New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-30
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD.
THERE Is MUCH FOR VISITORS TO SEE.



yard has had its own little excitement b. itself.
which was, indeed. rather important affair. As
every reader u The Tribune knows. az any rate,
ought to know. dry dock Of vast dimensions Is
being constructed In the yard 10y contract. Work
on his new structure ina, been going for few
weeks 3, that it Is reasonable to expect that In the
course of time the yard will have added to its fittings
drydock oapaclons enough to accommodate the
largest vessels afoat. Tuesday OF last week
an incident occurred which might have resulted In
seriously delaying the work the new dock. About
seventy-fve Of the men employ ed on the job struck
Tor higher wages. The Italians who struck We're
laboring under the Misrepresentation that there was
some law providing that for all work Jobs for the
Government not less than :: day should be- paid
and they demanded that their wages which II 50
day. should BE- raised II must be understood that
although this work Is done In the Navy Yard on
construction which Is to BE- Government property
the job Is done by contract and so the workmen
not working for the Government Consequently, the
contractor Is not Obliged by law to pay his employees
any stated sum. Many ~ the worlmcn soon, went
back TO work. ana the contractor had difficulty
in finding other laborcis to take the places OF those
who still remained out.
Al the pr"ca time there undoubtedly n great
mary strangers In this ritv-peoplc who have been
attracted here by the wonderful whcfh has just
taken place. and who have. perhaps read much about
" Tie Navy" hut have never before seen much Of II
wish take their fiji Of the Navy. now that th"y
the chance. They do return HON" until
m know NOR" about the Navy than they do They
want 10 thr English. French. Russian ard all the
other fore IN vessels. they want 10 the different
foreign RAGS nyInG from mashcads: they want To 50"
foreign officers e. their distinctive uniforms they
want 10 jack in all his glory. matter Of what
nation h" may bs: and. p"rchancc. they want II set
foot on the decks Of N" foreign vessels that they
ed and rrundcl drn1 ~ tho time
they walked the deck Of Of Her Mlie-tvs Ills
Majesty ships. And Chs * last bccarS" II Is most
INN ,rani fr every American they want to III" YES
.,s and n. much else possible ~ onr ovr beautiful
white warshlps with lola Glory" nj their mash"nd'
This Is very laudahlc desire. and. II cra'ihcd. should
dive TO IN. Of increased love ard respect
for Uncle sans Navy Just AT present there are none
%, the war vessels In IN" Navy Yard except that the
,orpcdo boat s'ilctto has around just for
s,oppinc place nj right. The cruiser san Francisco
and the gunboa Yorktown mr." ordered To 20 to IN"
ward however and II I, expected that III" cruiser
baltimore and the r,nboat Bennington will al,o g
there II ma, be that some OF III" for"lg' ships VIII
90 there 10 be put into the drydock
The san Francisco (, 10 receive repairs and be
fitted for cruise ~hc probably will be sent back 10
the Pacific II l. said that the condcnscrs OF th"
Yorktown are n be r,tuh-d and that the boilers OF
the Bennington are to be- rc'nb"d. Til" work on the
baltimore was not finished when sh" was here De
fore and 20 She Will need 10 have little minor WORK
done 10 her.
But even now before these vessels have gone to
the Navy Yard and while that place + still without
,hip, the visitor who wants to learn about III" Navy
mu.t no, neglect 10 90 to The yard. for Their" BE VIII
find much not ONLY to interest but also 10 instruct
him There lie study ancient history coh''ni'
porary affairs and ct 4 prophecy ~ til" u'iir" LOT
the Navy Yard contain, much behind lis yellow ""i'
After IL. visitor hns received his pass aud eon" iy
the guard he will walk straight on down Main-Nt'
Al his left he will see a driveway winding up TO the
SUNNI, ~ small LII. on which stands large
house: this Is the HON" of The officer In command
%, the Navy Nard and station. AZ his right h" VIII
notice one Wide avenues. lined with tr"'S an"
partly with yellow painted brick luldngS ana sr''h
INK TO ~" upper end OF th" yard H'u' iw'"'f
along on the left Is small building In which ar" ID"
Offices 81 Commodore Erbcn. the commandant oi Inc
ward and his aids and Of tie captain Of The yard
Tho visitor VIII be- sure to hnd something Of interest
almost anywhere. In tho first place. the bnlulhFS
may excite "A little curiosity. Tn" "pull m'h hH''
Ing 40 = containing various Offices III" construction
hn1ing IL. blacksmith shop (Which i large On ING
where some big work Is donrl, ia" boat hnn'ne' ''
fou,dry several machine -hop- with III" boiler sh'p
and IT,. erection .Lop wings 81 on" Of them store
bou... and m. medical building are Interesting.
