New-York tribune., 1894-10-24
" md NfTI NOTES.

WASHINGTON oct % (SpeciaD.-The report from
Rio Janero that Chief Engineer William W Heaton.
attached the Newark. is suffering with Brights
disease and Is II be sent home adds one more 10
the record of invalids in the Engineer Corps. This
makes the fourth officer OF his grade who has sue
cumbed disease since the first of the year which
added to those invalided in the lower grades Is
serious loss TO the Navy. and may be said to he
due to the severe duties which have to he asSllme1
by this branch Of the service with the modern
war machines" the new vessels are called
4 few days ago II was announced at the Depart
ment that orders about to be issued ~ put
out Of commission the Monterey. now on the Pacihc
Coast. in order that her crew might be utilized
to make up the deficiencies in the compioments Tor
the Boston and the Olympia II is now reported
that another reason for placing this vessel out 81
commission is that her armament needs 10 he over
hauled. When the report % the recent target ptac-
tice is received il will be understood why the u
inch and 1O-nch breech-oadng rifles have not been
fired more than twice since the vessel was put into
commission 1t viii also be learned whether me
rluors about the failure Of these guns are ground
less or not: for it would be a National misfortune
to have the guns Of such ship turn out 10 o'
worthless
Tho puraau of Steam Engineering has finished
the designs for machinery and boilers OF the three
torpedo boats. and the other bureaus have nearly
completed their work when ali the designs vi" he
sent Ia the Bureau Of Construction. Inc recent
order Secretary OF m" Navy SNHiS '' ''''
chief of the Bureau Of Construction entire control OF
and responsibility for the designs the siructural
strength and the stability of all ships nun TOT
the Navy has been strongly opposed 10y some "i
the leading line officers The order IS not intehded
10 subordinate any one bureau To ano'her' pu. "
Is n hold somebody responsible FOR the S'dp'lN
NJ fhe ships that may be built in the future. ~
avoid a repetition Of "so-and-so was 10 bain" ''r
the defects in the Machias and Castne. ana 10
nut an end 10 the hauling and pulling "hlch r.
suits in alterations in designs and construction ot
war vessels that make them costly as Wen ~
dangerous.
The Navy Department has just completed test
Of aluminium as material for ship boats with me
object OF determining its adapability TO naval uses
with results that demosh some of the elaborate
claims made for the new metal on account OF ''s
comparatively light weign, its utility on ooaIu snip
would he almost inesmable. II IL were mol Ior 'l'
fact that it has been now shown to he eNceeaIhsV
susceptible to the corrosive action OF Sah water.
Two sheets. one-sxteenth Of an incn tnlGk' Ny w
immersed for three months AT the Norfolh TdE
YARD s5aed & to he R9Te ae e'a pu r"1 pae
was thicklv covered with large barnacles ,htousn.
out it's surface and was more or less plt'e1 py Wv
action Of salt water The alloyed plate %Ss en- en-
crusiei with smaller harnacies ana was DduI! ov'
ng its exn9se4 surface This plate was as injuri-
ously affected as combination Oh @ I,on anu re
opinion Of naval experts it will not be advisable u
build aluminium boats II they are lnlehtsn p ~ t, ,,s
main an! Iert 81 I'm. I'm ~, account 6f the great
use na' De ,,nlss f1s metal work exposed salt
gan III Ils s'It.''s -, ,li,,
water Only oc0dSIoIia .,- ,ho Army Dsnsrfmeut
of me Columbia. in his annual report describes The
rise ana IaI oI , t'e ,rru toiinve1 In Julv bv the
ana WaSh,ns.cn t ,rS~ wbich Tor time mad neces-
great rdli~dH .'or a. ali MA available forces
sary the sHPiVH i'H 20 a. ~ "a. ir,ops IN
Excellent disc 'ae ir b.ipr les rumer us than
his command. the de-ef t'oIS "'-ib ~ u " ,, ,r'r.r
I'm former years que lo'n,,tS,' "j,a % - c ~" fo1i cv
nfcntmcnt Of the men anu 10 w .'.,,
employment offered fe"ri man Ds"s ',i1I,ar, a.
For the first time in IN" history ol his i'I''.1lS
partment, there are no lnlian ~ }uDles % 10
The following n5Na Vcit,,.ru'r ordered IN The r.