New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-16
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
VESSELS TAKE PART IN FESTIVITIES.

celebrate The story OF what the Navy has done 1T
this end Of the line In connection with the qu'''o
centennial anniversary Of Columous's discovery "a
already been told In these columns. The roanhe Oh
rho cannon ON Tuesday might be thought to reecho
the slogan OF the mortar board capped Columbia C0i
LOGO students which rang out all along Fifthave oh
Monday, and which ran:
Who was Christopher ColumbusI
First at sea,
FIRST on shore,
First to land at Salvador "a
Rear.Admirnl Ghemrdis special squadron-oon',o'
ing OF the Baltimore, the Charleston anu 'he e
Francisco-has ended its duties IN connection VIII Wv.
celebration Of the centennial anniversary Vi 'ne wy
Of San Diego, Cal, and is now at Mazauah Oh II,
way TO take part IN the Columbus celebratlohs anu
pavaI review connected with the Worlds Fair, TO take
place here next April and May The vessels VIII
mako many stops along the south American coast ="
extend official courtescs of the United States 70 mo
South American republics, and incidentally I" Sno"
Off some Of Uncle sans big vessels
The Chicago. Kcarsarge and Concord. under Rear
Adninl Walker arc ut In Guayra, helping 10 ceieoiao
the end OF another OF the periodic revolutions VI
vcnezuclo although they sent there TO look ou'
that Americans and their interests did not suner
during the slaughter OF the two fighting forc"s ino
vessels arc expected to be able soon to leave there
and look after some OF the many other interests !"
the West Indies and In the United states.
The Mantonomoh ATLANTA and Vesuvius are going
Yankees OF Stamford Conn, celebrate the @ooth an'
niyc,sorv OF the founding Of that town. One OF inc
vessels. the Atlanta, left the Navy Yard YESTERDAY
morning. swung gracefully ont into the s'rcam anu
| started up the river. The two others pODaoiy WIZ
start for stamford tomorrow. On Tuesday 'hey VIII
lie open for inspection by the public. wednesday Is
the chief dav Of the celebration and the three hps
will send companies OF men ashore to tako part In
Tho parade They probably will leave stanford on
Thursday and return to New York In time 10 SEND
companies OF men TO join the parndc In BrooHNh vi
Friday Truly the Navy takes prominent part In
celebrations this year for even these services OF inc
war vessels arc not all the help that the Navy hhS 10
furnish 10 paradcs this week battalion OF marines
l. 10 start for Chicago tomorrow TO take part IN The
ohseryances attending the dedication Of the Worlds
Fair buildings The BATTALION will consist OF four
companies. amounting TO ll8 pnvatcs, ana agsreeauhs
lG3 men, with officers and all The Marine Band Is
also b. 60 10 Chicago. When the Atlanta ana Mi3h-
touomoh return from stamford the various repairs on
them are 20 be completed IN the Navy Yard Tho
Dolphin the Navy dispatch boat LEFT the faTd yescr
dav afternoon and TO anchor In the East River
She Is subject TO special orders from the Secretary al
any time and II was not known what her duty would
b this fall only she not going 10 STANFORD ~
is expected that the httls orpcdoboat Cushing VIII
leave the Yard and return 10 sag Harbor 70
continue the torpedo trinls In Peconlc Bay. Ihere
are now about thirty Whitehead torpedocs. manu-
featured BY the II. W. Bliss COMPANY ready for trial.
Commander Converse Is the head Of the board which
conducts these torpedo tests
The dynamite cruiser vesuvius Is return to the
Navy Yard after the Stamford celebration, In time
to send men to grntify the eyes OF Broohynltes IN
the parade on Friday. II Is hoped that the vessel
NAV soon be ordered TO range her guns, preparatory
10 testing them. Notwithstanding the many adverse
criticisms which have been made Oh this vessel the
officer, on her have implicit confidence In her. All
they want Is that she shall have fair trial
They believe that she will prove success. The
system IL new and since tho vessel was built
exhaustive and nnal trials have never been held and
yet MANY are willing to condemn her. An officer OF
the vessel said Yesterday that she could destroy
any vessel anoat. but that her principal danger
lie IN attack from torpedo boats, when would
b.. faster than she is. and able to overtake her
Her principal weapons are three pneumatic guns
whose muzzlcs project from her deck near the bow
These guns can throw a heavy charge OF dynamite
long distance. They are fitted with valves, by
which the pressure IN them IS regulated the pressure
required to hurl a proectc u certain distance can
be found by actual experiment In ranging the guns.
and them when the pressure Is applied To them,
charge Of certain weight VIII always be thrown
the same dista1cc In this way the guns are more
accurate In reaching the same distance al each shot
than any high power gun In Al they are
stationary In the bow OF the boat, they aimed at
a target By changing the direction In which the vessel
Is going; II IS then easy TO keep them sighted on
the mark, for the sight is about nifty feet long
Thus, I'm Of actual war, the vessel could be
aimed the enemyS vessel by the helm. and as
she is faster than ordinary armored cruisers she
could sail up until within the proper range for ac
curae hrng. The valve TO each Of the three guns
might be set 10 carry different distance, and as
she approached the mark the range finders would be
constantly indicating the distance, and each gun
coud b. fired on the instant the proper distance
reached Thus three shots In rapid succession could
-. h.sf ~ Itch
struck, would completely destroy the vessel while
II II struck by might do serious damage.
In the meantime, the dynamite cruiser she
approached would afford only q slight mark for
encmy's guns, she Is narrow and small. An
ample Of the naccuracy Of the torpedo boat Is found
In the engagement In the hnr5or OF Valparaiso
Chill when nine shots fired from a torpedo.
boat before she sank the cruiser BlancO Encalada
The officers believe that the Vcsuvlus would prove
TO be one Of the most terrible engines afoat In
Of need. and she could be fought where any
vessel could. The particular style vessel however,
which Is used mount for the dynamite guns
may not DO the best that could be devised and
anyway IT would be desirable make some changes
IN II for the comfort of the crew.
OF course, the present dynamite cruiser Is uni
arnorcd, effective shot from an encmys gun
would be sufficient to end her existence and hence
II might lie necessary to keep n large fleet of YES
scls OF her type Ia order to get the greatest good from
them. But, as she Is comparatively inexpensive
vessel 1t might pay to do this If she could destroy
cruisers costing many times what she did. Such
were some OF the views expressed on the Vesuvus
IL IS hoped that the vessel may be ordered 10
range her guns, and then have fair trial by those
who understand her principles and workings.
Preparations are now being made for the launching
of the Cincinnati In the Navy Yard. Permission has
been granted To launch her November T. the day
before election hut as this day Is wedged In between
two holidays-sundny and Election Dny-she may be
kept on the stocks until Thursday, November 10,
although there VIII not be much water In which
TO launch her on that day. This cruiser could have
been launched time ago, had 1t been necessary
but II thought advisable to keep her on the ways