The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-05
THE NAVY YARD.
Secretary Herbert Higher
Than the Law.
Running in a Thousand Men Whose
Names Have No Place on
the Register.

nothing has excited interest at the navy
yard as has the recent decision of Judge A. j.
Buckles OF the Superior Court of Solano County.
The question at issue was whether officers. ma
rineS and sailors temporarily stationed at Mare
Island and officers and soldiers stationed at
the barracks at Benicia had right 10 vote in
thar city or in Vallejo at the coming election OH
Tuesday next. An attempt had been made to
gain about HOO votes by registering the sail
oIs and marines at the Mare Island Navy.yard
and the so lders In the Benicia barracks.
j Judge Buckles decided mat they had no light
10 register and vote, and ordered their names
strIck en- from the Great Register. There were
100l persons registered in Precinct l from the
navy-yard, and the eight or len memo war now
lying In the stream at the navy-yard. On the
trial it was shown there were but Sixty legal
voters in the precinct.
The Judge held that according to his reading
of the law as lie found II TO be applicable IN this
case and the decisions, the residents OF Gov
eminent reservations might vote at polling
place nearest The resery ton only when they
had enlisted from such nearest polling place.
Those at the navy-yard and now on ships in
port who enlisted iB Eastern ports, as was he
case with The majority, would hold thelr resi-
dence in The various cities from which they
enlisted, and by their coming 10 Solano County
these enlisted men do not gain residence while
In the service of the UniIed States any more
than they lose one In lie port from which they
shipped. The decision has, OF course. raised as
much of a breeze as Il storm at sea Interested
parties-it is said TO be w. q. English, Demo-
cratic nominee for Congress from this district
telegTaphed TO the Secretary of the Navy the
result, and asked that The sailors aud marines
be allowed to 60 ashore 10 vote en- election day.
AT all events, a telegram was received Friday
giving instructions 10 the commanders OF the
ships and at the marine barracks To allow all
OF their men entitled to vote at the election TO
have liberty on that day,
1t now remains 10 be seen how many men Will
avail themselves OF this privilege and To see
now many consider themselves entitled TO vote.
AT all events temporary wooden building has
been erected In the center of Branciforte street,
| and in hagA hann ENl lnah AlAn-
ton booths, more by one than In the largest
precinct IN San Francisco and sixteen more
booths than IN any other precinct in Vallejo.
Many OF the Uncle sam men have resided at
the navy yard for years ana have always been
in the habit of voting in this city, but 1t has
always been mooted question whether they had
legal right 10 or not, and the ma ter this time
would not have been brought Into the courts II
l. had not been for such a wholesale regiStra-
ton OF hundreds of men who had never placed
their feet on vallejo and some OF them even Oh
California soil.
II is expected that very soon after election
has been held some of the ships, notably the
Philadelphia ana YORKTOWN. will be sent 10
Inc former ship has been ready for the past
week, and the latter gunboat will be ready by
Friday or Saturday of the coming week. She,
as already stated, Will 90 to China.
The first OF last week orders were received
at the naYy-yard TO have The stores on board Of
the United States ship Adams sent ashore and
stored carefully away preparatory 10 her being
put out OF commission. bis IS no small task
and axes much longer time than 10 put ship
be taken GU, and careful Inventory made Of
articles In the eQuil ment, ordnance, engineers,
uaVigatOr's, paymaster's, medical, constructing
and other Departments, anu neither one of the
officers in charge of the various departments
can be detached until IA tally Is made and turned
over TO The proper officials in charge OF The
various departments at the maynard. All of
the rigging will be taken down and carefully
stored away In the rigging loft.
