The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-03-09
T. S. NAVAL NEWS.
Some Interesting Notes Taken
from late s. F. Exchanges.

i1On lac -. T. GACHHASCo'
The old sloop-of-war Nipsic,
memorable on account of the hur-
ricane in Samoa, will shortly leave
for Port Orchard, the site of the
proposed new navy-yard. She will
be used as storeship and quarters
for a gang of men going up to clear
the ground of brush and timber
ready for the work of construction.
The Nipsic will be towed up by
the warship Mohican, which will
then go to Behring Sea for the
summer cruise. The revenue cut
ter Richard Rush will go to Point
Barrow with supplies, and the
Bear will go to the rendezvous at
Unalaska. 1t is expected that the
cruiser San Francisco will remain
at Honolulu until June, when she
will return to San Francisco and
go on the dry dock. The Pensa-
cola is expected up from Honolulu
shortly, and the Iroquois is said to
be on her way home now to San
Francisco from Samoa.
The House Committee on Naval
Affairs has under consideration a
bill providing for the addition to
the navy of novel craft which
may revolutionize the present prac-
tice of harbor defense The vessel
is to be known as the Berdan IRON
clad destroyer. 1t is to be 260 feet
long, 40 feet broad, and 16 feet
draft, giving displacement of
2400 tons, with a speed of twenty
knots an hour. An enormous sub
marine gun is to be carried at the
bow below the water-line. A hy-
draulic buffer projecting from the
bow is so adjusted that it will stop
the boat eight feet from the enc
my's ship, and at this short range
the buffer automatically discharges
the submarine gun directly at the
hull of the ship and lodges within
it shell carrying bursting charge
of $50 pounds of powder, sufficient
to wreck the ship attacked.
Captain w. Whitehead has re-
lieved Captain Douglass Schley as
commander of the cruiser Balti-
more, now at Mare Island. Previ-
GUS to the departure of Captain
Schley for the East, he was pre-
scented with a 800 gold-headed
cane by the officers and crew OF
the Baltimore. Speeches were in
order, and Captain Schley closed
the presentation by advancing all
the men to first rank for shore
liberty.
On Washington's Birthday all Of
the vessels at Mare Island were
gayly decorated in honor of Wash,
ington, and presented a beautiful
sight. The Charleston, Mohican
Baltimore, Albatross, Patterson
and independence were noticeable
for the artistic style displayed il
dressing ship.
The Albatross is now on the
stone dock receiving an overhaul
ing preparatory to re-surveying the
route for the laying of the Ha
waiian cable. She will probably
leave the yard about the middle O
March.
No orders whatever have beer
received for the departure of the
Baltimore or Charleston, and wher
they do leave the station there is /;
strong belief that they will remain
in San Francisco for some little
time.
The repairs to the Nipsic art
finished, but it has not yet beer
determined when she will leave TO,
Port Orchard, the site for the new
navy yard on Puget Sound.
The repairs to the Adams arr
nearly completed, and at the mos
she will be ready for the Navy De
partment in about a month. Sh'
is practically new vessel.
The Ranger is still in the hand
of the workmen, and it will requir,
at least three months more to plac,
her in frst-class condition.