The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-16
NAVY YARD AcTIVITY.


NEW YORK. Jan. l5.-The activity at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard is as great today as
IL has been at any time since the first ru-
mors of possible war came up from the
| west coast of South America There is not
| a vessel of any description ut the yard now
| which is not in commission or building or
| undergoing repair None is in idleness.
| The old single-turret monitor Nantucket
| has been moored in the Whitney basin for
| over five years. but this afternoon she was
| pulled out of the mud and put into the
new stone dry dock. There she will hive
her bottom scraped and painted and the
| board of survey will examine her to see
what repairs are necessary. 1t is
estimated that she could be put
in fighting trim in five weeks The
Nantucket is one of the original monitors
of the Ericsson type and still bears on her
turret numerous scars which she received
from the guns of Fort Fisher during the
war. She is a singiescrew vessel, with n
displacement Of 1919 TONS aud was built
at the Atlantic works, Boston, in 1868
Her sides are protected by ) inches of
armor and her Uurret by II inches. Her
main battery consists of two old-fashioned
smooth-bore - inch rifles. Her speed is
estimated at six knots an hour. After the
war the Nantucket was laid aside for sew
erll years, and later was used as practice
ship at Annapolis In 1890 she took part
tion of the remains of Captain John Erics-
son.
In spite of her long sojouTn in "Rotten
Row. the Nantucket IS in good condi-
tiou. Her machinery is good aud her guns
serviceable. She would make an exc ,llent
harbOr defense vessel, which is precisely
what she was intended for. There are in
the navy yard i'll addition to the Nam
tucket three other monitors-the Terror,
the Puritan and the Miantonomah. All
three are dOuble-turret vessels, but the
two first are not yet entirely completed.
A full complement of men is workn.. on
each, however, and 1t is estimated that if
necessity required, these two monitors
could be completed in 100 days by work
ing the men night and day The Man
tonomah has just got back from Gardner's |
bay, where she made n successful trial of |
her guns. A force OF fifty men are now ut !
wcrk, making alterations where ex- !
perience has shown the necessity She |
could b. made ready for sea in ten days.
The Nesuvius has not yet had her new |
air valves put in, hut is otherwise in very |
good condition. The cruiser Maine is pro- |
crossing rapidly toward cCmplstion The !
forward bulkhead WAS put in today IL |
consists of inches of iron, IL inches of |
wood and l inch of steel The floating
derrick, capable of raising IA weight of |
eighty tons, was brought alongside late in
me afternoon, ana VIII be used to handle
heavy plales. The torpedo boat Cushing
IS expected at the yard from Newport
shortly. In spite Of the hurryin9 to and /
tro of orderiirS and wOrkmeu, however
Erben said today that there
was no unusual activity in the navy yard.
aud that the work in progress was only of
The usual routine. Several rods of new
rail have been laid to connect the docks
with the shops, and Il new dummy engine
stands on the track ready for use.