New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-12
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD
HOW THE NEW CRUISERS ARE ADVANCING
THE CONCORD AND THE Observation-Disclosures
ABOUT THE NEw-YoRK STATION.

| One OF the most important departments OF work
that are at present carried along in the Navy Yard Is
that of building the two new cruisers and reconstruct
ing the three old monitors The work on the Gin
cinnati or what formerly known Cruiser No Z,
was STONED Yesterday by the rain, but II ordinarily
advances rapidly. Much OF the plating Is in place,
and the frames arc being erected toward completing
tho protective deck and the hull AT the same time
much work IS done the engines for the cruiser, IN
| the eastern end Of the Yard But the rain did not
ston the work ON the Maine and the noise of ham,
mers ssung from that vessels hull fell tho ear OF
the passerby Work the turrets the superstructure
and in the interior Of the shp-all are advancing.
On the Puritan both turrets have been partly erected
In addition to this work the interior OF the vessel
is carried on. Work the turrets also occupies
much attention on the Terror. On the Miantonomoh'
however. the work Is about completed The rubbish
is being cleared from the decks and some painting Is
bene done The supcrstructurc has received coat
of paint and the cabin has been repaired and palned
| white The engineering work has been nnished 1or
several weeks. 1t is probable that the engines Will
| soon have dockrlal. The non-arrival OF the guns
stil kceps the forward turret in an unfinished state
| The Mantonomoh WILL 1t is expected, soon be put into
| commission.
The dynamite cruiser vesuvus still remalnssin the
Yard. Some delay in getting her ready for sea mas
been experienced. because her men are uSed iOr oci
| work. On account of the lack OF men on inc YER
mont the crew OF the Vesuvus are called upon oc-
| ""N"N
There has been some pressure OF air on the three
pneumatic guns during the last week, TO test them Tor
tl, coming trial. Some Of the projectues which are
to be used In the guntria have been put on Ooaiu'
but there are a few of them yet to be slowed away
leSsp are thirty in all The vessel VIII probably Do
ready to sail tomorrow, and as soon as the oruer
comes she VIII leave the Navy YARD ana 30 W eiuieF
Annapolis or the new proving ground
The new cruiser Concord is now in the timber dry
! dock at the Yard Her bottom Is to be scraped ana
painted Some fitting in connection with the guns sun
goes on and little other work is done, although nearly
all the work is now finished. Just when the VesSel
will 90 to sea- or where she will 60, Is not knoWh'
notwithstanding the fact that several rmors have been
started She will however soon come out OF the dry'
dock and then probably the next thing on the pro-
gramme will be a test Of the guns. Such trial
is usually given to the new vessels. inc
Concord will probably go TO sea for cruise Vi
a few days, and give her guns thorough uiii'
Then If anything does not work properly, IL can Do
put i'm proper condition before the ship goes away Oh
actual duty little trouble has been experienced III
connection with the dynamos of the electric plant but
these will probably soon be put in satisfactory con-
ditiOn.
The Navy tugboat Nina which lies in the Granite
drydock is still under survey. The report VIII soon
DO forwarded to Washington. 1t was said yesterday
that the vessel could probably be repaired lor aOou'
SO 900. There are holes in the bottom OF the
boo+ The rdder Is gone the stern strained and as
the vessel was full Of water, the things in tho inside
are badly stirred up.
The board and the assistants are still at WORK upon
the results Of the last trial OF the Bennington ana
will take about four days longer to get tDeir
report ready TO submit. Since the workings OF the
vessel I'm every other respect were perfectly salts
factory in the former trial the last one Is being con-
sdered only from the viewpoint OF the power DC
veloped
The order detaching Naval Constructor w. L. Min
tonye from the New-York Navy Yard and ordering
him to duty at tho Boston Navy Yard has given rise
to talk and rmor Of a political significance. But
Constructor Mintonye yesterday dsclaued any knowl'
edge OF such significance. 1t is said that tho Boston
Navy Yard is TO be fitted out with plant sufficient 10
mako 1t line yard and that some OF the machinery Is
now ready to be set up, while other has been adVer-
tiscd or contracted for. Constructor Mintonye has
only about one year Of service before he reacDcs
the retiring age and he has had experience In this
kind OF duty and fulfls the requirements, he Is 10 be
transferred to that yard for the last few months OF ms
active service.
A board of survey which was ordered on the tor
pedoboat Cushing submits favorable report. The
vessel is small and light in construction and has seen
yea. of service. After this length Of service, the
board says that outside plating is in good condi-
tOn with no pting other corrosion, either lnsde
or outside. Excepting the rivets and at the butts
OF the plating the paint on the bottom had stuck we'll
There were signs Of strainnG at either the keel
heads The report goes TO say that the boilers and
machinery seem TO be in good condition, although 1t
cannot be told what the internal condition Of the tubes
is The ashps made OF very thin iron, and were
worn out but these are being replaced. Unless the
deck were lifted, examination OF the cylinders ana
valve chests could not be made but IN everything that
could be examined the engine seemed to be in good
condition. Other parts of the ship and Of the machin
cry are in good order. The board In the report COM
mepds the engineer officer in charge Of the machinery
for his scare and attention. and 1t also commends
the care of all the officers evinced in the good
eral condition OF the vessel.
| Since the Dolphin detached from the Squadron
of Evolution and sent for alterations and repairs to
| the Norfolk Navy Yard where she arrived Satur
day there have been more less gratuit0us sugges
lions that she is TO be the private junket boat OF the
President The fact Is that there is 10 be expended
about 100000 on her, in re1ttlng and repairs % tit
| her for in transporting the Chief Executive and
his guests Of honor public cercmonals, also for tho
| Secretary OF the Navy to mako his official visit 10
the Naval stations and to transport small supplies
from one station another. and TO be used In destroy
| ING wrecks along the coast when necessary. Thus
she is to take the place Of the Despatch which cannot
be repa red because such repairs Will not come within
the 20 per limit Of the original cost prescribed
by Congress and also OF the obsolete and
| IN destroying wrecks new cabin will probably be
built on the deck of the Dolphin. to give Increased ac
houses are not sufficient for that purpose. Tho
| dolphin was the FIST ship built Of the new United
states Navy, and was contracted for and completed
| under Secretary Chambers administration She
primarily designed dispatch and general utility
boat but has done much active squadron duty. and
about two vars ago She completed a cruise around
| the world.
| fourllne dispatch from Washington a few days
ago said that Commodore James A.. Greer, president
of the Board OF Examination and Retirement at Wash
lngon was to be selected 10 succeed RearAdmil Dan
| lei L. Braine, cOmmandant Of the New York Naval
Station, upon the placing Of the Admiral the re-
tired list when he reaches the ago OF sNtytwo years.
| on Nav IL. II this Is true problem Will be solved
that has occupied the attention OF the officers Of the
NAVY as well as the Department at Washington, for