New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-29
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD.
TESTS WITH THE DESTROYER.
%pERIMENTs WITH DYNAMITE PRoJECIlLhs

al, Ericsson and since improved IN certain WHY'S Ny
a., 1assoe for many years one OF the great inventor
confidential men. one OF the special features Is 'hh'
IN. new gun is made Of STEEL whereas the old gun was
,or The proectie is Of the same general dea as
,h, which Captain Ericsson designed and experimental
.,h In the cove at Weehawken thirteen years ago. OH
,,. same vessel which Is now used-tle Destroyer
The Tribune at that time gave the hfst compete
.conpt OF this wonderful piece Of marine mechanism
c.na,n Ericsson had kindly extended the courtesy 10
an. ~ the staff OF The Tribune who was employed III
h ry uart OF the Civil War In fitting up the engines
-. The monitors Puritan and Dictator, and who then
made the acquaintance of Captain Hlcsson TO inspect
N. workings Of the vessel Captain Ericsson was one
a, the most modest and unpStentous mechanicans OIL
b,s age and his great objection to saying anything OF
this most formidable engje Of death then Known III
rsval warfare was that the merits OF his own WORK
might be exaggerated. His invention was simply
boat submerged like monitor, with all the machinery
,.,ow an intermediate deck OF plato iron. strongly
sbbed and supporting inclined armor plates a single
hreech loading gun of iron, hooped WITH Steel WIFI
Bora Of sixteen inches fixed in the bow, and pro
eetie containing $50 pounds OF dynamite or gun COT
ton expelled from the gun by compressed air OF elee
,rcy. and discharged by conclusion. The principle
AZ this submarine gun that, should the hrs' sho'
fall another would follow few minutes later ana inc
,o,nsdo bombariment could 60 with extraordinary
apdty II the invention be all that 1t seems 10 pc
vessel that would be invulnerable in daylght' pro-
,sctle that would pierce at distance of 900 yards
suy chain OF network that might be forsed-the proo
lem OF coast defence seems to be simple The 1ar'er
tests 10 be made will demonstrate its vaue ana ma.
,.ad N bu,dipe more formidable vessels for the use Oh
such Guns and proectles The tests made In te las,
week have been so successful that it is believed 'a'
tho weapon will prove be far superior TO the o!ha-
nte gun such as mounted on the Vesuvius' iof eA
fighting. .,.ou.,
Further tests with the gun are TO be pos'po''eu
for awhile, as the drydock at which they haNo
,een held viii be needed fol- the use OF The vesses
80 hs docscd The Chicago has already arrived, the
,ran,o &c exnected and the vessels Of the North
Atlantic squadron will probably come In a rev Gays.
The Chicago probably will come to the navy iu'u
early IN this week the trainingship Is 10 10 eA"e"
for repairs, md may come to the laiu.
When the double turreted monitor Mlah'ohon'o"
sailed from here on Tuesday for Annapolis 10 '''ne
mart IN the drills OF the Naval cadets next week. y
i.n Nowyort without q single sea going Naval vessel
In commission But the big cruiser Chicago ana 'he
training ship jamestown came in on the iooWihs uH''
and the tranihg-sh Monongahela arrived Oh inu
day from her year OF cruising aoroad anu vi -
Atlantic coast ,,oo
Ty,o report came also on Thursday from Delaware
nav that the MiantOnomOh had put into inc nicAN
ater in distress and that she would have 10 choch
mn ler urets ard spring her urrct aprons Deioc BIC
.ou,a continue her trip. This meant tnat she went
10 sea unprepared for rough weather. u'at 10, -"
,ase of her turIct not blocked UP WIN ''c o'o
made TO prevent heavy seas, when they ran over '
decks from flowing through the opening aHu 500
helow This Is one of the objections ~ the low ioe
100 or monitor type Of vessels low rreepoafu
nu+s - practical limit upon the power OF oriNihs sum
sbips against head sea, while IL e"'"iis So
,ncrase In the expenditure OF power iolu''u ~
