New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-02
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
REPORT on THE PHILADELPHIA EAPLOSloN'
CONSTRUCTION ADVANCING sTEADlLY-CoNpA'
T1oy OF THE CINCINNATI.

board, composed OF Lieutenant j. B' bT'st7' 4''
John C. Fremont and Naval Cadet H. j. Hegelmer 'ooN
h testimony upon which the report secretary Tracy
wos based It established beyond peradVehtlue ue
foct that the accident was caused by tie lrlthS VI
n charge in the sixinch gun by burning po"ucr NV
from the previous round that the charge eApioded LII
medlately upon being inserted In the gun anu ueo'
tho brooch was closed and that the gun had hot beeh
sponged after the previous round The accldeht c'u'
more or less severe burning and brusng OF Lieutenant
A. A. Ackerman Martin Fetting, captain of the gum
and Charles V Baker and Frederick f. Crossnai' ap
prcntices. The conclusions OF the board were '''
there was an unusual amount OF deposit iei' !" '"'
chamber by the unconned charge and that the spohg
ING was inadeaulte, the marine sponge Only pchis
uscd.p CAPTAIN Barker says in his report "Ihe
cartridge in question was being put into the gun Wheh
II cAplodcd blowing a hole through the tarpaIi over
the ward room skyght and sending the uhcohsa'he"
but burning grains OF powder through the Ammunition
scuttle and skylight into the magazine passage anu
ward room, causing dense volumes OF SIN Ne |" ii'
Giving the impression to every in that part OF the
vc.scl that the ship FIRE In or near the magazine
Indeed this was the report mad, to me on the DrdS'
and I at once ordered the red flag hauled down tine
signal agreed upon Ing fire IN BOTH Sldcsh the
fire bell rung and the magazine Hooded.
Fortunately through the GOODNESS and courage OF
Lieutenant FRI (thc officer In charge OF the power
magazinel, and of Gunners Mate IL. ~ tliers' WIZ
Lravely remained at his station and alone stamped ara
avertcd rendering flooding unnecessary
The Philadelphia, with the other vessels OF the
fleet has already begun work In connection win
the Columbian celebration. That Is 10 say, she Went
down the Bay and In company with the NesuNius
and the Dolphin, met the Italian cruiser "ioVanhl
Bausan on her arrival here yesterday. and escorted
her To her anchorage. Before the great naval parade
takes place however there will be other naval yes
sells TO Join these three in the ceremonies The
Atlanta and the MantonOm0h. at present In the
Navy Yard, to take part IN the ceebrauohS'
The work Of retubng the boilers Of the cruiser
Atlanta which has been in progress for so many
weeks IS at last almost completed The Atlanta
has been in commission six years, and has done much
actual sea service in that that her boiler
have had much usage But the retubinS Of them
will put them In condition for several years more
Of service. when the work by the Engineering De
partmcnt the ship + finished there VIII be some
to De done by the Construction Dcparlmcnt-the decks
are to be caulked and other work is to be done;
but ~, tins cannot be completed before the coming
celebrations take place the vessel is expected to re
turn - The lar after them FIR the completion Of H.
h. f. 90 be ready To leave the Yard next saturday
The monitor Miantonomoh Is now in the timber dry
dock Her bottom /, being scraped and painted, and
other wors-ccnera repair works. being done upon
her. She is to leave tho drydock on Friday. A.
the Mlantonomoh IS a sort Of experimental vessel,
she needs more careful looking after, perhaps, than
some OF the other saips. At present work Is being
done on her steering gear. on her ordnance and IL
fact. In all departments.
other work in the Navy Yard On steadily.
4 new building take the place Of the erection
shop which la, Just been burned. Is to be erected
N the site " the old One and work the plan,
for II f. being pushed ahead energeucally in tho
Department of Yards and Docks. 1t is intended
to erect budlu- having light iron frame and
covered with corrugated The plan to the
engines for the Cincinnati by steam. and in that
.It. a.
in the fire. has been given up. and it has been
decided to test the cylinders By hydraulic pressure. as
wa, done when they first erected. Engineer
ln-Chcf George W. Melville was in the Navy Var!
Yesterday inspecting the engines to see what dam.
axe they had rec lycd II is expected that the two
damaged cylinder, be- saved, but II may possibly
be necessary make them anew. which would take
some time. The ooidcn,crs lost. and the work
Of erecting ones has been begun. Ii will be
necessary to make new shells. and some other
things. although many Of the parts Of the injured
condcnscrs can be saved The air-pumps also can
be saved.
The expectation was that the engines would be
about ready for the Cincinnati by the time that vessel
WIS launched at which time she would be ready to
receive them. Although the completion Of them
set back by the disastrous Ire. Yet 1t may not be
delayed great deal after all. things look
The cOudcners. however. Will not De ready for three
months, hence. even n the engines ready much
before that time. the conder,ers have 20 be PIT
into the vessel first III" tmo Tor erecting the engines
m the vessel will be put Off
There has been much talk about the launching OF
tho Cincinnati Days have been set which the
affair should take placcthat is. days have been set
by any ono but the oicals--but when the time came
the vessel not launched. 10 thought that
she would be launched I'm October but the constructor
IS DESTROYS Of keeping her the stocks longer hoping
that she may not be launched until spring. Now it
is not known when She viii BE- launched. but one re
port is that this Will be tone some time IN November
but probably not early In tie month, anyway
1t has been hoped that one OF the new vessels now
70 be built for the Navy either the battle ship or the
cruiser. would be built In the Navy lnri. which has
received and excellent plants for the building of
the Maine and :hc Cincinnati, these will be thrown
into activity by the completion OF the vessels. Ad-
vcrscmcnts inviting proposals for the construction Of
these new vessels have just issued 10y the Navy
Department. The proposals call for the construction
Of Il scagong battle ship of 1900 tons displacement
and an armored cruiser of 5000 tons displacement
The proposals are issued with about the same con.
diOns attached 10 them rs usual. Their premiums
and penalties affixed. To provide for the matter OF
speed. The contractor must guarantee that under
certain fixed conditions in trial IN the open sea- the
battlcshp shall develop average speed OF at least
sixteen knots maintained for four consecutive hours
and that during the trial the pressure In the fire
room shall not average over inch. For every
quarter knot Of speed developed under these con
dons than that guaranteed premium Of
10000 shall be paid to the contractor; but for every
quarter knot Of speed below that guaranteed a pen
atty Of S25 900 shall be deducted from the contract
price. The conditions In relation to the cruiser are
tho same with the exception that her guaranteed
speed Is fixed at twenty knots.
II Is expected that the members of the Marine Corps
OF the Navy who have been guard duty Quarantine
will return TO the Navy Yard this week. The Navy
officers say that the duty did not belong TO them any
way but they did It, IL was remarked at the yard
Yesterday that they have been stationed at Quarantine
and have not had any cases o. cholera among them
but II had contracted the disease they would have
stayed there Just the same When they return to the
Navy Yard after their duty Commodore Erbcn COM
mandant OF the yard and station intends have
them met by band and some blue Jackets and escorted
To- the barracks in recognition of their services. They
are to take part In the land parade next week.
All existing orders and regulations restricting the
employment Of pilots by commanding officers Of vessels