New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-22
WORK AT THE NAVY YAhD.
COMPLETING THE MIANTONoMAH.
OFF FOR AFRICA IN THE INTEREST OF The
WORLDS FAIR.

dav that at the distance Of few hundred leu
nothing could he seen. The largest vessels anu
highest buildings derricks, workmen-ah "e'o
envelopcd and completely hidden from vie" III
the dense mist. But there were a 1e" 'esse'0
there and some work was being done upon ohe',
The bad weather has hndered some OF inc "oA
at the Navy Yard. although the WORK SUN oon
tinues steadily The din of hammers IN the uiieO-
,ion of fine cruiser Cincinnati and the correspond
inq echo from the buildings opposite. gave ho'ice
that workmen were busy on that vessel =.
And the work on the new cruiser CINCINNATI
or as she was called previous to recelVlh9 H'i
name. Cruiser No 7, advances rapidly. large
mart of the protective deck has been put IN place
With The exception Of the stern, where the "orh Is
not so advanced, on account OF the delay III IT,
ccving and consequent delay in setting up one
casting of the stern post, the vessel now soln'
what resembles IN shape an immense cigar ihe
bottom Of the ship is rounded ana the proVecu'e
deck curves up from the point where II meets ,hc
botton the whole bullying in the middle and
taperinQ TO a point ut the ends. The protecu'e
deck is now ready for the armor plating. but
none Of this has been received. The frames are
being put in place. and the work of completing the
shin above the protective deck is now being
carried
On the Maine ALSO the work of completing the
shin is being carried on leaving the armor plating
10 be DIV in place when it arrives. The turre's'
thc decks and the interior of the snip are no"
being fitted out on this vessel.
The double-turreted monitor MantOnomah is APP
preaching completion, and will probably be put III
70 commission before long The guns for the for-
ward turrct have not yet arrived but the work OF
drilling the holes and fitting the covering of the
turrct into place is 10 be carried on. The COW
crng will not be fastened into place, but on the
arrival of the guns il will be taken of, IN order
that they may be put on the carriages. AFTER thls
the covering will he replaced and then fastened.
The two guns have been in place IN the after
turrct for several months The work in the en-
ginccring department on the vessel is practically
finished. and 50 far as the engines are concerned
the Mantonomah could 60 to sea tomorrow. The
principal work which is now being done in con-
nection with them is not really necessary, but
merely for the comfort and convenience Of the
officers and crew. The main engines have not
been altered. but the style remains the same as 1t
was before. In connection with the auxiliarles.
however. the apparatus To work the steering gear,
the turrct machinery and the electric dynamos,
there has been extra work. II is probable that
dock trial OF the engines will be held in short
time II has taken n long time 10 reconstruct the
Miantonomah but when the work is finished the
efficiency Of the Navy will be increased.
Another slch job as has ueer done on the vessel
last mentioned is in hand in the way OF recon-
sruc,ing the monitor Puritan. This vessel was
brought 10 the Navy Yard DOT many months ago.
and after the work lpon her had begun. she was
laid up last fall The ship remained at rest
for several months. until three or four weeks ago
Size was again hauled out and was put into the
new timber drydoc<. There her bottom was
paintcd and work on her was begun again. Dur.
Ing the last week she has bc,l taken from the
drydock and now lies moored 10 the dock al
Main-st. The monitor Terror is further advanced
than the Puritan, and the construction continues
Tie dynamite cruiser Vesuvius is still in the
granite drydock. Her bottom was Inspected about
a wccl, ago and nov it is TO be painted. The
cement which put on by the builders is to
bc scraped on before the bottom IS painted. II is
probable that the McInress pairt will be used.
or cls' that two kinds Of paint Will he employed,
as has been done several other vessels recently,
the McInucss protective paint being used on one
side. and the germiciie' paint the other side
of the bottom. Assistant Surgeon w. c. Breasted
has reported for duty on the Ncsuvius.
The new cruiser Concord, the vessel which was
pat into commission vessel of the United
States Navy "A week ago is now an item OF interest
al the yard The work of fitting her out for
SEA is being carried on. The ma>ts have been
put in place and now the wedges being fast
cncd around them. AMI the rigging is being put
into place. The places 10 STOW the hammocks
are being made ready. and other things necessary
to nt the vessc for sea duty are being done. The
complement of men for ilc crew is nearly full
The official steam trlI-ot the new, cruiser Ben
niugton is to I've held this week. II the weather is
favorable the vessel will probably start for her
trial on Wcdneei day or Thursday, and 20 up the
Sound. The trial is to he run over the same
ground as was That Of the Concord, a few weeks
ago The requirements for the ship are the same
rs were those for the Concori-that she shall
develop 400 horse power without regard 10 speed
The system of penalties and rewards for the ship
is also the same rs that for the Concord, that Is,
800 taken from the contract rice tor every
horse power less than 3.lr0 which the vessel de-
vclops and 500 added to the contract price Tor
every horsepower $500 developed IN III"
trial Although the Bennington rescubles tie
Concord in SO many respects as 10 the require
mcnts and method Of the trial. it is 10 be hoped
that she will not follow her in the respect OF
needing more than one trial. II is. however, 70
be hoped that she will prove as successful as the
Concord finally did The bridge connecting the
poop with the forecaStc has not been built into
place as yet, although II Is ordered AMI the work
The steam vessel Fern. which Is now at the
Navy Yard is to he fitted out TO take the place
of the Navy tug Fortune The Fern was Goast
survey vessel but has been transferred from that
service To the Navy. The tug Fortune Is now
undergoing repairs at Portsmouth. H. will fOb-
ably not take long to tit the Fern for her new
service Ii is said that the first duty which She
is to have will be that II carrying crew 10
Aspinwall. for the Omaha. TO relieve the one
now on that vessel
The sloopof-war Galena has been moved to
the coa-docll, Before She is taken from here to
Portsmouth to be repaired and made ready for
and put into commission, her boilers, small boats
and other appliances and stores are to hc put
on board of her. The Lancaster has not arrived
here from Portsmouth. When she arrives she
will he made ready for duty and put into
c0mmAyiOn.
Lieutenant Mason A. Shufeldt, of the Navy, who
explored Madagascar few years ago, and who
is a member of hAII-doZen geographical So
cieties sailed for Africa yesterday by way of
England. lie is one of the group of Navy and
Army officers detailed NJ the request of the Worlds
Fair Commission to visit various countries and in
tercst them in sending exhibits to the Exposition
Lieutenant Shufeldt is commissioned to the various
colonies of Africa from Egypt to the Cape of