New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-25
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
RESULTS OF THE RECENT BLAZE Ihhhf'
GRAND ARMY VETERANS MAKE v1sIrs-VAidoos
INTERESTING NOTES.

frequent sight were the groups OF men "'e
Grand Army uniform, and having o"us'S WI 49,,
,reasts Many OF these old veterans returning ro'''
the encampment at Washington, have come 10 Wv"
yor, and having come to New York, visit the navy
Yard where they can have an opportunity u se'
the great modern and improved engines OF ""ri"'o "
the protection Of their county. Anu '"e'e 20
,,,,r much in the Navy Yard to interest VlS't'r'
with the new vessels now In COMMISSION "" ~,
service the others in course OF oohsu"'"
others being reconstructed and some Oh h''V'''I -,
forest 70 the lovers of the nation; with the large snops
100 a., ,,.rtous kinds Of work being done In them
nd With tho anchors guns shells, monuments rehcs
ond vario,s things that lend charm 10 the navy
Yard and make IL different from the ornihhrS S'oe"
OF everyday nfe outside those yellow walls
ono Of tho most interesting matters In the navy
>.oua turing tho last week has been that In relation
TO the fire that occurred In the erection snip WIN" ~
tho machine shop early on saturday morning "''A
- board NJ officers consisting Of Captain {. 5
>,on Ch,ef Engineer George ". Magce ana Passed
Assistant Engineer +. c. Bicg. TO conduct an ih''Nu
cation into the cause OF the fire. began us Ss'ona y"
Monday morning. and submitted It's report OH f''u
II was merely a board OF Investigations "''' "o
about sixteen witnesses were eAafhIl'u' 'n'ie "'
no witnesses under oath. The invcsus''i"h oe''op"
tho knowledge that everything points TO al mcendary
Abou nm hour and quarter before the hre' mo ou''"
ING was thoroughly inspected by the waterman arr
o,,.op or twenty minutes before the fire. marine
who had inst been relieved from duty. paSsd 10y hu
saw no signs Of fire. Then, soon after . oiooA mo
blaze was seen. and In a few minutes '"e ivy NV
companies were at work They saved rs IL W."
known the other buildings, but the erecuoh Snop
was entirely destroyed The cause Of the fire Is an
rnoxn,a,rod mystery There was hbhcating oil
In tho build,np that had any affinity for oxygen anu
nothing at all that could produce spontaneous COM.
hu,tion: the building had tcen thoroughly hSPeo''u
only short time before the fire. and marine h"u
passcd bv few minutes before II broke OUT a'u h''
~ has been said above, everything points to"aru an
inccndiary. No one In the yard, however, - '''
pected. Ar 49,.
c,no, tho building OF the erection shop. the TWO
COTS a., engines that were In It. without COVERING
hut Il IS said that the shop Is 10 be rebuilt 'o""i"
dore Erben commandant OF the Navy iHru n'i'
consultation with Own Engineer \ssrrS'h' o"lei Vi
the Department Of Yards and Docks In the faru' -
terday morning about the matter 'oininod"re f.ru"
SAYS that It is desirable to put up "a light ouiuihS
as possible on the principle that light, inhammaol'
sum would bnrn quickly without harming the engines
seriouslv while a heavy building would make "A bigger
eercer fire and do more extensive damage. 30 " y
probable that n building with light frame anu S'u''
WIN he erected over the engines, and N" work on u
h. t.g,ln this week. possibly. such building WON"
afford shelter to- the engines and the "orhm"h uhu'
they can be finished and removed
This fire and the injury to the engines OF the ne"
In the inunc hing of that vessel II has been expected
that she would be launched thi: fall probably some
time in October. She now lies on ways al"'sslu' ~
Nan-st in the Navy Yard. where she has ben con
striiced The work her Is well advanced. ana sh'
* about ready 10 receive her engines, which were to
bc put on board after launching. But now Naval
Constructor Ferrnld thinks best not TO launch her
until .pring TIE engines have been Injured ana VIII
not be ready by the time expected, ana the g"h'rAi
work Of construction can 90 on ~ well n " IN" Nas'
we're in the water tcn. too. there Is danger mat
light vessel IKE the Cincinnati, and In her uhilhi'h'd
state may freeze In the winter and burst som" parts
So She may not he launched untl March, but when
she Is launched she will be In we'll advanced stat"
some work IS icing done I'm the engineering ana
ordnance departments on the monltlr MinntIhomo
while she is In the Navy Yard. but no extensive
work The vessel Is To stay here until the Columbian
celebration in which she will take part ana acrwarh
She probably will return 10 the Navy YAM u re ave
further repairs An effort will be- made TO get the
work on the cruiser Atlanta far completed that she
can take part in the naval parade at the Columbian
celebration and II Is likely that this object will b.
acromr she'd For several weeks worlIncn nave been
busy doing an important and extensive jon In me
engineering department. which rs not yet finished Bnt
n the engines and boilers can be made ready for use
the vessel take part In the cr'braton. ana then
return 10 the ward aiterward 10 have the other work
on her completed The hull OF the ship above tho
the vessel probably will not BE- put into the dry
dock 10 have her bottom cleaned and painted until
after the naval parade II Is only about ihree months
since this was done last The various naval vessels
In the port, In addition To taking part IN the naval
parade, will furnish companies to march In the land
parade on tho day In which that takes place. Inns
qiu help increase the length OF the line and Will give
to the public another opportunity to sec the seamen on
shore parading with INTERPRETATIONS In their blue
eu,s with canvas egfngs reaching up 10 their knees
and led bv naval officers. and marines, the sea soldiers
in their gay uniforms The programme for the naval
port OF the Columbian celebration Is substantially tn
same rs that made out BY Commodore Erben three
wear, MO- TO be used in the Washington Centennial
celebration but which, however, rot followed al
that fine Commodore Erben who 4, the commandant
Of this station and Navy Yard. Is TO have command
tbe fleet and II Is said that he will use the cruiser
Philadelphia US his flagship The Philadelphia Is TX
ncccd 10 arrive In thi, port to day or Tomorrow but
She Is TO anchor In the North River not 10 20
the Navy Yard.
An Interesting idea Of the great advance made in
the science OF constructing engines for steam vessels
within the last ten years may be had by comparing
the engines Of the cruiser Chicago with those Of the
most modern naval vessels. When the engines for
the Chicago were designed about ten years ago-com
uound beam engines developing 1000 horse power and
giving the vessel slcei OF sixteen knotsthry were
about equal TO any engines that vessel OF her class
had received BIT the newer vessels OF the Navy, Of
the same Size the Chicago. have engines that de-
vclop 1000 horse power. and give speed OF almost
twenty knots. This shows a great advance in the
science Of engine designing Now. II Is possible that
after some the present engines OF the
Chicago may be replaced nv others Of the most modern
kind thus greatly improving the vessel and increasing
her efficiency as q cruiser. This latter wond also be
helped along by the fact that saving Of many tons
Of weight would be made by the change. ana thus the
vessels coal capacity would be increased The ship
IS constructed that she could develop high speed
and her hull is In good condition. 40 the investment
would pay.
Speculation is rife among the officers OF the Navy
as 10 where the two large ships authorized by the
first session OF the present Congress Will be built. In
view the fact that the plant Of the New York Navy
Yard is 90 complete, and the 6,40Oton armored
cruiser Maine is 50 far along toward completion and