New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-07
WORK AT TIE NAVY YARD
THE MAINE, PLATES WAITED FOR.
covprruvc CHANGES on THE MIASToNoAoH
-OF2ICERs' UNIFORMS


&; Ia t., rs,nI condition Of moderate activity III 'ho
yarous machine shops. boiler shop foun'N' an" ''o
many other workshops in the ya'u' "oih 80 "
huelv bnt there is no special has'e' ~
crs.rs Maine and Cincinnati and the monitors i'''
;,an and Terror receive large share OF attention anu
-,p Soma work Is being done on the vcSsei' III TIC
ward which are IN commission for active service ,iY
roritor Niontonomoh the dynamte cruiser Nesu''"'
and thc torpedo boat Gushing. But the o'o "''i''
Nantucket which WAS hauled cut oil nc' pc'', j" '''
mud mt into the dry-dock. painted "n Inc p"''o''
and on which repairs were begun, NIL 10 II, ner '"
renew her services as gallant dcichoer VI I've a
| and stripes in case OF necessity "'' o e
up in ordinary =.
Tho Navy Yard Is in fact. comparatively qui.'
The Miantonomoh il steadily being made READY ior
sea- but IL will be week or ten DAYS Delor INC WIN
on her is finished. The steam hn6'heer"e N'P'
ment is putting new accunulaiors III ""' ny
miami. blocks ac being fitted around The loot Oh ING
,urrct on Deck I, keep water fiOm entering ana
mining lrIow the deck: auxiliary engine i pe'"s
mt ON hoard and other little jobs are being ""'c'
What hcr duty will bc when she Is rcahy i HUI ""''
# NAV be 10 20 10 the West Understand u NAV not
In rc,pons,, 10 the orders issued from the Navy ne
,a,+,,ort corIv in the week appointing specla'
hoord IN conduct the iL trials of the dynamic 'upes
or ,ns Of The Ve.uvius, that the value OF 'hc PM"
mario dynamite gun for purposes on naval shps
-hould receive an early conclusion. fiat VeHSi -
being made ready for another tra. Inc '""""
work mon her and the manufacture OF INC eAPne"'
proecte, 10 be used nj the trial make her an ou'''
Of great interest 90 the visitors ut tho Navy i"'".
The proiectes are eight feet in length and IA "a
,h i; d,or,c,or and each one costs the Government
s,1o The vessel because OF her unique weapons ana
the number Of unsuccessful tIials had WIN theh Oh
natorrn that is affected by the choppy houo" vi 'o
sea has occupied many columns of space IN ue news
papers since she built she was coh'tru'"o os
william Crnmp & sons. and was launched at their
,V1ad. NH Ia on
as her speed is concerned she has proved success
her record being II 81 knots
The trials Of the guns have not fulfilled all Inc
conditions Of the contract but for Flpulv ma q"
durancc they met the requirements The coming Una.
i, for determining upon the specific requirements mat
the guns shnli lie capable OF throwing sheHs '"i'""
Ing 900 pounds Of dynamite or other hlsh eAp'os'e
at least one mie." and of accuracy OF IRE.
This novel .,pe Of vessel Is declared by the best
OF naval experts 10 be 81 little use ana sle WAS pu'V
upon the presumption that the stIlhg success "no"
attended the experiments Of Lieutenant EtnsM In
New York harbor in 1887, IN throwing pioje'l Win
dynamite from pneumatic guns on shorr. would II
rep,oted successfully with similar wenions on ship
hoard The building Of another vessel u IN" Ncsu'is
type provided for by Congress in 1882 oo'oo"i
on tho efficiency OF the Vesuvius and her armament
being shown By the official trials 10 be shti>ihoUrS
10 the Secretary Of the Navy There Is grave doubt
throughout the Navy that tho system Of dynamite guns
of the character Of those on the Nesuvus Is Of any
value ur,,n a vessel that has 10 DO moved IN one
direction or another train them upon the OBJECT OF
attack. Tho lower section Of tubes work on hinges by
which the Of snns l. changed but her steering
qualities arc also iar from perfect; the valves III The
guns work Enthusiastically she is vessel with so
thin shell rs TO make her dangerous for all on boa'
even il struck by small pro!c''ile as from a
three FOUNDER which would almost surely piccc her
hui and it t. believed that n tho rang" OF her
efficiency would be gIfDty incrcic 10y converting her
into torpedo cruiser thi, disposition may be finally
made Of her Her III placement l. such that, with her
dynamite guns removed and Il battery OF consider
able power on board for FIRE and at lIrc-sup
pcmcnting the large cabrcs Of rapid firing guns with
a number Of Groundc.san arnlor belt Of steel pa',-
such ~ hai been pfopo~cd could be put on and thu,
made her formidable antagonist FOR any Of the I'M
armOrcd types Oi warScsscl-.
