New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-13
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARDS
READY FOR LENGTHENING THE CAS-
TINE AND MACHIAs.
THE PORTSMOUTH YARD TO BE CLOSED FOX
LACK OF MONEY PLACES FOR CADETS -
CHIEF ENGINEER sTIvERs IN HOS
pITAL AT YOKOHAMA.

p1TAt AT YOKOHAMA.
It is probable said an officer OF the Navy fard
Yesterday. that the two gunboats MachlaS ahu
Casttne will be put into the drydock on Monday
or Tuesday of this week. The cruiser CINCINNATI
has been taken out of the dock, ana worKmeh
were busy yesterday preparing the blocks ana
making the dock ready for the two vessels, which
are to be heightened.
When it gets as far as putting the vessels INTO
dock. il looks like 'really getting down to Dusl-
ness" But the getting down to business pro-
cess began before this. or course not much
could be done in the Navy Yard unit the mate
rial for lengthening the ships came from the con-
tractors. but when that came the work began.
The construction officers wanted to get every
thing ready for use before the vessels were put
into dock and drawn apart. so that there might
be no delay when once they were open. In the
machine-shop. therefore, the frames have been
bent and other things have been prepared, and
now 1t is time to dock the ships; only one frame
is still lacking and that will come from the con-
tractors before Il is needed, one will be made
in the Navy Yard. 1t will take. so 1t Is said,
about three days to cut the ship in two; then the
parts will be drawn away from each other. and
the building together process will be begun. IL
is thought that the ships will be closed in In
six weeks. and that In eight or ten weeks they
will be finished. and again ready 10 be put into
commission. The jof will be ore Of much inter-
est, and the work Of converting these two into
larger and so 1t Is thought, finer ships Will be
pretty sure to command great deal Of attention.
The Cincinnati is almost ready to go into
commission but the time when that will be- done
Is uncertain. She has been in the drydock and
had her bottom cleaned and painted. the engi-
neering and construction work is almost finished.
and she could in a short time be made ready for
actual service. But. although a captain and
an executive officer have been provided for her
and 1t 10 said that crew is being made up on
the recevng-ship Vermont. there are no orders
about putting her into commission. The trial OF
the engines Of the cruiser Maine IS to take place
not before July l. but as soon after that as pos
sIble. The estimate of the cost Of the work to
be done on the sailing-ship Portsmouth is $4,000.
She is To- have a new mainmast and various
other repairs Of less Importance to be made
before she sails for her summer trip. Caulkers
were at work on the hull OF the ship yesterday.
filing up the seams I, is ordered that the work
on the cruiser Marblehead shall be finished by
the last OF this month. The most extensive job
here is the work on the electrical plant. the other
jobs being extras which have been ordered
from time to time the officers found they
needed them There Is a rumor that the ship Is
her supply Of tOrpedOes
The old ferry or scow which piled between
the Navy Yard mainland and the cob Dock for
many years gave place 10 a new one last week
The new boat Is a great Improvement II Is Dullt
out Of the only material which Is considered az
all suitable for A naval vessel nowadays. steel.
1t propels itself by pulling at a rope by ma
chinery. as did It's predecessor, but. on the other
hand. IL IS built on new and improved lines.
which probably cannot be excelled anywhere'
1t is larger. prcttier. cleaner and more comfort
able than the old one. Most of the machinery
Is below the deck the aisles are wide, there are
seats outside at the two ends. and there are
efficient guard rails and nets.
An interesting and important decision In regard
10 one part OF the naval service has been reached
recently. 1t has been decided to close the Ports
mouth Navy Yard. This step was made rsceH-
sary because OF the lack ~ money. and. unless
larger appropriation shall be made than that IN
the House bill IL IS thought doubtful II the Navy
Yard at Portsmouth. y. H.. Will ever be opened
again. The close OF this yard At this time means
the discharge OF 100 clerks who are employed
there but other than this II does not seem as
II 1t would make much difference. except In TWO
or three respects to the naval service, Tor u u
said that work Is going on there. and no ships
are being built repaired In the docks. IL ~
likely that some additional work will now come
TO the New-York yard from ships which might
have been sent 10 the Portsmouth yard 10 be
repaired. But this will not be much. The closing
OF the yard win also have the effect OF leaving IA
number OF officers available for other duty In the
service. Doubtless, also. some men IN ADDITION o,l
10 the clerks. who have been dependent for work
on the yard. Will be discounted by this neces-
sary action.
The state OF mind that the members OF the
graduating class at the Naval Academy must be
in is not altogether enviable. As the classes are
graduated from year tt year, the question OF
finding places for them comes up. Inc young
men, after spending several years I'm preparation
for a life In the Navy. finu that there Is a strong
chance OF their not being admitted, after all,
and are confronted with the problem OF what
they shall do in that case. OF course they nave
an education. but IT is an education which had
special end IN view. II only the cadets mad as
good chances to go into private business as sue
cessful officers do later In life. they might not
regret so much the necessity To leave the service
before they are really In H. But being young
men who have not yet made their mark these
fine positions do not open to them so readily. In
regard TO this years class. II IL now said TO be
unlikely that all will find places In the Navy
Thirty-One cadets are eligible to appointment IN
the line, and by counting up on actuahues ana
even possibilities. 1t is thought that seven WIZ
be left out for lack OF vacancies. Those VINO
stand highest in the examinations VIII receive
the appointments. All OF the engineer cadets
Will receive appointments
From private letter received from ioKohama
Il Is learned that Chief Engineer George w
Stvers. who left here on the flagship Baltimore
last fan for the Asiatic Squadron and was AFTER
ward transferred to the Concord. has been sent
to the Naval Hospital. Yokohama, Tor treat
ment. 1t IS not believed that he Is seriously ILL.,
but that his physical condition Is such as to
make 1t advisable not to permit him TO accom-
pany the ship with the Behring Sea fleet Mr..
Stvers has not been In the best or health Tor
several years. and upon his return from duty In
the Asiatic Squadron nearly nve years ago there
was talk Of ordering him before the Retiring
Board; but he secuted the idea OF being an In
valid and rallied again. Then he was ordered to
duty as expert on the Special Board OF lnspec-
ton Of Supplies at the Navy Yard upon which
duty he remained for more than three years.
During this time he was indefatigable In his
work and conducted hundreds upon hundreds OF
| experiments In the line OF his duty, both In the
! yard in the daytime and In his laboratory at his
home in the evening lie IL considered one or
the brightest officers Of the Engineer Corps. and
has been a hard student in all the sciences OF
engineering 1t was his own wish TO make an
other cruise in the Asiatc waters. which was TO
be the last before he should reach the re-
firing age, or he would have had duty In another
squadron On his two previous cruises In the
| Asatic he made a special study Of the history
= Ia.. ar,d To siGrnl the