The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-30
FROM MARE ISLAND
Events of the Week at
the Navy-Yard.
THE TRIALS OF THE RANGER.
Good Work Recently Done-The Alba
troSS Still in the DoCk-Per-
sonal Gossip.
THE TRIALS OF THE RANGER
Correspondence of THE MORNING CALL.

were lowered at hall mast. EacD oncer,
from the admiral down to the warrant Off
Ger, passed band of Grape about his arm
these to be worn for period of
thirty days. This was all done in pur-
suance to the instructions and order Of the
Secretary eff the Navy, in announcing the
death of ex-President Rutherford b. Hayes.
as a tribute of respect No other ceremc-
MES were observed, either at the navy-yard
or in this city, in honor of the illustrious
dead.
Universal regret was expressed upon
learning of the death of James &. Blaine.
He had warm place in the hearts of all.
John Collender and Harvey B. Toothacker,
two OF the first employees at the nayy-yard
after it passed into the hands of the Gov
eminent, and employed under Admiral
Farragut, died and were buried during the
past week at the advanced age of more than
three score years and ten. They assisted in
putting together the old sectional drydOcks
In 1858 "a, which are now being prepared
for sale by the removal OF several boilers.
A new launch engine of compound
pattern is to be built for the coast survey
steamer Patterson. This pretty steamer is
lying up alongside OF the quay wall. where
she viii remain until spring and then sail
for Alaskan waters TO spend he summer in
Lieutenant Commander William |. Moore,
u. $ n, has everything On board in ship
shape form, ana is admired by all under his
command tor his gentemanly ways and the
knowledge he possesses in his calling.
There is little doubt that when the survey
ing OF the haTbor Is made but that 1t Will be
appreciated at the photographic office.
which by recent order Of the Secretary OF
the Navy has been transferred from the
Bureau of Equipment be directs that here
after that the duties # that Office be per-
formed under the direction OF the Bureau OF
Navigation. While at the yard the Patter-
son Will have small amount OF Work done
to her machinery. Ii has been the custom
with the vessels Of the coast survey service
10 have the greater portion OF their Work
done at shops in San Francisco. and TIE
Patterson has as usual had tile greater por-
tiOn Of her annual repairs done IN the Bay
City. Ii is foolish policy on the part OF
the Government 10 permit such work TO go
on after establishing valuable plant on
the coast for The special purpose Of keeping
up the running repairs on its vessels.
The ordering Of the revenue cutter Cor
wins repairs being done al the hayward
seems to indicate an awakening TO the fact
that repairs to vessels can be done better
and for as little money as In contract shops.
1t should be considered important 10 have
all the work possible done at the yard for
the sake Of keeping up tie organization, as
otherwise the reliable skilled mechanics
would soOn become scattered and the force
relapse into old-time indifference The
COrWn is in need # n new set of boilers.
and after examining into the prices at the
city and being deemed exoTbitant by the
Secretary Of the Treasury he turned the
matter over to the Navy Department,
which In turn has ordered set Of boilers
to be made at the yard.
Tie four new boilers for the Monadnock
have been recently tested under the super
vision of Chief Engineer BurBap and Fore
man Campbell They stood the rigid test
admirably, and VIII be taken down to the
monitor in q short time and placed in posi-
tion. They are twelve feet two inches IN
diameter and are made Of steel fiiteen-sixty-
fOurths of an inch thick. They ale built 10
carry 100 pounds Of steam 10 the square
inch, and the test subjected them tn pres
sure Of go pounds. Foreman Campbell aud
all the boiieT-makers under him admit them
to be the finest Get Of boilers ever turned
out. The Corwin's boilers Will undoubt-
edly come up 10 the same degree OF excel
lence.
The Albatross is still in dock. where she
will remain for Two or three weeks longer.
Her hull is receiving a coat OF paint Tie
tail shafts have been removed for the pur-
pose of turning The bearings and fitting new
propellers. The sleeves have been taken to
the pattern-sh0p, where. under the drec-
ton OF Foreman Street, new ligDum vitae
will be put in. Four cast-ir0n sea-valves are
to be replaced with new ones az composition.
During The past week the United States
steamer Ranger, about which so much has
been said ana written by the Sensational
papers, has had three trials. The con-
ditions briefly are these: Tie machinery
was recently oyerhauied and thoroughly re-
paired, aud new set Of boilers put in. The
new boilers furnish an abundance of steam
OF much higher pressure than could be main
80, hut In old nm l. ~
use the engines al a mucbshigher speed than
before and higher than tile engines were de-
signed to run.
After her repairs we're made the usual in
spection WAS held by a board Of officers,
and it was found that on reaching sxty-four
revolutions a rumbling noise commenced
and continued as long as that or a higher
speed seventy two revolutions were
reached was maintained. 1t was thought
best TO try 10 overcome this if possible,
though the logb0Oks disclosed the fact that
this was always made when sixty-four
turns were made. Various expedients were
resOTed 10 in order to determine the cause
Of the noise. Targets were arranged
through the shaft-aley TO determine the
mOoied question of the stiffness of the ship.
Temporary intermediate pillow-blocks were
arranged rs additional supports for the
long, slim shaft. The pillow blocks were
also so arranged as TO make them adjustable
while the engines were running. Addi-
tiOnal lead was given the valves, and ar
engagements made for changing the values
quickly. All these things were experiment
tai only, and for the sole purpose of deter
mining the cause Of tile Objectionable oise
at high speeds.
A dock trial was had last Monday morn
ing, but only sixty revolutions could be
made and at that speed her engines worked
charmingly. No fault could be found so it
was decided by Admiral Irwin, the COM
mandant Of the yard, to go in her himself
and steam down San Pablo Bay, where she
could have deep water and be pushed for
all she was worth. Chief Engineer Moore,
under whose direction the repairs had been
made, and quite a number Of other officers,
In addition to those on the Ranger, were
Invited to go. The trial resulted in YER
diet approving the working OF the engine in
all its parts. but lamentlng the inability Of
the officers TO locate the cause Of the noise,
which continued the same when the speed
was run up 10 the mystical sixty-four. The
ship was then turned about and headed for
third trial on the bay was or
dered. and Admiral Irwin, Chief Engineers
John w. Moore, George j. Burnap, Passed
Assistant Engineers Hunt, Carter, Roboth-
am, Mllligan and Strickland, together
with Lieutenant Stoney and Naval
constructor Taylor, gave the machinery
severe test, and experimental in every
way possible, thought, theorized, guessed
and consulted they listened at all the
journals and still found the same sound at
and above .sixty-fye. They all decided
that the repsirs had been done in frat
class manner in each ana every respect,
and that the engines were in as good con-
dition now as when new; that the propeller,
which is Of an old-fashioned type-heayy
and broad al the points-is not calculated
TO be run at high speed, and itsmotion was
not uniform. due 10 the shape of the blades
partly, and partly TO the difference in
density Of the water near the surface aud
at the depth the blades reached in the bot
tom portion Of their travel. The water
sucked In at her stern-post. and she could
not get out OF her way fast enough
The after coupling was slipped out Of
gear and the engines run withou the pro-