New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-29
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD
A CHANCE TO COMPLETE NEW SHIPS

EsTIMATEs-GIFTs FOR THE NETWORK.
The only commissioned war vessels which have been
in the Navy Yard during the last week are the chi
cago, flagship Of the Squadron OF Evolution ana the
| coast defence vessel, the monitor Mlantonomoh The
cruiser Newark, which Is under orders To go 10 the
South Atlantic the flagship Of the Squadron there'
has been in the port but not in the Navy Yard. She
has been anchored in the North River and the stores OF
which she in need have been taken TO her at that
place. On Friday small draft of men from the
| receivingship Vermont was taken TO her she Is 10
sail tomorrow and go to Hampton Roads.
Some extra-hours work Is being done on the big
| cruiser Chicago to get her ready for sea- Inc
vessel has been put IN the drydock, and had hef
| bottom cleaned and painted she has received new
evaporators and her decks have been repaired. Now
better ventilation Is being given to her engine room
but It Is promised that this work will be finished by
midnight on Monday. The ships bunkers are being
| filed with coal and this Job and all Others WILL II
| the weather Is favorable, probably be finished by
| Tuesday night. The vessel Is to sail on "Wednesday
morning for Fortress Monroe but her further destna
| ton is not known.
The departure OF the Chicago will leave
| i'm the Navy Yard only one commissioned
naval war-vessel-the MantonOmOh Much progress in
fitting this vessel for has been made since she was
put into commission. The work of rivetng the roof
the forward tuTret is almost completed The hurry
in this work made in order that the Ordnance De
hydraulic machinery in the turrei, and this work ha,
been begun. The sighting apparatus for the guns
the hydraulic apparatus for moving Them and several
other things are to be finished On the rest of the
vessel the work advances steadily that the steer
ing apparatus has just been begun. 1t is an interest
ing and pleasant thing TO see the decks of the big
monitor, which has lain for long time in the
yard undergoing reconstruction alive with bIue-jack
eted sailors and uniformed officers, and to see the
decks washed down and the other routine work OF II
war-Shp carried
Two other monitors The Puritan and the Terror, are
rapidly being made ready for duty as powerful ships
Of war following the MantOnOmOh Workmen are
engaged these vessels in putting the armor backing
in place changing the bnlkeads Caused by alterations
the plans the turTes, laying the deck plating and
constructing the frames for the turrets. The urret
themselves are being constructed in the shlphOuse
from which the Maine was launched. The construction
work on the Maine and the Cincinnati advances
steadily. As relieved from special duty oc-
casioned by the hurry which was made in tile Navy
Yard two or three weeks ago they be put these
vessels. 1t is thOugh that when the engines which
are now being built In the Navy Yard for the Clncin
natl and Raleigh are finished public exhibition OF
them, working under steam, will be given. They viii
probably be finished in April or May They are now
being cree ed in the erection shop addition TO OF
the machine shops in the yard. the heaviest parts OF
three Of the sets being up, and the fourth set well
under way.
A board OF officers was engaged yesterday morning
in making test of the relative merits Of an ordinary
cutter and one fitted with the Merton wa:cr tanks
The two cut ers were OF the same size style and
weight. except that one of them had the Norton III
vention in the bottom.
The Board on Navy Yard Reorganization is again I'm
session at the Navy Yard II met Friday and went
To work preparing for the examination Of candidates
10 fill the several places Of master workmen and
quartermen which became vacant week ago yestcr-
b,sV rdaN daring
preparing the questions which will be asked. About
fifty applications have been received. and the cand
dates will begin reporting 70: examination TO morrow
\ nagpo;. to lie erected III the emigrant bGrcau on
Ellis Island is being made al the Navy Yard. The
weather vane be put top of it was In the yard
Yesterday the vane is the American eagle, over which
are the arms OF the vane and gilded ball. The pole
will be about 14O feet from the top Of the vane 10
the ground.
For the last thirty years visitors to the Navy Yard
have when passing the LyCeum building, in Man-st.
where ara the officers OF the commandment and his staff
had their eyes naturally turned toward small
octagonshaped brick building about 100 feet beyond
the Lyceum. Perhap, many people would think
nothing about the building but II is relic Of the old
method Of building warshi. Of wood. 1t was erected
in the Civil War, and fitted with steam jets and tanks
for the bending OF parts Of frames OF the ships which
were built ut the Yard. For many year after the
war work having been discontinued the wooden
ngates Java and NewYork, aud the monitor Colossus,
this building was idle in fact useless structure.
stlll il was kept intact and all its machinery kept In
good condition in anticipation that wooden shpbudmg
might be revived. Then came the abandonment of
wood for the construction OF warships, lis place being
taken by hon and steel. As the quarters Of the
medical department OF the Yard have long been
Inadequate and inconvenicnt, it was edcdedly recently
IN make such alterations in the interior of the Octagon
buding is would be necessary for the use OF that de-
partment. 1t is nearly ready 10 be occupied, and III
few DAYS Medical Inspector Edward Kershner and his
assistants will have a department where they can do
their work better and at greater economy to the Gov
eminent On the upper, second, floor, will be the
offices of the surgical and medical staff and the laboa
tory I'm which many of the artices-especaly medical
stores chemicals paints and many OF the provisions
are tested before they purchased. On The 1rst
floor will be the dispensaY and operating ROOM
The report upon the investigation Of the explosion on
the Atlanta which was sent 10 Washington was most
Thorough Professor Charles +. MunrOe being engaged
with the Naval Board in the testing of the volatile
qualities of the paints That the explosion was not
more disastrous was due the fact that the hatch
had been removed from over the paint locker, wmch
gave the exploding gases chance to escape. HAD
not the hatch been out the explosion might
have done much damage to the ship. 1t Is The con
eluson that many Of the oils used are so volatile lh
the. character that they are dangerous even at a
temperature of 20 degrees cengrade, and especially
~ when the gases are liberated by the heavy rolling
mr. ptchDg motion Of the ship. II Is also included
In the report that less than thirty-two such acct
dents have occurred in warships, most Of them In
VESSELS Of the English Navy Of which caused The
Loss OF one of the English ships. 1t Is shown thai the
fire in the Philadelphia az the Navy Yard few months
aga and three or four upon other vessels Of the Navy
we're due TO the volatile qualities VI the oils and paints
The report of the board probably will be followed by
some changes In the method of carrying paints and
oils in ships TO insure greater safety
The scaling down of the estimates sent to the Bureau
Of Yards and Docks for the Improvement at the Navy
Yard 10 about One-seventh Of the amount asked Is
great disappointment 10 the officers of the various de-
nartments who have long realized the necessity |
for the changes and additions recommended
The total amount asked for was S2olo'- |
11so4 most of which was for new shops /
ar extensions to old sh5ps, quay walls and dredging