New-York tribune., 1891-09-17
THE PETREL BEING MADE READY FOR THE
ATATIC SQUADRON.

THE PETREL BEING MADE READY FOR THE
ATATIc SQUADRON.
Assistant Paymsster John A. Mudd. who had Just
returned from a summer cruise with the cadets Oh
the Naval Academy on the historical old frgate Con-
scllation, has relieved Passed Assistant
Leeds C. Kerr the Yantic, at the Navy faiu
Paymaster Kerr has been in illhealth FOR iohg ue
and the Yantic is about to start on three years
cruise TO the south Atlantic, IL was concIuueu " 10
leve him from that duty
Other changes have been ordered at this station as
follows: Chef-Engneer Cipriauo Andrade has been
detached from the Yorktown. just taken fpom the
Squadron Of Evolution for duty in the Pacnc' ana Is
ordered as inspector of the machinery for the com
merce destroyer Pirate, or cruiser No. u. He VIII
relieve Chief Engineer ]. W. Thomson, who has been
transferred to No. 49, the sistershp to No. H. sur
geOn John C. Boyd, Of the Yorktown Is 10 DC sue
ceeded by Surgeon G. L. II. Harmon on Monday
next Passed Assistant Paymaster John r. Martin
has been detached from the New-London Naval sta
ton and ordered to relieve Passed Assistant Pay
master c. W. Littefcld on the Yorktown on Octooer
1. Passed Assistant Engineer ]. r. Edwards OF the
gunboat Bennington, and Passed Assistant Engneor
W. H. Naumann OF the gunboat PetIel, nave Deeh
ordered to exchange places.
The lPetrel is being made ready with all possible
dispatch to start for the Asiatc Squadron Inc WORK
to do upon her is Of minor character and she VIII
probaby be ready TO 20 about october 1. She was
originally designed and built for service on the CHINA
Station, where her small size Will make her uSeIul
IN the rivers where vessels of greater length and
deeper draught cannot go. Although so much smaller
I'm size than the Boston Atlanta. she Is so much
more economical in the of fuel that her relative
coal capacity is larger and she can thus steam much
further without recOaling
Chief Engineer Nathan p Towne and Naval Con-
strrctor Philip Hichbom, who were sent to Dubuque,
Iowa, to investigate The capacity OF the Iowa Iron
Works for constructing the new torpedo-boat No. 2,
have pronounced the company unable to complete the
contract There two bids for building this boat,
that by the Iowa Works being S113,5o0, and the
other. of the Cowcs Engineering Works Of South
Brooklyn, for l743O. These bids were opened at
the Navy Department on August 26, for the construc
tion exclusive Of armament, OF torpedoes and their
appendages Of steel twin-screw agoing torpedo
boat Of not less than 120 tons displacement The ad-
vertlsement stipulated that in all its parts, including
shang the vessel should be constructed OF material OF
domestic manufacture. II also provided that the speed
developed should not be less than an average Of
twentyfour mos per hour, maintained successfully for
two consecutive hours with premiums for speed in ex-
cess Of the requirements and penalties for deficiency of
speed It also stipulated that the vessel should be COM
pIeed within twelve months from the date Of award Of
the contract.
Although the Western lakes and rivers are well
supplied with yards abundantly able to build the
smaller class OF naval vessels some surprise was calsed
by the fact that The firm at Dubuque was the lowest
bidder for the construction Of the torpedoboat Ana
yen among the bidders build the cruiser Dolphin nine
wears ago was a st. Louis firm. The contract was not
awarded to that firm because the bid Of John Roach
Sons was much lower. And year ago firm or snip
builders I'm Michigan would have got the contract for
building the Naval Academy practce-ship but for the
restrictions Of thc naval agreement OF 1917 between
the United states and Great Britain.
The frst-cla5s cruiser Philadelphia Admiral Cher.
ards flagship OF the North Atlantic squadron, arrived
from NeW-London Yesterday, by way Of sandy Hook
she will PROBABLY 90 20 the Navy Yard to-day.