maintain a gIycn speed In II moderate sea- as compass
,i,h the expenditure in highended snPo oi s''iis'
,nrms and OF equal size. low freebonid through
mn the entire length also necessarily in'chs"e' "'
comfort and reduces sea Keeping quaIiues'
.rh. Uonse Committee on Naval Affairs agreed on
,ra,dav 10 report favCrably the bill to proVne ioi
tho sale of the twcntysix acres OF navy 1hiu n,u'
asked for by the city OF Brooklyn 10 aoo u i'' wa"
bout Msrle. site and the bill was passed. oS 'ho
Eouse on Friday Although several chnhees "''0
made IN the wording of the bill they did no, Secn
to be- Of such great importance as some OIL inc broOA
ivn auhorities seem 10 think. The most important
Change WAS that making II obligatory upon the part Vi
BROOKLYN TO take the entire tract OF t"c"" 9'N 49,"
ard not simply so mnch as NAV De necesSai!' O
minimum Price fixed upon the lana was qfi'ooo q"
ac,r but at the same time board VI 'Ppi'"'''
IS authorized to appaise the value OF inc h'"u' ''
n n s derded that the hand Is worth more than ta'
tie excess must be paid by the CIV ~ - "o''
Known that the sewerage system empties into inc "aa
beut Channel 10 the great detrfment OF Inc smPP"s
Interests and also to the great expense Oh Ie oNo
men, Under the terms OF the bill the city IS ~
onred to cut one more chaIheis 'Ai one"
The property toward Flushing ave. within TWO
years, which shall each be LOO iec' iohe "'u
l,0 feet wide. The wallabout Channel Is to DO
closed nv a, solid causeway, 10 be built west OF inc
Land conveyed the object Of which is 10 dcnect inc
sewage from around Cob Dock, which has In uhe'
past been Conducive 10 typhoid ana malanal lever
Thore has been some expression Of dissatisfaction
among tic Brooklyn authorities because OF the cha"te
made ia the bill. they taking the ground thaV 'c
I'LL favols the Government TOO mucH' 'ha' as ''e Wv
eminent obtained the land for nothing, with The unccf
standing tint II should be used for Navy Yard purposes
ouly and the part that Brooklyn wants
has never been used for Navy fard p"r
poses the Government should not "cc"
to take a million OF dollars more or less' rom '"o
city Of Brooklyn, when the value TO winch 'ne "a'
has Increased has been received wholly from Inc Guy
One objection is that the price oil silooo al "oic 10
named a. the lowest price 10 be paid TO the Govern
ment and that then the condition Is imposed that ap-
praIsers must be appointed 10 fix the value WHICH
most likely will be above $4,000 IN acre, VINO VIII
receive II percentage the amount so fixed as 'her
pay for q service which, Brcohyn officials assert,
Is no; needed Then The city must pay The com
mission 10 the appraisers. Another objection Is that
the bin makes the city improve the Navy Yard lands
and tile channel leading 10 them at its own expense
one OF these improvements being the dredging Ut the
channel referred to.
The officers at the Navy Yard. vol those at
every other station and In every SQUADRON arc WATCH
Ing with intense interest the progress OF the SeVera'
bills now before Congress- the last one Of which WIS
introduced nm Wednesday. They al more or less
General In their character, and tile Committee on
Naval A,Yars in each branch oil Congress has gwen 10
them greater attention than usual TO sdch bile Inc
result will no doubt he beneficial even shouid none oi
the bills pass, for the members Of Congress nave
learned u many defccie in tie present naval Or
gsazatlon and 1t seems apparent that something must
be done IN imp,oye the general and condition
" the personnel. . nth, -. .,.,sa ,,i,.
. One VI the b.lls and that when mas attracted wue
10 IL hy secretary Tracy and riany of the oilcc:s OF
the Navy. while Others and among mem SDic ol az
have bitterly opposed IT, that wlcn autho,1n.s nc
transfer OF the Revenue Marhe sersiee RON ~,
does not seem lihel ythat this bill Will be approved
by Congress. ,,- T..