New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-11
WORK AT THE NAVY YARE.
WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH THE CHICAGO?
DISCUSSING CONGRESS MEAsUREs-NoTEs OF
rN,rEpEST

owe
sc. whether there IS to BE- any important i' ''n''o
a,,oio,o1 affecting the service. short sessions arc
lv ,roductivc OF important legislation Deyoil' 'o
concentrations for current expenses ana II - -,
| believed that the present Democratic Ho"9 WI
NOR, disposed to act upon tho rccohme"''''o
| secretary Tracy or the senate Naval 'o'''i'''0o
49,, s,,,ction Of more vessels than 1t was last year
| only bv the earnest AMI urgent Interest uno" "
| congressman Herbert and Cummings was II 'DaS ~
, .utborizinr the building OF battleohlp anu an
ornor,d cruiser was passed by the House 'o''o,''
Tracy wa, especially anxious that his rccomiie"0',"
| ,o bulld some small gunbmtS Tor river So -
| ,si,tlc waters and IN the south racine S"o"'a
! approye eli. but the Democrats were ho' ui'p H.,
! - all Iucrzl With tie Republican Administrator.
,t,,I ,boro prolabv will be no vessels pFoN''i
-, hr rho nr.,cnt Congress. II l. incumbent =" P"''
~, ,nnr,pratlon OF about sl,0O000o to MAKE pay
ment. upon vessels In course OF coh'truouo" D'''7
| th. fiscal year ending June 30, 1924
Among the important questions asked 10 "
idcred by Congress Is providing for reorSa"~'-
| don Of the personnel Of the Navy for IL" 800
| b b,. bncn done toward improving the ul'''rI"'
| ~ flo Navy-,icl rs ships armor, guns PROV -''
o>ulo,iycs and other implements FOR MAKING VAL '''
! tI., change, made necessary among inc l"'''
meet these new conditions have not be'h I'''7''"'
| The present s,aena'ion IN the service ''u'S - "
is. all who desire pr.src,'. Navy oiccr' are ~ i"''
m ~. of the best Internationally, professionally ""'
| ,ysicollv. not only men who should hno" ana '''
! a. ,couir7d OF those having great Responsiveness III
time. 81 peace but men who know how war S"o''N u"
| carried on and how to fight without n''"'7 w
III, present system OF promotion gives the "o''' anu
mas. ambitions no greater reward thlh INA. WIN"
como. inst ~, surely - the caselov anD the siugSa
! although even 20 them Il comes slowly. I''c' "'
! ,rcs.nt laws few Officers ranking with lent'hAh''on
mard,r Will reach the commodorc's grade anu 'A'''
Of tLom will be- retired captains
The bill which passed the House on Ihur'u"N' "'''
which IS now before the Pre- d'ut for s approval "
! terminate the reduction Of officers ot the T'r'"''-
! orr, 20 40 ~ provided hy an Aci oi compress ."
,s51 Is one which Is gratifying not alone 10 '''.
ua,lcular corI,, but n" entire service Us Is o'
| ,b,t win make the Navy Nor" enclcn; ~ Nh"l'
g., ne.r In chief George ". Melville has IN his several
annual REPORTS reminded Coner'~s "f the 'm''.'"''
mon, caused - thc Navy because 81 the lh''''' ''
number ~ engineer officers To meet 'h' o'''''I'' ~
,nc now s.,r. The clah.ra'" and complicated ma
cblncry 81 vessels. which cmhraccs more wan ''e
anri-,-roam every part 81 the ,hlp in facu ana 'h'
change IN the pr,p-liinc power hy th" Abandonment
Of .all, and the sole Dependence upon steam, requires
a greater number II engineer Officers on '"' IT," W
sis than the vc.els 81 the I'D Navy needed III i''''
,t, ,y,r-h l, of today l. one vast machine. Tor she
not only s'cnlns from port % port. but her anchors
guns and 81! part. heretofore worked by mana are
now handled by steam machinery Then. too there
f. 81, much designing work cains on I'm the Navy de-
| paftmcnt ~ Washington and there is 50 mu'h IT,"
| machinery under construction for the ne" Ne''rs
| that they make a demand upon those officers WI"
have boon educated ior the mechanical hranch 0i 'h'
navy and 10 f. recognized that The number ~ engineer
officers ought to b. Increased rather than decreased
Tie pres, NJ Ill will permit an incr,fls" 20 the NUN
| hcr allowed previous 10 the reduction made bY t''
| law % l-el bu' 81 about twenty ONLY NJ present II
will ais, give promotion 10 the following assistant
engineers TO tho grade ~ passed assistant engineer
with th. rink ~ lieutenant: Martin B"vingon. Fred
| - lii IL.
