The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-13
AT MARE ISLAND.
The Monterey to Be Placed
i'm Commission.
CEREMONY SET FOR TUESDAY
What Is Being Done on the Vessels
Now at the Navy Yard-Per-
sonal Notes.
Correspondence of THE MORNING CALL.

commanding officer may well feel proud OF.
Now that she has been accepted by the de-
partment it only remains for Tuesday noon
to arrive, when she will be placed in COM
mission and fly the pennant and American
ensign. Her stores are all ready for being
placed on board and officers selected. The
ordnance employees are engaged on her in
getting the trucks in readiness to receive her
smaller guns, which, in addition TO her two
12-ineh and two 10-inch breech-loadng rifles.
consist Of a secondary battery OF six g.
Founders and four 1-pounder apid-tring
guns and two Cuttings.
The latter guns are always a source OF
much interest, and no more interested per-
son has ever sat on the saddle attached
thereto and trained one than was observed
in the person Of one of The CALLS most
valuable and entertaining writers, Miss
Russell. ON board of the United States
steamship Adams the other day, while the
deck officer, Lieutenant Henry Merrill. u.
5. N. turned the crank and explained. as he
sighted the piece, how at that rate leaden
vOlley of bullets would be made to pour out
at the rate of 1850 minute and how four or
five determined men could NOW down a
regiment of soldiers.
II will be an interesting sight TO one who
has never witnessed the ceremony of plac-
ing man-Of-war in commission. The
officers and crew are marshaled on deck,
while the cOmmandant reads the orders
from the Secretary of the Navy ordering
the Monterey in commission and turns her
over TO Captain Louis kempff, L. :. N.
The band will undoubtedly be present and
play patriotic airs. The men are then as
signed TO their respective watches. either
the staTboard OF port, and actual duty COM
mences From this time on until the flag
is hauled down and the monitor goes out Of
commission there is no cessation Of duty.
One of the finest libraries that could be Sc
lected out of the vast number OF books
selected by tie Bureau of Equipment is
placed on board, so there will be among the
officers no dsarth of reading matter.
1t is not at all probable that the Monterey
will be sent on other duty than cruising up
and down the coast, though, II required, she
can make the trip to Honolulu or even far
ther, provided she hasa consort carrying a
supply of coal she has TO repienish her
bunkers when depleted.
The Monadnock will be better fitted for
carrying fuel than the Monterey, as the
capacity Of her bunkers Is much greater
Considerable progress is being made on the
machinery of the former ironelad. as but
little work during the past week has been
done on the other vessels at the yard. The
auxiliary pumps are being secured in place.
and ii the weather permits the boilers will
be set liz place very soon. The weather dur
ing the past week has been so rainy that
but little outdoor work could be carried on,
though il is nothing to be compared with
that IN the Eastern yards at the present
time.
a small launch engine is now being made
for tile United States Coast Survey steamer
Patterson. Her old launch engines are also
undergoing repairs. According 10 instruc-
tons from higher authority, very ecOuOmi-
cal methods are pursued by her officers. All
the small lathe work is being done on board
Al Il. IA l..
been fitted temporarily for that purpose.
The more particular machine work Is turned
over 10 the macniDists OF the yard, their
own machinsts doing all Of the wise work.
1t has often been the case when outside
vessels came 10 the yard for slight repairs
most Of the small work would be done by
the ships maehinists in the shops, much to
thu annoyance OF the ship mechanics and
destruction Of the tools. This Will, how
ever. not be done in the future to any great
extent, as orders have bfen issued to the
contrary unless under extenuatiDg ciTeum-
stances.
In the manufacture Of the launch engine
for the Patterson, the shops are placed in
direct competition with the HerreshOff people
and the engine is to be very similar to that
made by them. except that it is not as simple
in detail and involves much more labor.
Considerable interest is felt in the outcome
By the officers and mechanics.
Work on the revenue cutter COrwn is
well in hand and consists Of putting in
beTth-deck and chart-ro0m heaters, = neces-
sity that has long been felt; refittIng the
piston packing-rings and putting in new fire.
room tiOOTplates. Several hundred dollars
will be expended before she Is ready for
sea
Tie former mschine-shop 10 the Depart
meDt Of Construction and Repair is being
fitted mp for a toUlroOm. A second floor is
hpf ha al
partitions for use as Offices and special pur-
poses. One partition Of the lower floor will
be used for the molderS in case sufficient
funds are obtained to make other necessary
improvements The old shop is small. in
convenient, ill-Yentiiated, poorly lighted
and unneathful for the molders employed
therein.
A barge Of I0-ipch sewer pipes was landed
at tie wharf few days ago to be used as an
outside casing for a new system Of steam
pipes that are TO be connected with the
electrc-light boilers and extend to the office
buildings and several Of the officers
quarters, which, as q rule are cold and
damp.
Work on the propeller and tall shafts Of
the AlbatrOss have been completed and the
keys are being fitted. New lignum vitae has
been put in the sleeves, eight in numb er
and they are now being bored. The engines
have been lined up and preparations are
u
brasses by means Of portable engine and
boring bar. The shafts and new propellers
viii be put 10 place the fore part Of the
week. and In all probability the vessel will
be out Of dock by Thursday or Friday COM
ing. The new propellers are each 500 pounds
lighter than the old ones, and are nine feet
in diameter, fourteen feet pitch. Being Of
modern design, from drawings made by
Passed Assistant Engineer Andrew NJ
Hunt u. 5. n, it Is believed a saving of
fuel. together with an increase OF speed. will
result The smokepipe has been hoisted On
board and secured In place.
The new locomotive fer yard use arrived
at South Vallejo couple or three days ago
and will be taken over TO the island on the
crane sc0w, one of the most valuable tools
that has been built at the yard. 1t was
used last week in taking out one Of the
boilers from the floating dock. This boiler
will be set Up In the scow as il Is capable
of generating more steam than the old one
now in use.
In the shops at the upper end Of the yard
n new steam PIPE is being made of cast
brass to replace an iron pipe that is COM
pletely rusted out. This pipe supplies
steam to the boiler-shop and the heavy
hammer in the blacksmith-shOp. The roof
timbers and walls of the latter shop have
been brushed down and are receiving a coat
Of whitewash, which Will greatly improve
that so0t-begrimmed place and cause Fore
man Burke aud his smiths and helpers to
rejoice thereat.
IBrass pipe is being cast for the in jection
10 supply water for the condenser of the
shop engine, the old one OF cast iron having
given trouble several times on account Of
rusting out rapidly with salt water ON the
inside and salt earth on the other.
Paymasters Bacon and Shedding have
each during the past week experienced a
spell Of sickness. For day or two the
case of Paymaster Shedding was critical In
the extreme. His friends are glad to hear
of the marked Improvement in his case.
The Ranger and Adams are still lying at
the wharf. IL nothing of a stirring nature
occurs the latter ship will summer in Bering
Sea.
Some little interest has been manifested
as TO who VIII command the new triple
screw cruiser Columbia, now under course
81 IN iii.