The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-18
Construction and Repairs
at Mare Island.
PROGRESS OF THE ALERT.
The AlbatrOss on the Drydock-The
Mohican Ready for Sea-Per-
sonal Notes.
Correspondence of THE MORNING CALL.

VALLEJO, Dec. 1.-THE department Of
steam engineering is quite busy and turn
ing out large amount of Iwork. Sixteen
men have been called during the past
week in this department. alone, all of
whom were veterans of our late war, who,
in all cases, are given the preference by
the labor board.
pairs to the Alert will be made as
rapidly as possible. She is to be stripped
OF her machinery and boilers. work being
commenced Saturday In taking out the
latter. New seatings will be put in for
her machinery. which Is to be thoroughly
repaired. Two Of the boilers originally
in tended for the monitor Monadnock. and
which have been in the yard these many
years. will be put on board in place
OF the four old ones condemned. This
means an expenditure of about $4,000
In the Steam Engineering Department
alone. The Construction Dep artment
also has great deal of work
TO perform upon Der hull, which though
OF course must be done as expeditiOusly as
possible. In the shops the propeller
blades OF the MonadnOck are being ma
chlned. These blades are very nice Man
ganeso bronze castings. and Oh being
tested by pitch measuring machine
proved to be very accurate indeed. The
alr-pumps have been completed and put on
board. The circulating pumps are well
along. They are of the rotary type, with
the engine coupled directly To the pump.
AS an addition to the new laboratory
just completed adjacent to the new brick
building for the storage of oils for ships, q
machine is being set up for applying a
friction test to oils.
The Fish Commission steamer Albatross
is now in the drydock, and as soon as she
is Heated again it is expected she will
steam down the coast to San Diego, and
there remain until spring opens again.
The Mohican is ready for sea. but no
orders have as yet been issued concerning
the date of her sailing or destination,
though it Is expected that she will bring
up at Honolulu. Several Of her officers
are engaged In duty on board of the Olyrn-
pia, while those here, in addition to their
regular work, are engaged in making ar
engagements for a hop and party to be
given to their friends in the sail-loft on
"Wednesday evening next.
The United States steams ship Boston re-
qulres very extensive repairs. and work
will probably be commenced as soon as
the Alert's work is we'll along. Thus the
outlook for employment through the win
ter and spring is quite bright for our me-
chanics, who unite in wishing the same
good words may be said for the entire
coast.
Lieutenant f. X. Moore, II. s. NJ, and
Mrs. Moore left for the East Friday after
noun, bearing with them the best wshe
of large circle of friends.
MajCr Ii. III. Bartlett. u. S. NJ. Corps.
mas been ordered from.duty at the marine
barracks to the'navy-yard at Charlestown.
His place will be filled here by Major
Pope. U. s. NJ. Corps. who is no stranger
here. as many years ago he was in the old
st. Mary's and also the flagship Pensa-
cola.
Captain III. c. Cochrane, u. s. NJ. c.,
has also received notice that he will BIZ
sent TO the Philadelphia, now at Honolulu,
leaving here about the 18th of January
next on the steamer Mariposa. Captain
Cochrane is particularly fortunate in being
detailed to the Philadelphia, while the
stirring times at any time are being look ed
for al the islands. /. was the good for
tune of the captain to be ct Alexandria
during the bOmbardment, then at the
coronation of the Gar of Russia and
the jubilee of the Queen. at the Paris exhi-
ton and many other important events.