Their. or. a granite dry dock and one mad" Of timber
and a third I'm cour-, ~ construction. There are "I'"
, number Il ships I'm construction IN u" yard N"''
important. perhaps. I, ID" armor'd cruiser MIMI
which B., Low lying tn n" grant" dry hocK' 'h"h
come, tie nnarmorcd cruiser Cincinnati when Is Nlhe
u.,.ld. tn. -.4I wall near IA" grant" dry dock. 'h'
two monitors Puritan and Terror. which nr" h"'hg
finished arc Interesting studies Of powerful '"'S''
,.f.ncr craft, The old types 81 vessels which MS"
lie (, tb. ward must not h. forgotten: ia" most IN
portant ~ tlo.. + the old irieat" vermont WHICH
housed oy.r /, n,rd rs rc'ciying-'hip. The N'rn
il,o contains e'"dly number "' r'l'' ~ ''''"''
.iuds Ncar tie Lyc'um building containing lh'
c,muaudan,'s Office l., "a" taken from III" rebel
Ni.-l..lppi IN the CiN War. and near ly ar' some
.,n, tlk.u from ID. English frsa'c Macodonian way
back I'm the carly part Of The century together WIN
-om. other Kun, that relics. ON III" COD p"'N
are many otlrr guns that relies Including Inc
.,.,, Gun suap. ,icoon and Luchr; 40" 0'h'r
.lgh,s-a submarine boa'. for Instance.
.,raraticn or rather - distribution. Of the United
state, vessels Of the review hcct VIII follow ~
,,,.,.r ~ course. and with II change, ~ command
What th,so change, viii be- I, still matter o'
.p.c,;laiion hat they will 10 numerous and mnn'
If them Important Secretary llcr crt SAID To ore ol
fine GO mmandng officer, when here on wednesday anu
THURSDAY Hat hr lad not yet reached c'h'il'"h
I'm the matter. but he will probably CIV" ms "t'''-
tiou TO # upon hi, r"turr from Chicago whittier ne
h,, r.nc with thu President TO attend ia" opening
c.rcu..r.ic, 81 the World, Fair. one thing lee ~
that WIS significant and which followed a sufgrS-
rion Of The Tribune that il would probably be dh"'
was the ,sprndIn~ u In" order ''sl'l Ulr"' "''"'
ago that Rear Admiral Bancroft "h"rard' Sh"""
haul down H., nag of command imm'dl1t'N III ""
close uf the review. and tlat then Rear Ad'mid
l. T.. X Eculam should rcas sumo command OF tie
s,n,ih Atlantic squadron. and that Rear Admiral
John g. Walker Should rra~,lme command "' the
Nnr,h Atlantic or home squadron. The review fleet
will lc held together for several day. ana, as II Is
well known that Admiral Gh'rard desires 10 rcS'n"
con nand Of the North Atlantic station ard conni"
On duti until lie retirement IN November l-''
the presumption Is that hi, wishes VIII Dc c"hpH'i
with. II is possible. however. that secretary Her
bert may conclude detail him ~ comiini1nt AZ
the Naval Academy. Annapolis, to which Admiral
Glcrardi would strongly object. secretary Her
bert recognizes that ADMIRAL Ghcrarii stands III
the same relation to the Navy rs General Hehoncla
does 10 thr Army he Should have the sam" privilege
that the general ln-clef has-virIaliy that Of select
lag hi, own duty.
..,r.l L.r1 .Il, lIln