New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-06
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
ORDERS TO CRUISERS CHANGED.

The departuro OF Rear-Admiral John G. WALKER
flagship, the Chicago, and the cruiser Ne""ih ~.
Norfolk and the orders changing the programme VI
cruising OF these vessels; and the launch vi ''io nv
armored cruiser New-York at Philadelphia, on "eones
dov have commanded special interest inside anu ou"
eide ~ naval circles in this neighborhood during the
last week. 1t was early in September tnat heai
Admiral A. F.. X Benfam was detailed as comhiihuA'''
Of the south Atlantic squadron and the Ne"arh was
ordered to be fitted out as flagship Oh that sq"Suo
The souadron at that time consisted Of the Essex and
Tallapoosa then in Montevideo and the iahuo, "hic
shortly afterward sailed for Brazil. Inc ist So
has long been condemned unseaworthy anu ID " 20
sold as soon as the Yantc arrives, TO any one VIM
will buy her The Newark was fitted for sen a' o'e
Boston Navy Yard, being put in thorough rep'r' ans
then came to New-York to receive some sloie' ~
ammunition; she did not go TO the Navy ia,u' n
sailed from here on Tuesday last, Tor Norioin' O
Wednesday the Chicago also sailed for Nor1olk pu'
Rear Admiral Walker was then In Wasnihs'o'' "N'
intended TO Join her at Fortress Monroe
On Friday Secretary Tracy issued an order Chang
irc the procramme OF the various ships duues anu
provding for the increase OF the force aV 'o -
Atlantic station. Tomorrow the Chicago with rear
Admiral Walker In command and the Atlahta anu
Bennington are to sail from Hampton hoans uee -.
for EraziI The squadron will then consist Oh tiio
&c. yossoIs mentioned. The result OF sendihg uie
additional vessels 10 the South Atlantic VIII 10 t
there will be a larger force on hand 10 look ai'oi
American interests in Brazil should any rupture occur
there and at the same time there VIII lie h"''h
force within easy sailing distance from Chin
II wonld not be at all surprising il the Bennington
did not start with the other vessels ai,''ousn
the necessary repairs TO her machinery may
-. comnleted in time When the vessel started
from here not long ago, for Hampton ROADS,
mart of her machinery broke down on inc
VOYAGE to that place. and IL was heoessai'
have il repaired there 1t Is now said that other ue
fccts have ariscn that the new cruiser Is hdius ~
10 IN ON a cruise on foreign station as yet IN aad
tion 10 the boiler which began 10 leak, IL Is sau %
the distng apparatus has proved so lmperieo' ,r,'
the officers and crew must be put on lmlteu alio"
ance OF fresh water and that the dynamos OF ulo sup
do not develop sufficient power AS INC beinine'o"
did not have her target practice before she iei' -
York. has been held on lho oa"h Vi wv
River, at Hampton Roads. NJ.
Tho nav orders TO Rear Admiral Walker dispose OF
Tho minors from authoritative" sources That Rear
Admiral Gherard to be sent with the fhiiaeiPha
and Concord around TO Chill which were dehieo Inoio
than once in these columns. The revocation OF ,io
orders TO duty OF Rear Admiral Benham WILL Is DC
eved be temporary only. " the plan OF dlVidhs "'o
Pacific Station into two squadrons, as was the system
few years ago. Is carried out as contemplated ITO piop
ably will be assigned TO the South Pacific.
II has been whispered in Official circles for some time
that Congress- led by the Senate, INTENDED 70 pro'ue
some definite plan for the service OF the Vesseis Oh inc
Navy For instance, at present there Is no Vessei "
European waters, and there has not been European
SQUADRON in two or three years. The officers pegn 10
feel that not only should there be a regularly organ
,v.d souadron there to represent this Government but
that the special interests Of London Nice vile frahche
and other great social centres should not be longer neg
Ieced by the American Navy officers. The cruiser san
Francisco which recently arrived at Mare Island rom
Chilli is not going back there, as originally ooheih
Mated but as soon as repaired she Will be sent 10
Honolulu where she, with the Pensacola and the
Charleston will remain until after the election In the
Hawaiian Islands.
The Iauncb OF the armored cruiser New-iork, at
Philadelphia on Wednesday, was another incident Whete
professionals and laymen assembled and Congratulated
each other and themselves that the waters OF the deep
had received into their bosom another of the defenders
Of the Nation which might day be called upon to
saw to foe ~You may look at but do not approach
me- except at your PERIL She was the nineteenth
steel vessel OF the Navy, which had It's beginning
in 1888 during the administration OF Secretary, now
senator W. E. Chandler The vessels built and the
order of their going into commission were the Dolphin
Atlanta Boston, Chicago, Yorktown. Petrol, Vesuvus
Cushing Baltimore, Charleston san Francisco, Concord
Philadelphia Newark and Bennington. Inc vessels
now in the water and being made ready FOR service are
the Maine, New-York Monterey. Detroit Montgomery
Launched at Baltimore yesterday, Puritan Terror
Gmphitrte, Mcnadnock and Miantonomoh the last five
being reconstructed doubletureted monitors, and the
last one the only ore In commission. The Miantono
mob is being fitted for sea, and en- her the turret
hydraulic machinery is being completed, and work on
the steering gear is being done, and in the course OF
the next few weeks she will be ready for test of her
lOlnch breechOading rifles. She will then probably
be stationed In NewYork IaIbor and be used to some
extent for the instruction of remen and petty officers
of the engineering force. After they have become
proficient part OF them be transferred to cruising
ships, where they will form nucleus of an efficient
force and their places the training ship be taken
by new men. With the new ships much larger per-
centage Of the engineering force must be skilled me
chancs than formerly necessary and the class Of
fremen must be better since with forced draft and
other improvements in furnaces and boilers they
called upon perform duty under conditions entirely
different from those to which they have been acous-
toned.
There is great difference between the Navy Yard
of today and the Navy Yard Of month ago, when
there were so many vessels In il being fitted for
duty But still there is much work being done there,
and a large force Of men IS required to do it. Prob
ably the most important work Is that on the new
cruisers the Maine and the Cincinnati visitor
passing along the dock may not many workmen
ON the Maine, but much work is being done inside Of
her The contractors the Quintard Iron Works, are
preparing TO put the engines into the vessel For
one OF the engines the bed plates already laid and
the others being laid, the engines are already
built aud have been tried, and being made ready
to be taken To the vessel The heavy armor plates Tor
the ship beginning to arrive, some Of the sixinch
mates already being there. KS soon the large and
heavy plates Of the engines in place In the Maine
she Is TO be put into the granite drydock to receive
her armor plating. .
The cruiser Cincinnati presents interesting ap-
peaIance 10 visitor As one passes down Mdin-st.
In The Navy Yard he can get a good view of the
vessel and Of the work being done upon her. sac is
surrounded with scaiioding Of several tiers, and
the big hulk OF the ship herself rises high into the air
many of the wOrkmen IN sight, plates are being
hosted into position and the eternal din OF the
hammers is always in ones ears Much Of the out
side plating is In place, beams aud frames and beams
for tile spar deck being laid. The sern f. not 80
far advanced as the bow, and there arc vacant places
where the frames appear but these are being covered
with the plates. The two elbows which proiect from
either side OF the ship the stern the propeller
struts, through which the propeller shafts will ex-
| tend.
But the Raleigh, the twin sister Of tie Cincinnati
being built M the Norfolk Navy Yard Il even further
advanced than the Cincinnati, and will be launched at
an earlier date. The parts Of the propeller ,hafts