The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-21
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How the Demands or Modern Ceustruetiou
. AKeet Navy YARD Labor.

@.oW t.o Ayewouue OF Mo0erD CO09trUcffoD
W. AReet Navy Ysrd Labor.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 20.-The combinations
OF Secretary Tracy with the Brooklyn Repub-
iican bosses on the subject OF navy yard patron
ags turn largely on one important matter.
They are based on the great truth, as the
Secretary puts it that you cant choose shoe.
makers to build steel ships. III
More than ten years ago Congress- passed. n
law declaring that "laborers shall be em-
ployed In the several navy yards by the proper
omcers In charge with reference to skill and
emciency. and without regard to other con-
siderntions." This statute is still ON the
DOCKS; but 1t Is one thing to make law and
another to execute It. When the new steel
navy was begun. under Secretary Chandler,
anu IL oecnmo necessary not only to build en-
eines and hulls vastly superior In character to
any before constructed In this country but to
provide for their repair. that officer thus ex-
Dressed himself in his annual report:
tAs engines for the British navy are built in pri
sT *. Sc Ss, :sp
from sims 10 t,ns 1,sd for such repairs may
s ssa AZ g declare sa.. ne
These sstablishmsnts must frss bs thorough.
pssss eop.idssason. from .hsir s1E %an.
IT, s. ss ssssais.e .: troy
:, 4. ssSi;
s: ;sa ssasss ~. .aes si:s
ast :a SFs sns sR
ss ss Sn a: R sSsSs
the con:truction and repair Of the nsw Ameri
e. ana sae;
and without
WhAn Eooraf. rv whts, a., -.> 4. A.
OF the Navy Department those considerations
were even more important. because he not
only had to make repairs upon some Of the
steel ships built by his predecessor. but took
the ,adyence stop. o. ordering the great armor-
the 1n n'svy yards et New York and Norfolk. Ac-
ONCE was to try to have tie navy f yasds rn8
HR sre fPIsinasss principles He began with tho
made as 70 Of havn
into there Then he tsrned his at, ene
s sn% 6 e hsrookiyn League Is and Portsmouth
to report him whether any Of the new fore.
p hsS seemed e sSsssnsd
pointed BY him. Of Which CAPT i pSaaa w aps
snaston mtaSm en- reported Is without
tlnuously Tor q certain amount Of worE only
the number Of men actually required. instead
oumbeE q as has Ss been the
N
i ssea RFfstSs g d1sSsf
G saa as s S9s es had been
abo S"s at fse y 9a .as
with The e1eepionp 81 repairs mp made ie
Eee 81 eh ae Mars f5s and the laying Of
the (. Cincinnati. begun IL the yards. but repairs
One Of the most interestinS por Hiioe 81 III.
tween Sx building wooden and = steel ship. The
Chamber divided into ats Hf thu ernye
pal wSIk on It rsSa1rnG only skilled
chisel and maliet the auger. and the rest Of an
ordinary ship carpenter's outfit But In the
vessel every step in
skiil. 50 that the adherence between tie f two
ns snd 4 as t1sss ss
Every mechanic having charge Of even the
smallest !, \. al JOB Of work must understand. the
hull absolute aecnraoy is needed. So y that hat
sispos ssSs s sns TSs I g @
deck must pc water-tieht and the ventilation.
electric lighting: end drainage systsms arc
shows 4, that this vessel has 900 feet. Of air
uuctS. DeslQeS elRhC steam blowers for the
supply of air: that 1t has thirty-fiye Water
light doors, the failure Of any one of which to
act properly might produce serious results:
pipes. with 1.2OO feet Of branch pipes: so that
sns uts saa Chat s shs
this point BY the case Of the steam.
significant defect said to have been the burst
shaft, was near causing the destruction Of many
tyes and million OF property.
It Is clear, therefore. that the peculiar neces.
sites Of Ateel ship construction. noted BY Sec-
rotary Chandler oyer eight years ago. and now
in detail by his successor In several
ase ground. The new SYSTEM II Is 'mt bat e.
Allowing applicants q trial. on the recon-
nendation of a Board composed OF heads OF
at tho yards or their assistanta
The selection is In the order Of application.
With a preference for those who have had az.
,erience In navy yard work. The principle Of
he department is that "as efficient work re-
lures mechanics OF high skill. It proposes to
select and retain only such workmen as can
how that they have the required skill by ac-
ia! trial" This may or may not result In In
iividual grievances here and there. but one OF
to conspicuous fruits Of lato has been that
when the mobilization Of the entire steel feet
vas called for 1t was rapidly accomplished.
--
Bouldors Moved by lee.
TO THE Epiron OF the sus-sir. Under the head OF
A Moving Boulder" in . dispatch from winsted.