New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-22
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD
THREE CRUISERS SEM AWAY.

,,. To-, ,rsck at the Navy Yard has been niueh
H. .h.n ihs preceding one-but 1t has been ia'ne'
,mnort.nt IN some ways. 1t was used 10 ooi"p s
work that was hurried forward In the o.her mo."'
was so far es.ful that three Vesses , rho
from The yard and started on their winter oi",' s
Concord sailed Tuesday to !"n inc ~, nnoton
the Kearsarge in the West indies Inc bo""ne ~.
~ .hs Atl.nto sailed on the same day, Ihufsaas' io
uan,nton Roads where they are to nave soiie '"'s
nractIce and await further orders. III was ''o"e
that the latter would be ordered 10 gu W '"7 80
Atlantic Station and that the former wouio 20 " r,
Guf 10 cruise with the Squadron OF Evoinuo"'
Harrington was not put into the dry-doch 10 'n''o
bottom cleaned and painted unt'i 'a.'iua'' Y 90.
wor, was done so rapidly that on Mohu"s she w"
tosen from the dock The new steam lauhch WHEN
had bccn sent from Portsmouth and fitted ont for the
vessel was tried early in the week, ana sho"eu nseii
TO be not much more steady than the old launch III,
report was heard yesterday morning that the
engine Of the Bennington was disabled because inc an
pumps had broken down. and that the vessel mad pun
into Norfolk where she probably Will be reparen'
This accident recalled the similar accident which nap
pened on the Concord, the Benningon's twin sister,
soon after she put Into commission.
The departure of these three vessels leaves now IN
the Navy Yard only the Chicago and the Mantonomoh
of commissioned seagoing war vessels, ana te Several
vessels which are being bullt and rebniH' Inc eA"a
hours work on the monitor MiaDtonomoh has been
etonned ond the vessel is now advancing steadily to
completon The work Of rivetng the roof OF the Tor
ward turret into position is nearly finished ana inc
force of men will be taken from 1t In few days Inc
decks are being put into the proper condition. ana
many other Jobs, large and small, are beihg dohe'
The Ordnance Department is carrying on some work Oh
the vessel I'm respect TO the secondary battery SONIC
of tbe mounts for this already in place. The ships
complement of officers being filed up by the frequent
orders of officers to her.
The Chicago was put into the dry dock few days
ago TO have her bottom cleaned and painted. Ihls
work IS we'll advanced and will be finished In day
or two although the area Of the vessels bottom Is
large The two makes OF paint, the Germicde and the
McInness are being applied TO this vessel also, to
carry on the test OF their comparative merits.
The work on the vessels evaporators Is about
completed; arrangements are being mace 10
give better ventilation to the engneroom; her decks
are being caulked and other little Jobs are being done
She is to bc ready for sea in about week, and as
flagship Of the Squadron of Evolution. Will probably
go to the south for winter cruise.
TIE Newark, which is under orders TO act ms the
flagship Of the South Atlantic Squadron. has arrived
at this port from Boston She Will not come to tho
Navy Yard, she put In repair at the Boston
Navy Yard, but she Is to be in the North River OF
Twenty third ST. Monday, where some stores VIII
be sent to her from the yard. The ship received her
supply of ammunition at Fort wadsworth on Friday.
draft Of men is TO be sent to her from the receiving
ship Vermont tomorrow.
The monitors Terror and Puritan are following in
the steps of the Miantonomoh. The boilers OF tho
Maine arc in position the vessel the bedplates for
the engines have been laid and parts of the machinery
are on board. The work Of carrying the main engines
to the Navy Yard from the shops has also been begun
The work on the Cincinnati, and on the engines for
her and her twn-sister, the Raleigh, continues The
largo and heavy parts three Of the four sets OF these
engines have been erected in the erection shop at the
yard. and the adjustments are being made.
The Bnreau Of Yards and Docks Is doing some I'm.
portant work in the Navy Yard at present One OF
these Jobs is that OF building scawall along the Cob
Dock. 1t will be probably year before this is fin
ished Another sob is that of erecting derTcks around
the two dry docks Forces Of men have been al work
with pledrvers for several weeks laying the founda-
tions on which the tracks are TO be placed This
department has had in charge the introduction Of an
electric-lighting plant into the Navy Yard The plant
is now working order, and has been in use for few
weeks. The big apparatus for holstng coal out OF
the barges and slowing away which was being built
by this department. is also finished and in use.
Some rather important orders have been sent to the
Navy Yard in the week One OF these was regua-
tcn concerning the clerical force and was published
In full in The Tribune on Thursday, on which day il
went into force at the yard. The order makes rcgula
tons by which proper and competent service will be
secured to the Government In this part of the Navy
work business firms have strict rules to govern their
employees, and the Government should also. One Of
the chief clerks said yesterday that the good effect is
already noticeable. Tie regulation gives much
authority to the chief clerk, while before he had
responsibility without authority Another order that
reached the yard provided for the reassembng OF the
board on Navy Yard reorganization. When the ex
ernnatlons held few morths ago. to fill the
places Of foremen some men were recommended for
appointment who did not come up to the required
standard this done because they were the best
men that presented themselves. Now. however, the
nd ucf n m
to fill these places permanently. The places became
vacant Yesterday the order and November 80 the
examination Of the applicants for them Is to be begun
the places are those Of five master workmen and three
auartermen in the Construction Department. and OF
one master workman IN the Steam Engineering De
partmcrt II Is a good many years since the
Civil War; but the following award for duty then has
been made by order Of Secretary Tracy: medal Of
honor Is hereby granted TO Bartholomew Digzins, late
ordinary seaman United States Navy, for gallant and
meritorous conduct In tho presence OF the enemy, he
having been commended by name In the Official report
OF the officer commanding the gun division in which
he served on the L. S. S. Hartford Oh the 9Th Of Au
ust 1854, in the action against Fort Morgan and
the ency's vessels in Mobile Pay, having served with
credit in all the engagements In which the Hartford
participated during the years Of 1852, 1868 and 1864,
and was four times wounded
The fag-pole which stands the hill in front OF
the house OF the commandant Of the yard Is being
pa,red The history OF the nag-p0es which have been
I'm the ward brought to light by questions in regard
N This one and is rather interesting. On November L.
1888 flag pole erected in the yard In Main-st..
pcar Nouls-ave made OF the condemned main mast
from the brig Porpose. On April "a. 1854, II was
taken up, repaired. new topmast was made and the
whole replaced In the summer Of 1883 II was again
taken up this time because II in the way for build
ING new storehouse II was then erected at Mainst.
and Chauncey-ave. In July, 1880, this pole
m Of "a mar ma ain fon-
mast of the L. s. ). Colorado. The new pole was
erected in front OF the commandments house on the
hill. on August T. 1880 It's height being LOG feet from
ground TO truck. At this time "dog vane" was
made and put on the pole. The vane was to rep
resent the hull Of s,oop-ofwar and D feet
inches long and IL inches wide. and weighed forty
pounds. TIL, wood OF which 1t was mad, was sup