New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-24
OUR Big SISTER CITY.
AFFAIRS IN brooklyn
The Great Activity at the Navy Yard-Natona' "u"'" Avs
.tod in the CHILEAN Question-What Cubmen are
Doing-Prescnt Work Of Republicans-Varo"s
Items of General Interest.

u .ot 90 Ain. poord OF Navy officers appointed
,,der rho nrovisIons of the Naval Appropriation Vi"
to select a suitable site for a drydocN HC 'o' -
on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. secretary Tracy
saws that he approves the selection OF VI" ~, "
Agiers on the right bank Of the MISSISSIPPI IA"
in view Of the conditions found BY tn C0mmi's'o" ~
exist there. The Commission INST gave oo'''''l''D
time to the study Of the charts OF lh' i'''' -,
giving the outlines and character OF tIe Ha'oo'' Wv
the depth Of water available and the ppoer'p"p y,
the adjacent coas-nc Among the s'0c' SUB
which were examined were P)r ROYAL >. u br,i"o'
,ch ga vov West Pensacola Noble. Mount YER
non Al, and New-Orleans. The report OF Il bo'''
Amounted for the same purpose by secretary "".'S
reported in favor Of Mgiers, when l. oppo''''
Orleans as the most available site 'or '' nv"
dock II said After carefully Weighing al "
advantages and disadvantages Of Agiers rs size io
-, Naval station the Commission is of Opin'h III"
while the spot Is not Ideal one, no othr p'''o ~
ho ,uf comnores with IL and the advantages are ~
many and 80 great and outweigh the dlsauVlh'S
10 such an extent that the Commission mas ho -'
ton in recommending the location oil Navy ''''
| and drydock ut the present "oVirhmcho i0' 49,
there Th, reservation has now 3S4 feet 'front.' ~ u"
,cor ,rd , dentb Of $50 feet and while for NAVY
| Yard additional ground would have 10 DC
this could be done at "A reasonable prct' 80
The estimated cost Of such dock there was @7io'
600 With an allowance Of tire, years for Its comPe
| ton. . -, .,o y,
rho bI introduced by Senator Morrill,. couple OF
DAYS ago providing for "a more perfect "'s'
for the United states Naval Observatory ana ioF o'o
nurnoses- means that secretary Tracya snes'auo"
tba the head Of that institution should not oe ' h,
orcer who +, likely To b, sent TO sea a any unv 10;
should be "a man VAN IS wliihs " 80 no nualif d
uo In tbc United states was worthy of approval
Capain Frederick v McNair. is the present present., ~ /
10 Naval Oh,eryatory who relieved 'aP''lh ~, -,
uny,iaan little more than year ago oecrc.a 10y
Tracy in his report thi, matter month aeo' u
Tho .vsteu in exist nee hitherto, by when ,h' e''1O
q, tho slperintcnd mt IA, been confined &c line ohe.
-, v,,v subiect Ike other officers to changes 81 ""'
comparavcly short Intervals prevents 'h'' ,
administration which is essential in calNl"' VI" -"
OF a great National ob,cr'atorj' no IroH' -
,sc investigation especially IN thc department. .,
40 ,r 10 carried out successfully BY any pi',t'uo" J"
liable to frequent Interruptions by cLahs' " - -,
t.,,a.iyn head Therefore recommend inc ""'P'
l.oi.,,tlon which shall enable the President 70 "pP
A sufficient salary. without restriction from , st
,hin -, outside Of the naval service the dbst anu '
,ccomtll she'd astronomer who can De- i"l"u ''I '
n surerintondent. | woud also rcc'Ih"e"4' !" -
~, orr, ~ pro,rcss and scientific development upo" ~
,h observatory +, now cntcrnL tfat an mNlSo'p ou'
ia ornni,cd COMPOSED OF the superintendent oil '"0 Wv
,cryaorv and It, senior professor ana o. ur' ~ ,,
Of scientific attainmcnts. whose dup II sh''i " " -,
nd ro,o,, imam new instruments and their roleF H''''
lion 10 draw up with such changes a. may ne
, hre TO time the Programme Of scientific "o'N' III
.luding obs. ryation reduction and puo'i' '''o' 1
, ,,.,cctlon> and reports may lie dcirib' II Is'O
10 no
The Observatory has always been an appnttHhaanoe
-, ,he Navy and naval officers have been detailed As
is SuperintcndentS and haye coh,r"u ve on on dwiy
~ IFS working force there being now VIEW h J d"ty
,hcrc besides captain McNair. Details to TINS uuN
looked upon a. soft snap i ' for the erection Of
an" new buildings for the Naval Observatory was
wa, almost at once begun lhey arr Nv" Would have
and are equipped ready Tor use my MUM hinaes
been finished long ago had II NOT uy@ io which aamsed
the delay Of the delivery Of mateflal anu ''c "o "
In talk with secretary Tracy few days ago On
the ChIan matter he remarked that Shouu u Sn 600
actual ho'tihties ther" Woun De w. whether 10
many men could b" readily obtained Tor active nv. =,
liz remarked that the enlstmentS wcr" 80 SO" tnlt ~
c necessary 10 adopt something more systematic
,hpn the present method Of recrlitlhg ne eNPl 1851
himself ~ favor OF 3Gn a OF the Navy Yard in
report 20 secretary Tracy In October leoo' Inc loi
lowing T. summary OF that report
am convinced tina: different class Of men Americans.
could h. hod hv the plan suggest. a. have csrtu'H
lacked over the ned whence the young men "'o
drawn for Navy. mercantile and whaling services 'of
wears before the decline in our shipping hU'r's'-'
am o, the opinion that the very important matter A"
,ecrune for tho Navy should become the rtcuar duy
y, srnern,cndent Of recruiting. The once should be
established at the central point from "hich recruits
could be drawn. moving recruiting vessel oil sa SIC
should he furnished for cruising along the coasts up Days
and rers 10 search out and gather the recruits ond
take them the receiving ships. Inc man r'S.u'
ing field is or comprises the coast Of III" 'hiua H'''
from the capcs Of the Delaware to Passport Me- Long
Island sound and the Delaware and the Hudson rivers
r ,s, for the war vessels IN Pacific 20 be drawn
from, the depo,s this coast by way of the 'tmu' ana
- relief crews are b. furnished vessels On the emma
station they might IT, put board OF cruiser ana seh
ont Il, I'M, station the time taken to get them there
,,oud nut them In good training Tor service.
In addition u the small vessel detailed for cruising
along the cas.s two additional stationary recruiting ships
should think. be established one at Portsmouth ~ H.
and the other az New London and II possible. the new
,o,,cral should a. far ae possible be kept from h"
alder ,ho.c rc.cnstcd under honorable DISCHARGES
and con nuou-scr,lce cecas-until they were needed
for a cruising ship.