scheme until several amendments have
been made 10 H.
good in part. The Board fixes forty-sX years Of
active service the period for compulsory retirement
and provides that Lieutenant commander who has
ces tnan eighteen years 10 serve or captain who has
less than five years TO serve shall be promoted. II
this law were IN effect to-day, not Of the present
would be promoted. as their
original appointments all date not later than June L.
s62 and at least six Of the present captains would
not their promotions, Of whom Is Captain
Henry Erben, COmmandant OF the Navy Yard and
No. In his grade. AS the retircments and deaths
OF rear admras and commoiores are SLOW II is not