These three ,lip5-the Miont'nomoh. the Ncuvius
and the Gushing the only commissioned naval
war vessels I'm the Navy Yard nj present. The work
Of building others H. however, rapidly carried on.
The work on the new oIuscr Maine is well advanced.
In few weeks everything VII. be ready for the heavy
armor plating. On both the inside ana the outside
Of the ship rapid work has been done that She T.
about 80 per finished. ~ course there is work
that cannot lie done until the arinor Is pnt N place.
SO unless this plating begins Ia arrive the
work the Weasel probably will be delayed The
10 to be put INTO the granite dry dock receive
her arlnol, but the Itself IS ready,
the ig travelling Which To he placed around
The dry -doch. The Construction Department ia he
ward has no knowledge when hc nrmor plating viii
come. The Construction Department says HAT II The
nlmor were here the bio new cruiser could be
pletcn Il :eaI
Officer, Of the Navy much interested In The
result II the conclusions Of the Board Uniforms.
Of which Ecar-Admrl J.. A. Kimberly /. president
and which is in 70 sion at Washington
-idcrng the ad'i,nhllty OF making some changes IN
the present uniforms OF both officers and enlisted
Tile Board H. tihin: vast am unit of testimony or
opinion, Of officers In resaid to uniforms. and IT
/, thought likely that several changes will be made
which will greatly improve the uniform in It's military
appearance. and also make -rine notifications To the
whom must he provided with the regulation uni
forms" his own personal expense lnaslnuch as the
Government makes no allowance for an officer, outht
The uniforms for oflicers today are: Special full
dic,s ll dress coat. full dress trousers, chapcau.
erauettcs. sword. and al 'lc gold lace and other
| accunranments OF a military unioinl. to he
on occasions Of special ceremony and al general
drc.s 10 be worn N occasions OF ceremony, in
making the first Wit in each por' 10 Officers Of
nag rank, and social occasions to which officers
are invited Ia their Official capacity and at which
evening drs, would - eH%ced social ,',, fall ore
with brass buttons and gold lncc added. chaE~an.
eauette elc 70 be worn Gto Oh occasions h OF "Sy
chapeai cpauhtcs ctc.). - be WON on all occasions
Of ordinary ceremony palanc, OIL ceremony WIN en-
coat blue Trousers. cap. shoulders straps etc..
Ia he when rcpTtng for duty Oh courts or hoard.
and when calling OFFICIALLY foreign officer: Service
dress service fntigue coat. from cap. owO.
ctc 10 be worn at all times not provided for IN other
Uniform
several Of the officers Of the Navy have appeared
before the Naval Committees Of congress In The last
week relative 10 The bill for Increasing the number
I'm the fuglneer Corp. suggested by Commodore
George ". Melville Chief OF the linIeau of Steam
Engineering The bill provides for eighty three chief
engineers ranking from lieutenant commander TO cap
tain: nnety passed assistant engineers. ranking with
llcutenants senior gInde eighty passed assistant en-
sInecrs. rankng with lieutenani' Of the Junior grade
fifty assistant engineers with the rank OF ensign and
| n number OF cadet engineers. There are at present
seventy one chief engineer. sAty three passed
>stanfs and sixty one assistants. The bill pro-
vides that the appointment OF cadet engineers shall
| be made from the engineers division at the Naval
Academy and from the graduates Of technical schools
Of the United states whose course OF instruction In
mechanical engineering be considered satisfactory
| by the secretary OF the Navy.
| The difficulty OF securing and retaining sufficient
number OF officers for the Engineer Corps has been
the cause OF much perplexity TO various boards which
have Investigated the subject and OF much embarrsss
mcnt to the service owing 70 the difficulty In finding