New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-27
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
CONSTRUCTION OF The MONITORS.


ING AND OTHER NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Notwithstanding the startling rumors that war Win
Chill is inevitable, and the reports about the
activity at the Navy Yard, the appearance Oh inc
itself and the statements and actions of the oihcerS
do not seem to bear out the reports. Inc oihoe''
naturally are interested In the subject and are re"u
IN 90 10 Chill on short notice If 1t becomes necessary
but there is no great excitement On the cohtiary,
the Navy Yard presented rather strange anu Unusual
appearance yesterday morning, for DAY 'na' was
neither Sunday TOR legal holiday. AS one eh'eieu
the gate at Yorlst., and walked down Mainet " .he
Mace where the new cruiser Cincinnati Is being built
he might have been impressed with the absence vi '
usual activity and din Of work in that place sneht
noise couId he heard as If one two men were at
work The same air Of quiet prevailed on boaro ue
Maine and the monitors Puritan and Ierror' LUIS
lack of work on these vessels was accounted ior Ho
the fart that Christmas proved too much lor muis
OF the men, and some Of those who did go 10 'ne
regular bellring in the yard were hardly fit for WORK
Others did not come because Of the bad weather.
so that, altogether, the Construction depart.
ment thought best to suspend work. although
a few men were put to work. AL uie
time of the afternoon bering the foliowihs ho'co
was in place at the gate: mo muster OF ou'eioo
employees In Construction Department" In the SHOPS
however and other parts OF the yaru tio usu"i "''
went during the day.
The monitor Mlantonomoh has been in the timber
dry dock for some time, having her bottom cieaheo
and painted At the same time other Work OH thc
vessel has continued so that now she Is nearly re"uy
for the trial OF her guns. Within the last new Weeks
the guns have been mounted on their carriages vi
the sperstcture of the vessel and in the military
top of the mast on Friday the magnetic survey OF
the vessel was made. This is for the correction ana
adjustment OF the compasses. Then the ship was
ready TO be taken from the ryd0ck and about noon
Yesterday the valves were opened, ara eignC sre"'
streams OF water rushing and roaring ana ioain
ing through the pipes In the caisson which CLOSES
the mouth OF the dock In order that the vessel mst
be Hoaed out in the afternoon The vessel was then
taken to the coalng dock to have her bunkers hhed
with coal The dock trial of her engines VIII
probably be held to morrow next day. An order
has been received to have all the work on THIS Vesse
finished by January 1. She probably VIII go away
from the ward for the trial OF her guns In the latter
part of this week, or in next week, after WHICH Sho
will be ready for active service in the Navy.
The plans for the propellers for the cruisers Gin
cinnat and Raleigh being made, and Will PROBABLY
be cast in two or three weeks. Parts OF the boilers
for these vessels are being cast In the foundry now
In two or three weeks test, by hydraulic power, OF
the parts of the engines which have already been
erected is to be made.
In much the same way that the monitor Miantonomoh
was rebuilt being at the Navy Yard for severai
years past the two monitors Terror and Puritan are
now I'm course Of reconstruction at that place Ihey
have already been there two three years, but the
material which is used wood well iron and Steel Is
very heavy and the work is necessarily SLOW The
Terror is the smaller of the two and the work on her
Is further advanced than that on the Puritan INC
Terror lies alongside the dock In Wallabout Chahhel'
lust beyond the entrance to the timber dry DOCK
heavy hawsers moor her TO the dock, and wooden
shores, keep her in position. good general view OF
the vessel may be obtained from short distance
She is long, with low free board. Down the middle
OF the deck extends the superstructure II Is long,
rises about eight ten feet above the deck and Is
built of steel at present covered with red lead ana
divided into various apartments by walls Of steel plates
will be used for quarters for officers and men, ana
the galley removing that hot place from below decks
IN the deck where there Is free air. From the super
structure rises the smoke pipe, and from one END OF
IL rises the hollow steel mast with military top Az
each end of the ship the turrets for the benehs
NJ the workmen a piece Of Is suspended tent
like on pole each OF the turrets Ropes stretch
in different directions from aoft to the deck. which 10
seen TO be covered with litter Of various sortsropes,
anchors, parts Of machinery, pipes, pieces OF wood,
chips tools trucks blocks, work tables chains here
and there on the ship the small furnaces for meaning
rlvets and small pieces OF iron gangplank stretches
from the deck to the shore, but the vgant Waterman
Is there to keep visitors of the vessel. Around inc
sides of the ship above the waer-line, the wooden
armor backing can be seen 1t is made Of thick timbers
plating will be placed. Work is being done on
the vessel both above and below the deck. The
Terror is to have vertical trres without barbettes,
such the Miantonomoh has. These turrets are now
being built First is the thin steel frame then the
thick wooden armor backing boed to 1t, outside OF
this Will be placed the immense plates OF armor.
A large force OF men is at work on the Terror.
carving on the reconstruction of the vessel both
above and below the deck they may be seen, working
with hammers drills. chisels and various tools: and
there are the boys TO blow the furnaces. heating
the rivets. The Steam Engineering Department has
men at work the Terror and the Puritan busted
with the forced draft and steam pipes.
The Puritan is larger than the Terror and as she
did not come 10 the Navy Yard until after the latter,
the work her Is not so far advanced. She Hes
alongside one of the docks in the Yard, short distance
above the present landing of the The work on
her Is much tho that the Terror but as 1t
not so advanced the vessel presents somewhat
different appearance to the eye OF visitor. The mill
tary mast has not been erected but there two
wooden derricks the deck, by each turret The
framework OF the supcrsructure is only partially
erected. The two turrets, one at the bow and one
at the stern, are being built and the canvas working
tents are over them the other ship. But on
neither the trrets the sides OF the ships is the
wooden armor backing in place. There is a smoke
nine and around It's base Is q wooden shanty for the
use of some OF the workmen. The vessel has a low
freeboard, and the deck is covered with tools and
litter Here again is the Waterman to tell
to visitors "no' admittance.' The lower deck
is being laid with the iron plates The large force OF
worhmen Is employed in various parts OF the ship-in
the turrets on Jobs above and below the deck, etc.
The Puritan Is to have oonical tnrrets mounted
barbettes These turrets are being built In the
Yard.
The work Of rebuilding these two monitors, the
Terror and the Puritan, is an important one; many
workmen are employed on 1t, and several years will
have passed between the time OF beginning and finish
Ing the work, when that time comes. But when COM
peted, and fitted with modern armor and ordnance.
the vessels will be among the most powerful lnstru-
ments OF defensive warfare.
Tie question OF armor for the war vessels has
heen one To which has been given rs much attention