New-York tribune., 1891-12-20
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD
ATHLETIC GAMES ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

Nvv yard sor the celebration Of Christmas ordhariS
I'm the Navy there Is particular Observation vi ''o
day but the different messes OF the omceis nuu n'
usally provide an extra dinner. and, as the dhy
| ,.o.I holiday as many of the men can be spared
! and wbo nj the same time are entitled 10 H. Bet
liberty The officers on the receiving snip 'ernion'
however are preparing for some athletc games " Ih
pIace In the Navy Yard on Christmas mornhs ~, 'o
| benefit Of the enlisted men, 1t is posso'e " nA'o
these games because all the vessels OF the squaofon
ora ouav from The Yard When they are here men are
constantly being transferred from ship to ano'ner
and they cannot be counted surely for even ie"
| days ahead. ..
| A running track for the 1Ooyard dash and other
contests IS being prepared. Other contests VIII WIZ
take place on the cnder field the guard house.
Lists of the games were sent to the vessels In inc
Yard and the marine barracks and entries from then
| have been received. At O'Clock on Christmas
| morning the games are to begin. There are siA'ceh
| contests as follows 1OOyard dash, sacknce, 10
| yards three standing jumps thrceIegged r'0o' 80
yards running broad jump, pie-ea1ng match, throwing
the hammer, 16 pounds; potato race, hitchihs hoA
| running high jump, running hop, step and Jump
wheebaruw race, 75 yards obstacle race, greaseo
pig race sparHng for points, tug-ofwar In the PIE
eating match each OF the competitors VIII nave MS
hands tied behind his back and he VIII be piced DC
fore q table, on which is a pie. The pies VIII De all
of the kind and size and must be eaten "i'ho"
any waste.
| III
holding the games In the open air. they will be held on
the spar deck of the Vermont. COnterno's Navy iau
Band Will play. The winners In the contests VIII re
| ceve small cash prizes. After the games lhe hie"
| will 20 to their Christmas dinner.
| The monitor Miantonomoh Is to be taken from he
| dry dock, where her bottom has been cieaheu anu
painted on Tuesday or Wednesday. Then dock tr'al
OF her engines will be held. The work on the Vesse
advances well, and she will probably leave the Navy
Yard early in January and 60 for trial OF her guns
particular attention being given to the turret 1onch
| guns.
The work on the cruisers and the monitors aa
vances rapidly possible the pflnclpal "orh oens
done on them is construction work. Inc CONSTRUCTOR
department in the Navy Yard employs larger force o
men than any other department, in fact more than
all the others put together and OF these men the largest
mart Is distributed on the four vessels In course OF con
structlon and reconstruction. follows Maine, aDou
800: Cincinnati or Cruiser No. 7, about 2oO Terror
| about o5. and Puritan. about 14O
The tests and experiments in the yard for the best
| and strongest kind Of bronze still continue some
tests of American wedless steel tubes are also being
| carried on.
On Friday the Board on Navy Yard Reorganization
which continued It's session during the week, was ad
journed by order of the Department at Washington.
| Naval Constructor Fernah went to the school snip
st. Mary's yesterday morning to examine her tor re
| pairs.
If foreigners take it upon themselves to call inc
Yankees a conceited set, the latter need not hesitate
one moment to accept the charge, for 1t has been most
emphatcaly demonstrated since the election OF Benla
min Harrison President that the people OF the oteo
States do not need to abroad for ideas or ior ma
terals most striking evidence Of this Is within the
| Navy Under Secretary Tracy's administration Of the
Navy Department. unlike that during Mr.. Cleveland S
term as President. not single design Tor war Ves'ei
has been purchased abroad and the ships built since
March 4, 1889, superior to the BALTIMORE fmaue
phla and the other vessels built after English designs
purchased at cost of thousands Of dollars nor has any
material been purchased from foreign nations to build
them The ships built of American STEEL armored with
| American made armor and built by American workmeh
| In American shpyards; the guns with wmch they ar7
armed and which have been manufactured In the UoV
ernment gun factories; In fact everything ABOUT thelh
Is pronounced equal not superior to anything ouit Id
foreign shops and yards. Even the new submarine or
automobile topedoes whether they are the Howell,
Hail. Patrick or Sims Edison. are said to be as good
| weapons as the famous Whitehead.
| The latest development of American brains and
American hands In American works Is the matter OF
armor-plating for the warships. Commodore Folger,
Chief OF the Bureau OF Ordnance. commenting upon the
| results of the competitive tests at the proving
grounds ON October 81 and November IA, says: The
| Bureau considers that two important results have
been achieved First, better ate OF American man
ufactre has been produced than the Department WAS
able to purchase abroad year ago; secondly, II has
developed a principle In the manufacture Of
| armor of American origin, which there are good
grounds for believing will furnish greater protection
to the vital parts OF vessel Of war than any other
system hitherto employed. 1t may be con
sldered as probable that within eighteen months, with
| relative slight expenditure Of money. the present
armor- producing capacity Of the United States could
be quadrupled in such expansion should become
necessary"
| Commodore Theodore ID. Wilson Chief Of the Bureau
| Of Construction and Repair who was recently under
treatment at the Chelsea Hospital for a surgical
operation made upon him a year ago. has much
improved that he has returned to duty Washington
| II was feared for time that Commodore Wilson
| would not be able TO do duty again. lie has been
missed from several official affairs during his sick
ness and his absence at the launch OF the cruiser
New York. two three weeks ago,
spicuous general inquiry. But his friends
have not forgotten him for they have Of
ettsrs AMI ges Of ympa by to him. lie Brook
yn man and also one of the most popular department
officials in Washington. Beautiful models OF the new
| Dsttleshps cruisers, and torpedo boats udom the
walls of his Offices and every nook of the walls is
| cupied by sort Of model, many OF which are
| perfect works Of art. Some Of them have It
acldng Of steel with veneerlpg the outside
as fine as that OF japanese cabinet and one gets an
| intelligent idea OF what the new cruisers by all
examination OF these models: Then, too, in drawers
are Numerous photographs OF the cruisers In various
stages of their construction from the laying OF the
lst keeblock to the completed vessel and familiar
| was Constructor Wilson with the work Of his depart
ment that he could In an instant turn to any paper
or picture or model to give information thereon.
The WallabOut lands, the portion Of the Navy Yard
property which authorized to be sold to the city
OF Brooklyn for market purposes, have been trans
ferred and the Government Is the loser OF 1888 acres
Il land and the gainer OF 100000 the amount that
Brooklyn paid for IL. The act OF Congress providing
for the sale OF Navy Yard and United States Hospital
= 1890 and the searching Of the title OF the property
which II took several months 10 complete went back
| as far as 1890 since which date there had been "a
hundred or more transfers OF portions OF the land
| The Legislature had, by previous enactment, EN-
for public market purposes and issue bonds 10
pay for the property purchased at rate of interest
| not exceeding per cont
The property includes, the first section OF the