The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-24
THE UNION JACK.
1t May Again Float From
the Hartford.
AFFAIRS AT MARE ISLAND.
Awaiting the Arrival of the Alert.
Importance of the Naval Obser-
vatory Time Service.
correspondence OF THE MORNING CALL

VALLEJO, July 23.-If nothing prevents,
Wednesday of the coming week will see
the old flagship Hartford loosened from
her moorings up in Rotten Row and
hauled down and fioated in the stone dry
dock. This is one of the first steps to be
taken toward making thorough survey of
her hull to ascertain the amount of work
required to place the ship in a sea-going
condition. The present outlook is that the
Hartford will be repaired, aud if repaired
as proposed by the Navy Department
modern guns will be substituted for those
of obsolete kind formerly on her. Nhat
is known as modern guns would trooaoiy
consist of thirteen 5-inch rapd-hre guus,
four 6-pounders and two 10-pounders' win
a full. complement of Hotchklss, datllhs
and other rapid-tlre guns. new ehsines
and boilers of modern design. giving H.
creased power over the old machinery
would necessitate increased coal-carrying
CAPACITY. Der rig will be changed from
shin to bark, which would. III course, re-
duce the sail power, and require some al
.terations in the spars and rigging IoTmerly
used.
and men would be remodeled and RENTED
in accordance with modern ideas. Not so
much would be required as if it were in
tended to make her flagship of squad
ron AT present this Is not the PROPOSE
ton. for the understanding seems to be
that she would be used more for senior
officers ship than the former. The decks
and their supports will require to be made
stronger for the change In battery. The
poop and forecastle decks are intended to
be Joined by building deck connecting
them. thus making spar deck similar to
that of the Pensacola. which is considered
by all naval men TO be one of the most
comfortable ship: Of the old style in the
service.
The matter of funds appears to be all
right as Congress at its last session al
lowed tire Hartford and Kearsarge to be
repaired without limit. The various de-
partments at the island are gathering
their estimates together as fast as posi-
bic
If work is ordered a large force of men
Will be taken on the rolls and continued
until the ship is completed, which cannot
be done for many months to come.
The Alert is now on her way from the
Asiatc station, and is expected TO reach
here about the latter part of September.
Her cruise of three years will be up the
9th of the following month. AT that time
her crew will be entitled to be paid off
here or sent East for discharge. The Alert
is tiue little iron ship. and will probably
be continued in commission. though few
repairs will be necessary.
Commander Charles NJ. Thomas, Z. s.
n. so we'll known here. has been detached
from the Bureau of Navigation and given
command of the gunbOat Bennington, the
same class ship as the Yorktown.
Commander c. S. Train, L. S. n. will
command the gunboat Machias recently
built at Bath, Maine.
formed that 200 tons of 9-inch armor for
the sides of the monitor Monadnock are
ready for shipment to Mare Island from
tn e C3rnegie Steel Works. The test of
acceptance of the plate was made a week
ago and proved satisfactory in every re-
spect. In making the tests for the armor-
plate an 6-inch rife was used with We
locity ranging from 1900 to 1900 feet per
second. The test was regarded as the
most important, from naval standpoint,
of any that has taken place since the Har-
yey process was tested at Indian Head
proving grounds in October. 1891. Ship
ment of the armOr Will be commenced at
any time The sides of the monitor are
hardly yetiD condition 10 receive the
huge armor plates. 1t will be a good
thing, however, 10 have the material here
at hand as soon as possible. A force of
joiDers will soon commence on her fittings
and furniture.
Captain II. L. Howison, U. S. n. as
sumed formal command of the yard Tues.
day aud appointed Commander Henry
Glass, Z. S. n. as captain of the yard and
Lieutenant G. NJ. Stoney, .. S. n, as aid
to the commandant.
The hours for the band to play in the
park have been changed from to O'Clock
P. NJ. to that of from to 6 o'clock. THIS
Is decided improvement, as 1t will enable
the officers at the station to enjoy tine music
outside of Office hours.
Work has been recommended at the new
filling house and il is hoped by the officers
in charge that it will be completed without
delay.
Proposals and specifications are out for
dredging along the line Of wharves, quay
wall, dock entrance and sectional dock
basin. to be opened at the Bureau of Yards
and Docks, Washington. d. c., Septem Der
/, 1893. The dredged materia. must be de-
posted in the yard, within an area desig-
mated by the comm andant. bnlkheaded
off and filed to the level Of the drydock
coping The contractor may deposit the
material by the hydraulic process or any
other method preferred by him.
The Naval Observatory on the hill has
lust been altered by the addition of q new
transit-room. fitted with every convent
ence. 1t is hard aim ost TO conceive the
value placed upon the time signals sent
out from the Mare Island Observatory
each noon and the great benefit that has
resulted from Its work during tina past few
years When the time service first CON-
menced through the medium Of clocks the
public regarded the signals with little
favor or confidence, but as the rem a rk able
accuracy of the signals was observed day
after day a confidence was created in the
public mind which has caused the signals
to become very popular. The people are
now depending upon the time service to a
greater extent than is generally realized.
The time signals from the Mare Island
Observatory are sent eastward ON the line
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railroad to Barstow. Cal, on the
Union Pacific system to Moscow, Idaho,
on the Northern Pacific Railroad to
Spokane, Wash, and on the Central Pa
cific TO Reno and Virginia City, New. To
the northward the signals are sent to
Seattle, WASH, aud 10 the southwark to
San Diego.
The Western Union Telegraph Com.
pany has about 300 clocks installed in the
time service at ffty-four cities and towns
in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho
and Nevada, and distributes the noon sig
nails from Mare Island Navy-yard to those
points daily over 800 miles OF route.
Upon several occasions during the past
two years the Western Union Company
has transmitted the noon signals TO Seattle
and Port Townsend. Wash. to enable