New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-23
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
p,prp BUILDING OF THE NEW CRUISERS
REPAIRS on THE YANT1c BEGUN-PhofoShO
CHANGE IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC
SQUADRON.


- a. ordinary visitor 10 the Navy Yard. especially
dc women once on board Of a ship in ooih'llis
sson ard under the escort OF an oihcer-'o 49,
,hsiher he be "pret.y little cadet or eras "A.
COMMUNICATIVE women visitors become Drish' NO '
mi and vivaclous: and they ssk oil sorts Oh
about the ship, whether the boats"aihs o"i' ~.
So,stcred whether tho tophamper Is something ior
..r, array lunehAoDs whether the captains : gig
s ANYTHING to do with the Kentucky lottery swnoes'
Aethcr "a, s,,,nkers Is a robust Individual ana loVs
NJ other like questions. Win the aOse"00 % ~
handsome uniformed, rather the eayp unuo, 1
handsome officers and he big ships, lntere, Id" oeei
soncsnt,ated during the last week principally on the
new work A.. ., ,o,
- ,o,a,np liaes for the double-tureted monitor
w,.ctonomoh has arrived at the Navy haFo anu VIII
now he mounted In the vessel which VIII u'eh DC
ready for commission. These four guns "e'sn ten'y
even and one-han tons each, and are u"Vs ono iee'
n, length The greatest diameter OF tle gun uouS Is
inches and the total length OF pore twenty
S'' a.. a,,or and ope-ouarter inches. The weight
;, .he powder charge to be used Is rom 20 70 @4o
nonnds and the weigh, Of the projectle Is 900 pounds
The thickness OF the steel which the shot WIZ psriole
6. the muEzle is twenty inches Belore .hese guns
,o mounted I'm tho tnrrets wooden Hsmc"ork uuiiies
,sI be put in position the carriages 10 ahe sure
tba. the adjustments and all other thhss are ooITeV
Tho, ,b. guns themselves will be mounted on the
ar,Ios and fastened in place. After this will
coma the somewhat long operation OF rvetlng tine
roof NJ the tlrret into place. which VIII probably
take about six weeks. The turet is completed as Is
also most of the work on the vessel. Below decks
ths wardrOOm and other quarters nave been pun
:, order: or the deck men have been busy clean
ing Much Of the old iron and other rubbish has
beeo taken or and the deck itself is being cleaned
ana uut in order little paint here and there gives
% things fresh appearance. How soon the
Mantonomoh will 20 into commission is not definitely
sc.ted but II will be TOO late for her to take part In
the squadron Of Evolution manoeuvres.
Lord Charles Beresford in recent paper on the YES
.els of the world said "ln their day and generation
there were no vessels little vulnerable as the mont
tors of the American War; Every visible part OF them
WAS sheathed with iron and, II they were but little
undivided below they IN that respect no worse
than all contemporary fighting craft. SO far, then'
a safety from the effects Of gun fire is concerned the
modified American monitor, with thick and stout arnor
and with numerous compartments, is as trustworthy
vessel &c we are capable Of imagining But the Amer-
cxs monitor was a villanous and even dangerous sea
boat
Tho second of the two turrets for the Terror was
lsgered into place on the vessel during the last week
The work on the superstructure on that ship, 70 be
used for the quarters Of the junior officers, advances
rapidly end 90 also does the other work on both the
Terror and the Puritan These two ships now lie side
BY side Just beyond the granite dry-dock while the
49,
timber drydock.
The sleeves for the shafts nre now being put in
place the hull OF the Cincinnati. The shaftstruts
have already been erected. The placing and rvetlng
Of plates into position constitutes the other work
being done on the hun Of the partially completed
cruiser About July II estimated that the vessel
was about 90 per cent completed. The work on the
for the ship is being pushed. The columns
housings for set Of the engines have already been
erected and Of the cylinders will be put in
position this week. The low pressure crank-shafs
wing in the erection shop. In the boleT-shop. too
work Is going in connection with the engines for
The Cincinnati and the Raleigh. For some time men
iave been employed in constructing the corrugated
tues for the boilers and now the shells in which the
various parts of the boilers will be placed are also
,eing made.
The boiler which in the foundry at the Navy |
Yard was too small for the work required Of It. and
consequently the Of the Intrepds boilers now re-
naming unused are being fitted In place there.
Within the last few days the sloop-of-war Yantic
as gone 70 the Navy Yard and been put into the |
IydOck TO have that leak about her stern repaired
he leak was surveyed, and then she ordered 70
x repaired and fitted for foreign service az sea. The
gater has been pImped out Of the dock and the
repair has been begun. Men were at work around
he propeller yesterday IN the meantime the COM
dement, of the is being filed By occasional small
RATS Of men, The crew is about 1fty short
( the necessary number. The officers who have been
the ship are being detached In order that the vessel
lay start with officers and men ready for regular
Jregn daty, with their time Of three years sea ser
ice Just beginning.
The work Of fitting the Navy Yard with an electric
ghtng plant is being pushed rapidly. Tie Yard is
on being wired and the boilers to be used In con-
ection with running the dynamos are being put into
ostiOa. Is expected that the plant viii be ready
n by the middle of october.
The Kearssrge, tue historic old craft Of Alabama |
"a having undergone repairs al the portsmouth nav
a.d during the last few weeks some OF the spars |
'olu the wrecked Galena which were iClnd 70 oe IN
sGHd condition were USED In the repairs on I.le |
earsargc. a new foremsst and main yard were /
at n the GaleBas spaTs being used for the purpG;e
10 boiler keeisons have been renewed ana inc SaadleS
the boilers lave been bOlted - the bottom OF Inc
hip tie decks have been caulEed ana some minor
5ton sas been i ceaaed The ship VIII now PROBABLY
~ 4 for at least two years more Of service .ooo,
The Medical Examining Board viii soon be recon
ened al the Naval Hospital Tor the examination o.
lumber OF candidates for commissions as assistant
lOIore TheodOae D. wilson. Chief Of the Bureau
Construction, and cMef Engineer Charles T.
the Medical Corps at present, the fewest foF many
ear one u the applicants for examination lives on
anSpoFtation and Of time. secretary Tracy mas per.
Inch Medca director Newton L. IIateS is Chairman,
nddate.
There is much talk Of proposed change in the
g dctall q vessels. An 0ihcer al the Navy lalu
10 yestToay "i9e keeping OF two squadFons Oh
e nome station has long been criticised as unneces-
~ ala extensive, a. wen Is embarrassing. For IN
snce the north Atlantic squadron. commanded by
ar Aomii1l cHerardi consists 4 the Philsielphia
hearsarGe the Petrol and the Enterprise, and the
arsarge is under repairs az the Portsmouth Navy |
rd. The squadron Of Evolution, which Is now on
way 20 Bar HaTbor. Where three Of the vessels Of
North Atlantic Squadron now are Is nader the
nmand OF Acdng kear-Admiral John G.. WALKER | I
IL composed Of the Chicago. Newark Atlanta uOs
/. Concord, Bennington, YORKTOWN and VeSlyjus | !
Bennington ana Concord are temporarily detached.
Is reported mat, owing 70 the frequently published
emchts Of strained relations between the Two com.
nding officers and Of the marked criticism OF The
enpt to maintain TWO Independent commands In
same waters. which Is contrary - welLesfobIished
'al custom toe North Atlantic Squadron is 10 be
Of Evolution 10 II, and placing Il under q III n
mt command II thls IS done TIE other vessels of
-quadrm Of Evolution viii probably be sent b | !,
today @
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