| Leonard Leo d. Miner arA Thomas ". Kinkaid. The
| promoton 81 these officers VIII max" - many more
yacanc., To- be- nn,d by cadet engineers. VINO VIII De-
prmood 10 the grade o. assistant engineer win me
rank - cnsi-n.
shin of tho North Atlantic squadron. is ut present
rather nt.r,tln. question. Acr ilc c.scl returned
On the Navy Yard few week, eco she WAS thor
ou-hy surveyed. The vessel has been IN comm OH
.., raj year, doing much active service ard cruising
many thou and, 81 miles. ana II was sali tA't sh' n'"
needed quito extensive repairs. and J. was r"h"i'i
that She would be put ont ~ commission 10 receive
them. The ". sci continued 20 lie I'm the Na'y Yard
with ONLY SLIGHT work being done. until on Thu~day
the order came 10 the yard 10 put her ont OF coum'
ion Rear. Admiral Waller WIS 10 make the illa
dcIpha hi flagship Instead Of the Chicago. bd late IN
the afternoon ~ the same day, Thursday, Hn"'HcF
order reached the yard c,rncrmandine the order
Which had been issued 10 pu the Chicago ont Of com
J
of ,Ac vessel we're ordered to Washington for con
-uliatlon ON Monday with the secretary on the sub
jcct ~ The sip, boilers. These boilers have b'rh
surveyed and pronounced TO BE- in dangcron; con
dton. and it Is proposed f. build new ores OF m
other type to put in their places. A. these boilers
have not been built. and appropriation ior them
has not even been made. It would b" many months
before tcv would be- ready for and Il the vessel
were pm. Of commission she would not lie available
for the international naval rtycw ana manocuVFes
next siing. A. the Chicago Is one OF the hnc't
vessels OF t.ic new Navy now In commission inc
lr,tcst and The most comfortable for the mont IS
desirable that - tine representative Of the TINT ID
state, Navy should be- In condition to take part In
the ccat naval review. 80 1t Is proposed t. repair
her present boilers by putting new bottoms In them,
and the conference If Secretary Tracy with the Al
mlal and TIE c'.f engineer ct the vessel omorrCw
probably viii decide whether it viii pay to DO this.
II Is PROPOSED also to put set Of engine In
tho vessel lcr present engines heavy. but i, l.
Thought that with new and lighter boilers AMI engines
of I'm improved typ) the speed Of the ship could be-
Increased pcrhap, as much as f1ur Knots, making IT
-. blc for her 10 make nineteen knot, an hour ly
mahing the engines li,htcr enough weight could b"
saved to increase the ships cal capacity by about 700
tons.
some work /, being done the various other vessels
In th. yard To make them ready for sea duty. TIE
repairs on the cruiser Philadelphia poDbly Will soon
lie completed. In addition to the repairs To her
system II slowing boats. the decks and the agalncS,
some are being made to The dynamo Of which one has
been oycrhaucd. There a ulnor I'm the yard yes
,,rlay that the Philadelphia to be- made ready for
sea Immediately. but the captain OF the vessel said
that she had orders. although orders had been cN-
Lcccd for some time r. Is usual for the vessels of the
North Atlantic squadron either to be starting OF or
to be- preparing TO start FOR winter cruise in southern
waters about tli, ti.c 81 year.
The work the monitor NiantouomOh advances
steadily although there Is no hurry 10 complete 1t.
rs the vessel Is not suited for general cruising duty
The dynamite cruiser Ncsuvlus probably viii not be-
ready for until the last II the month. no orders
have been received the vesstl ia regard to coming
IL IL L.r L.I