Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-23


lantic squadron with the exception of the Con-
cord and Kearsarge at this yard, as the Phia-
delphis, Atlanta, Miantonomah and vesuvius
are also here.
The Chicago's three months in Venezuelan
waters was not altogether a pleasant time: the
harbor of La Gayrs is too shallow for her
draught so she forced 10 anchor off the
coast with heavy ground swell running much
Of the time.
Four of her officers had a strange experience
while out walking on n mountain side. Very
Unexpectedly landslide struck them and car
ried them down the mountain Three of them
managed to gain their footing on narrow ledge,
while the other was thrown over a hundred feet
down the mountain side into the river. The
three left on the ledge could neither get up nor
down, but by breaking through small house
built on the ledge they ,ed to extricste
themselves. bruised and torn. but fortunately
no one was seriously hurt The Chicago will
remain AZ the navy yard some time for repairs.
and II IL proposed to alter her forward six-inch
gun sponsors to a more modern and slightly form,
which will also give the gun more train. The
Philadelphia, which is also undergoing repairs,
expects to be ready for sea in about a month.
Several attempts have been made by her COM
handing officers at different times to improve
the condition of her junior officers quarters,
which are small and poorly arranged for such
a large ship. The worst feature is a coal shoot
right In the center of the quarters which is
boxed in, thus taking up much valuable space.
At best the junior officers quarters or steer
age, as 1t is generally called, is relic of by
gone days. and nearly every officer in the serv
ice would be glad to see every officer provided
with a state room and one OF the last and
strongest evidences Of conservatism gone.
THE OLD TRAINING SHIP PORTSMOUTH
is in the dry dock repairing her rudder and
hull Going from one of the new white cruisers
to this old ship, which rejoices in eighty years
service to the government, one Is struck at once
by the great changes for the comfort of the
officers and crew. Where the old ships had
only candles or i'll smelling sperm OIL lamps
the new have electric lights, and the other
great advantages OF steam heat, ventilation,
water supply and drainage are all a change for
the better, and though the romance of sailing
the seas in q seventy-four gun ship and the
beauty Of lofty spars and clouds Of canvas
must be thing OF the past, when steam is
king, no one but one who lives in the past only
would care to return TO the old days. The
Atlanta made preparations last week to sail
for Port Royal, 5. C, where she TO hold
target practice and her officers who had
perienced true southern hospitality before
looked forward with pleasant anticipation to
the hunting and fishing and fox drives around
the old southern port, but more time was re-
quired TO finish repairs and the orders have
been changed. with the prospect of two weeks
or more of additional repairs, and she NAV not
leave now until the whole squadron gets away
for a short southern cruise: but even il the
southern cruise is taken it will be short one,
for all the ships must be at Hampton Roads
early in April to receive the foreign ships and
make ready for the grand naval review.
WORK on THE MAINE.
The stone dry dock has been occupied by the
Maine for five months. where she has been
having the struts for the shafts shifted. Little
more can be done on the big cruiser until the
armor plates arrive, and after the plates begin
to arrive it will require from six to nine
months to get them into position and mount
her guns, 30 that all hopes of her taking part
in the review next spring will probably be
abandoned, as it would be a useless expense to
fill in the armor shelf with dummy armor of
wood in order to engage in the parade. Her
engines and boilers with all the connections are
completed and ready for trial, but the shafting
il not yet in and the screws are not quite COM
pleted: the decks are laid and much OF the wood
work i'll the officers quarters is up, though it is
q disappointment to those who expected to see
elegant finish. as the iron bulkheads are not
to be ceiled with hard wood, but merely painted
white, which may make the rooms cold and
damp; but otherwise the finish is very slightly.
and the exterior view of the ship will be espe-
cially satisfactory. for she will surely look
fighting machine in every way. This long oc-
cupation of this dry dock by one ship leaves
only the wooden dock, which is in constant use.
NEED OF MORE DOCKING FACILITIES.
The want of more docking facilities is keenly
felt, and the new one to be built east of the
present Simpson dock will fill long-felt need.
The other improvements in the yard are the ex-
tension of the railway system along the docks
and the work of dredging the Wallaabout cham
mel. which until recently not deep enough
-. g. Ill l..
The work of improving the cob dock is also
progressing and when finished will add a great
deal to the appearance and utility of the island.
The plan is to extend the sea walls all around
the island and dredge out Whitney basin. SO
that ships may lie both inside and outside. as
more wharves and docks are constantly in de-
mand.
The Miantonomah which is living alongside
the cob dock, may stay in the yard all winter,
as vessels of her type are not especially in
tended for sea service, particularly during the
stormy times from October to April on the
North Atlantic. She also has numerous repairs
to make.
The Vesuvius may also spend much Of the
winter near New York, as there are plans for a
complete trial of her pneumatic guns. when the
effect Of using them at all the different ranges
is 10 be tried. The armor for the turrets of the
new monitors. Terror and Puritan, is completed
and will soon be delivered. and the steel COM
panies hope to furnish the side armor soon
after, so that there is at last prospect of see
ing these monitors. which have been years in
rebuilding, in active service. The Pneumatic
Gun Carriage Company of South Boston is put
ting the carriages for the ten-inch guns of the
Terror in the turrets and the guns are being
built at the Washington ordnance works. All
through the navy the excellent work of the ord
nance department is frequently commented
upon and never in a single instance has there
been anv DELAY in furnishing the guns when the
ships were ready to receive them.
THE ITALIAN CRUISER GONE
The italian cruiser Bausan has left the navy
yard to return to Italy. The officers expressed
much admiration for our new ships and the
thoroughness of the work, but commented
upon the disorderly appearance Of the yard.
But this is due to great extent 70 the con-
slant repairs going on to fit out the yard COM
pletely for building new steel ships, and with
all the old machinery and large amount of
new and improved machinery the yard is be-
coming very we'll fitted.
In all the navy yards there is q great deal of
old machinery which must be used in shaping
the iron work for the new ships, and as it was
not intended for this use in the first place
much ingenuity is required In adapting the
different machines 10 the new uses. Both in
the steam engineering and construction ma.
chine shops it Is interesting to see the many
clever devices used by the workmen in 30
adapting the machinery, and the fine work
turned out fully demonstrates the success of
the workmen in refitting the machines. Until