New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-22
WORK AT THE NAVY YARD
WINTRY WEATHER DELAYS CONolh'N
ORDERS FOR THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ANp
COMMENTS.


wishing TO cross 10 the Cob Dock to " go aro""u -
tho horn rs thc officers say. When an oDlccr goes
through the ward and up 10 the timber dry doc' 'oN
the caisson at It's mouth, thence 10 oriuSc o'.'
WaIabout Channel. over II aud To COD DOOR, Nv ''"
II going around the norm \ week ago "'h"o'"
Channel was frozen so that the scow cou'" ~"
RIM hut the ice was thick enough TO enable p"opl"
10 cross on IT, Even then some persons diu h"' ''
TO risk their weight Oh this support. b"' ycs.'i
dav the ice had broken up that II was not posspr
IN cross OF, it, while II still so lan'cd III anu
frozen that the would not run ABOVE 'h' n,''i
tor Mlanonomoh there WAS a place Whore inc CHM
mel was frozen all the WAY across. but II WIS no'
considered safe to cross it. and the men were
forbidden TO do So aud 50 II was necessary 10 make
the tourney around the horn.'
mis- IT,, block I'm the Navy Yard has caused some
delay TO the work being done there. The arn"r
plates for the turrct Of the monitor Terror are fuE
10 be- host,d into place. AMI some OF me boilers lor
thc cruiser Cincinnati are ready 10 be lowered INTO
tic vessel but the floating derrick Is blocked III ~
the ice so that she cannot get to the vessels to do
the work Besides this. the men whose work Hes
IN ,hc cob Uoc, have TO lose much time in getting
10 II and returning
For several days after she ready for II the
cruiser Phllad, lpha could not yet supply oi coal
10 fiji her bunkcrs. because the ice Kept the c"'i
harccs from getting to tho vessel Now however some
barccS have been moved through the lee and taken
q the ship. The prclrcilS winch Nfc i I" '"IIN
TO Port Royal for in the trials Of the dynamit"
pnns of the NcsuviuS have been put on board. ana
she was reported ready for last night The Phil
adclphas orders have been that She should sail Tor
Port ROYAL n, soon as she was ready but II was re-
ported yesterday that tho commandant Of IN" YARD
and station said that she shouli not sail until to-
morrow or Tuesday the fuses for the projcctil's
were not ready What the vessel will do. where
she will CO. after reaching Port Royal is moi known
on the cruiser Chicago the work goes on about
the same II has for the last few weeks. II prob
ably will not BE- finished for about month. Every
Thing is quiet on the monitor Milnonomoh. In fact
everything In the Nav, Yard Is Gnct.
The time Is somewhat cnlivcncd for some OF inc
officers, the younger ones anyway. by dancing every
week ON shc rccci.ing ship Vermont Informal
dance, are held every week. is III" usual custom
In winter: then there have been dances on Tie
Chicago on Wednesdays. and again on Fridays there
are more Informal dance, in Ia" ward. But In III"
nature Of work the yari j. quiet MI Of the arm'r
plates for one of the turrct, Of the Terror are now
ready. the port plate has recently been delivered
the port plate for the other iurrct + expected 10
thrive in a few days. The Installation Of the mn
chircry I'm the Cincinnati has been begun by TN"
laying Of bed pilates. aud w continue with IT," put
ting In Of IN" boilers and the erection ~ IA" en-
cncs. The boiler, are now almost completed. Other
work the vessel continues all The tnc but II l.
somewhat delayed by The non-arrival Of III" four inch
armor plate, for the ,ponson>.
Much Of the interior work IS being done on IN"
Maine the iolncring and Other wood WORK. laying OF
decks fitting 81 the drainage system. etc. but still
the need Of armor plates /, felt
In the foundry thc building Of the engines for
the tug boat Nina ha, been begun. 4 boiler for
use I'm launch Is being tested I'm the foundry.
II Is called the >ncdbcrg boiler l. Of the tubular
type. and In, been purchased 10y the Department for
the purpose Of testing 1t. II In, been tested during
The lat week. with both anthracite and buminous
coal under ratural drlugh and I, 10 be tested hl,
week with forced drlught at pressure Of one two,
three and four inches with each kind 81 coal.
on Thursday there little excitement in the
ard on the occa sion OF Il frc in the oalum shop.
About O'Clock In the afternoon the fire broke out.
and an alarm sent out which was responded 10
by both the yard company and the ont
side fir" companies. and fire ting also went
mp Wallabout Channel. The fire soon "Ntin-
rul.hcd. The oakIm shop IS not far from the timber
dry dock. and is small building incascd In iron
shcchlng and where the oanim is made for the entire
Navy. The fire destroyed n she'd on end Of the
shop. and damaged most OF the machinery in the shop.
that II has been necessary 10 shut down the works
and suspend the men. because there Is nothing for
them to do the building itself Is not much damage
There Las teen a board Of investigation She fire.
which finished It's report the matter yesterday. II
4, thought that about $500 will cover the entire
damage to building. machinery. and everything (c,.
ccptinc the shed. which need not lie rcbu, and will
put the shop In readiness TO 10 work again but II
Is said TO be doubtful whether this will be done rs
inc oaium can be- purchased cheaper than II can be
made In the yard, particularly wire ropes ar- now
used In the rigging Of the vessels which have any and
the use Of this instead Of the old hemp will take
away the source Of supply Of material for making
oakum
As has been said above. the oalum for the entire
Navy made I'm this building. The process, H.
rather Interesting TO unacquaincd with il. First
junk. consisting Of old condemned ropes from Navy
vessels. Is procured this rope that has been used on
vessels is already well tarrei. By OF a machine
the junk is cut into chunks about foot long and
then put into cylindrical shaped tumlllng marhInc
which picks ii into bits; this stun IS put Into the
wet machine which picks It some more after which
IL Is dried and then taken up to The second floor. 1t
is now put through another picking machin, and then
through n beating macIn" 10 beat out the dust next
II goei TO the big picker which brushes 1t at the
same time. and from there II falls down below in
hccccS. Here II that the fire broke out The
final processes 10 weigh il press il into bale,
Of 100 pounds each. This oahum. when It. has been
oinplccd. Is used for calling the decks Of shin.
the side, Of the Old wooden ships, small boats. etc
oniccrs 81 the Navy do not possess any less OF
human mtur" than 90 those people In civil life
Whose movements more free and who are nj
liberty TO 20 when and whore they like. Officer,
and enlisted Of the Navy. as well as those of the
Army governed by the severe laws Of Congress
and by regulations promulgated from time 10 time by
the secretary Of the Navy and it is only natural that
they should seek such legislation may Seem 10
them necessary TO improve their condition without
affecting the Interests Of the Government There are
several bills pending I'm Congress which officer,
and enlisted men have hoped for action before this
and there seems TO be- little probability Of their being
disposed OF In any other way than 20 die with the
present session March {. There are other things
being done at the Navy Department.. however, that |
viii benefit the service II they passed upon
Besides the special board In session 10 revise
The Navy Regulations, blue book Of 20 there |
are two other boards at work upon matters Of con |
siderable importance TO both officers and on vessels
of war; with respect to their duties and status. The
first OF these boards Is considering revision Of the
watch quarter and station bills. with the view Of |