New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-25
APUY AND NAVY NOTES.

Washington Dec 24-Secretary Herbert mas Ill
rected Admiral Meade to order the Atlanta 10
cruise in the West Indies. relieving the columbia,
md TO issue orders the latter vesse TO pro'eru
north 10 Norfolk from Jamaica. as soon as the
Atlanta starts south As the Atlanta has been
,onor,ed ready for sea, it is expected that she
will get away the present week
Secretary Lamont to-day issued the order liaO'"e
General Swain the retired list OF the Arh!
The order is issued by command OF Major-ienera'
Schofeld and is signed by Secrt'dIS i-"'''''
1T reads as follows:
Bricadier-General David {. swain. judse-adyo-
cate-general having attained the age OF sNty-t~9q
ysars IS by gTee f date Ia IN" Snder the provisions
OF Section 1244. Revised statutes. re VII rTi Sor
TO 70 his Si h9Ine; sa Ine "N''' '''''''N
secTs'ary Herbert has approved the ,r reP I
4.rs cnT and Bowie. With Commander Brad,
ford as president which was instT,io Ten IN
ne batteships. armored cruisers and sunboats
BUILDING which may be fa
ing fire in action, which should be provided ana TO
consider the question OF ceiling the rsner nache
or any other substance less inhammable t fi,
and Philadelphia, and made detailed report upon
the alterations needed in the case OF each S Sn
instead OF wood for bulkheads. as IN tne ItNar,
in many cases. and Of iron instead o. ~09e eef
embarrassed for want of knowledge concerning
the fires in the ships engaged IN me ac"on ~, G'
amount of woodwork and combustible materia;
as 70 wnere me mfS Gov enrcading as to their
facilities for extin guishng fire. and as TO the
nlace of stowage OF combustible materials, such
as oils turpcntine alcohol, paints. ether etc The
board declares that when reports come IN con
necessary changes Accordingly. the secretary has
given Instructions 20 have the nted states hnNd!
attaches and intelligence officers abroad Collect
speedily possible the necessary informatoh
on these points rs wei as the Pracn sSns e' have
been constructed with the minimum amount OF
woodwork aboard The board was laVoIiaoiy M IN,
Texas but thought that considerable Of the wood
work could be dispensed WITH II time ana OBJ
portuny we're permitted TO experiment IN pre-
pairing samples OF furniture. hcrths sheitlnE'
should he largely or wholly incombustiblo. There
fore. the board recommended that the command
carry on such experiments. The board declared
itsef not sufficiently familiar with PAPER macht
suitable for use in constructing ceilings: bulk
heads etc. aboard ship. 1t feels confident. how
at moderate cost suitable substance can be
conductor OF heat, non-combustble and not sub
ject to flying into pieces or splinters when struck
chusetts. Indiana and Oregon which are nearing
completion. the estimated cost Of the rccolnmendea
changes is about 5000 in the case OF each vessel,
and on the other vessels proporiionately less
BY direction OF the President medals OF honor
in the name Of Congress have been awarded a.
follows; William H. Ward, captain, Comp;any b,
47th Ohio: for gailantry in leading an assault upon
a Confederate battery at Nicksburg, the night
OF May 3. 1853. Louis :. NlSncr, captain company
X 18th New-York for voluntarily exposing him
self his command at the battle OF Spottsy
vania Va. May y. 1874; Carlos II. Rich. first
sergeant. Company y. 9Th Vermont veteran vol
unteers, for conspicuous gallantry, in saving the
life o. an officer of his regiment. at the battle
OF the Wilderness. May ), 1864; James *. sur
geon. private. Company F. 9th Ohio, FOR bravery
in advancing beyond the lire of battle. and. with
three comrades. capturing Twenty-Five prisoners at
the bate OF Kennesaw Mountain. June lG. 1864
Lieutenant " i. Potter has been ordered TO the
Naval Academy. and Lieutenant y. w. Hodges
TO the New York Navy Yard.
Bids opened at the Bureau OF Ordnance
Navy Department. to-day for furnishing 400 l3-inch
semi-armor piercing shells Three bids were re-
ceived. all from Pennsylvania firms. The Mid
vale and Sterling companies offered TO supply the
shells at % cents per pound. and the Carpenter
Company bid 2f2 cents per pound The shells
unloaded, weigh about 1915 pounds each.