Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-10

Preparations for the Grand Review Next
Wednesday.

SoTKs PROM TIE BRooKLYN NAVY YARD-rHE
ABANDONED "DxsrRorER"-A SUBMARINE GUN
THAT NIvHR WORKED wELL-THK "AI.A1x"
AND ITS FAuuRI-A NEW cRUIsKl-
corr-spondence of The EVENING Star
NAVY YAaD, NV YORK. Oct. 8, 1892.
Interest Just at present seems conferred In the
coming naval parade at New York's Columbian
celebration on the 18th Of this month, and the
Z. s. ships which are to take part are being
fitted out for that duty.
There are to be about one hundred and eighty
vessels in the parade, including the Philadel-
phia, Misntonomoh Atlanta, Vesuvius, Dol
Ih;n and Cushing Of the navy. The govern
meut Of Italy will be represented in the process
sion by the cruiser Giovanni Bausan, which
may be Of peculiar importance to the American
public, since she is almost an exact counterpart
Of the Chilean cruiser Esmeralda, which was
talked Of so much during the Chilean war scare
She 70 a trim. wsrlike looking craft OF 900 tons
displacement, with a central superstructure and
two tsn-inch guns mounted zen barbette for
ward and aft and six sir Inch guns amldshlps ana
Q secondary battery Of Hotchkiss guns. In gen
ersl appearance and size, as well as armament,
she closely resembles the protected cruiser
Charleston in our own navy. The Italian
cruiser II lying at anchor in North river, ac-
:
which has been repairing at the navy yard for
two months, will Join the ships in North river.
Her boilers, engines and hull have been
thoroughly overhaulsd and rsft:sd, SO that she
will be In excellent trim for a cruise on
any duty. The Aiantonomoh is in the
dry dock undergoing repairs, while the
Vesuvius and Dolphin are undergoing
minor repairs at the cob dock 1t is subject Of
regret to many that the Chicago and Concord
are absent in Vsns1uslan waters, as 1t was hoped
tina: the government would Iuake q more promi-
nsnt display than 10 possible at present The
government vessels will carry quite number
Of visissrs. The oiEcsrs Of the Atlanta will
entertain the Atlanta Gate City Guards, the
crack militia company Of that city, who VIII
take part in the land parade. Several vessels
Of the revenue service viii take part also The
vessels taking part will rendezvous Cd Fort
Hamilton, whore ths column viii be formed.
the parade extending up North river and
countsrmarching of Riverside. Such q column
Of ships, al In holiday attire, with flags, ban
nsrs and psnnants diving, will form magnih-
vessels Of varying types and speeds will require
great care TO prevent collisions.
THE NANTUCKET At CAMP Low.
Since the cholera scare has subsidized to
great extent 1t 10 expected that the old monitor
Nantucket, which has been doing guard duty
off Camp Low on Sandy Hook, will return to
the navy yard and be put out Of commission
next week and that the hundred marines who
have been patrolling the camp will be returned
TO their barracks here and IT the Boston navy
yard understand that the duty done by the
naval force At Sandy Hook has been very satis
factory to the authorities In every way, though
the illness Of one Of the marine ieutenants with
typhoid fever, contracted in the camp. Is sin
cersly regretted. The duty has been unpleas-
ant and irksome, but no complaints are heard
from the guards.
The Cushing Is still in the vicinity of Gar
diners bay, engaged in the Whitehead torpedo
trials.
ABANDONED TORPEDO BOATS.
The success Of her trials brings to mind some
previous experiments in our navy with torpe
does and submarine guns which failed to Justify
the expectations of their promoters. One Of
these was the torpedo boat DESTROYER, which
IL lying at the cob dock here useless relic.
She was one Of the many projects Of the great
Ericsson. From outside appearances nothing
would describe her better than to say she looks
ike dry goods box on a raft From the
bows beneath the water line 14-inch subma-
rins gun protrudes. From this gun 12-foot
projectils torpedo intended to be pro-
jected under water. The power used was gun
powder, and the complicated arrangement Of
valve. necessary TO make the gun water tight
until the shell should leave the muzzle and
then close it again after tho discharge gave
much trouble. Besids this trouble the violent
shock Of the discharge below water was more
than had been expected. and the gun required
great caution in use to prevent accidents. At
great expense some Of the prciectiles we're
manufactured and = trial was made in the per-
fecly still water OF the wooden dock here. the
targets being nets set at intervals in the range.
These trinls wore great disappointment to
the promoters Of the system and fully proved
the usslsssness Of the gun, for the projscttle
would net foIlsw any course, but sometimes
turned downward and stuck In the bottom,
sonss1nass left tbs waser 70 bound into the air
or took . zigsag, snAly course around the ends
Of the meta. After these unsuccessful trials the
Destroyer" wAish had proved to be only
destroyer OF good gunpowdsr and it, inventors
hopes. was laid up In Whitney basin, near the
anGqustsd Nantucket and the Alarm, which 10
. ram built on the plans Of the late Admiral
Porter. The Alarm was fitted with Mallory
propeller ~ gsarsd that II could be shifted to
turn tbs vessel in any direction, 80 that she
could tara in her own length crswhsh of
from . dock But her low speed renders her
Of no use against modern cruisers and she was
found very liable 10 accident owing TO the great
wear the gearing Of the propeller, and she
Vas not a ssaworthy type Of craft. Its hoped
that the more recent experiments may be Of
more use to the country. They are the torpedo
boa. Cushing, which has been eminently sue
csssful in her trials; the dynamite cruiser
yesuvius which has been fairly productive Of
good results in her trials, and the ram planned
BY Admiral Ammen, which L. being completed
at Bath, Ne.
THE LAUNCH OF THE CINCINNATI.
The 3,000-ton cruiser Cincinnati is expected
TO be launched in about three weeks. The in
juries received by her engines in the recent
fire in the steam department here will not delay
the compilation Of the ship materially. The en-
gines were but little injured beyond the bend
ing Of some Of the lighter gear and the crack
ing Of the condensers. The total loss to the
building and machinery would be covered by
sls 00o which I. much below the estimates
given IN the newspapers. which state that the
engines were entirely ruined. These engines
were built is the machine shops at this navy
ward from bureau OF steam engineering dengns,
and are beautiful samples Of work. There are
two quadruple expansion engines, which to-
gether will develop 10. 900 horse power and are
expected 10 give the vessel o maximum speed Of
twenty-one knots. The cruiser will be ready to
go in commission within year. The Atlanta
and Misntonomoh will return TO the navy yard
after the celebration nsIt week, as there are
still extensive ror airs TO be made on them. The
Bennington 10 expected TO be In the navy yard
this month, upon her return from Europe, In
order to receive new electric plant, the first
one never having been accepted by the govern
msnt. The PHILADELPHIA also has repairs to be
made besorsa West India cruise, so that the ship
Will be in the yard later than usual this year
II il assestsd here that the plans have been so
changed that Admiral Gherardi will bring only
the Baltimore around from the west coast to
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