The report of the board to survey the Adams
found that she could be repaired within the
gated 10 Rotten Row. Whether she Will be im-
medlately reftted tor service has not yet been
determined. The damage to her false Keel Is
being repaired and IN lew days she Will be out
OF the drydOck and the SWaara taken in 10
| have her propeller taken OH for use on the
MoDicaU. III the Swatara is turned over TO the
Stale of California for use as training ship
for the Naval Reserves IL is more than likely
that the State will have TO bar the expense of
fitting her out, but whether she Will be fitted
out at the naVy-yard is not known, though IL is
the proper place 10 do the work, as the force is
competent and much of The material ready at
hand.
The force on the Boston is pushing her right
along but it Will be at least the latter part of
JANUARY next before she can be pronounced
ready for sea. The work being performed is of
the best. Her masts and standing rigging has
been set up When finished she Will be far
better cruiser than when first built, as num-
Der of valuable improvements have been made
In her reconStl ucti0n.
The Bennington Will soon be completed, as
also the Alert and Ranger. Nothing as yet has
been done TO the Mohican outside of having
many of her longtime men transferred from
her to other ships, and i'll their stead have been
transferred men having less than year 10
serve which aboard OF ship is in naval circles
equivalent TO saying that she will not be sent
of Oh very long cruise. There Is but little 10
he done to her. When she was rebuilt al Mare
Island she made TO last. and right well Is
she fulfilling her mission.
This continual transferring of men causes
great d al OF extra labor. especially in the pay
department on board OF ship, all Inc ac-
counts have to be sent with the men.
1t seems TO be the general opinion among
those best qualified TO Judge that there Is no
necessity for such an expense or as large fleet
OF ships to be sent up TO Bering Sea as was
there during the past season, and without
doubt there will never again be suen a number
10 go. A number of officers say that TWO
three small vessels, even II they carry no more
than one Or iWo small guns each, Will We'll
answer tie purpose. One reason they give for
this Is he lack OF interest The British Govern
mem seemed 10 take during the last season by
sending but one or two small ships. There Is
more risk run in the Bering Sea than In any
other part OF the globe. NO person other than
those having seasoned IL there has the re-
hottest idea of the dangers TO be encountered.
They are hidden at all lines.
The courtmartal now going on OF TWO
officers OF the Adams al the navy-yard aud
which was commenced Tuesday noon OF last
week is one of the results OF sending ships 10
the North. 1t Is unfair to presume that an
officer would deliberately expose his men and
ship to danger and that he would not take all
necessary precaution to guard against such
dangers. In addition TO the sailing of shifts by
experienced captains, naVlgatorS ana me d,
there is also either good or bad luck with some
of them. The cOurt-mArtlal IS going along and
there is no knowing by the members thereof
when 1t will end.
TIE court of Inquiry regarding the accidental
shooting of Lieutenant Collins on board of the
MOhican found that it was done through the
carelesSness Of two of the officers in not see
ing that the arms were properly unlOaded
prior TO their being turned into the armory
after small arm practice.
II is somewhat amusing at times to see what
articles Will be used 10 obtain news concern
Ing the assignment of officers or destination of
ships from the main Office from those entrusted
with the secrets of he department. None Of
them, however, are more clos mouthed than
the fair young lady telegraph operator. who,
by recent humorist In our city, was given
the appellatIve Of Lovely Miss Bundle of
Secrets"
The Marion will soon be put In commission
and be sent, il is expected, TO Honolulu. ne
detail of officers will very soon be made out for
her and the crew Will be made up mostly OF
short-time men.
In bis annual report TO the Secretary of the
Navy Chief Constructor Philip Hickman states
that the Monadncck will probably be COM
pleted by February next, the Olympia this
month, and the Oregon June, 1895. He states
there is absolute need OF new buildings at Mare
Island to replace tumble down sheds which are
running expensive tools. He asks that an ap-
preparation OF $4,000 be made for completing
trio power plants, building reyerberating fur
mace and supplying and installing new tools at
the navy yard, Mare Island.
The coult-martlal Of Lieutenant Norton or
the Adams was completed Saturday and next
week will be devoted to the court martial of the
navIga: or OF the ship, Lieutenant Elliott. each
caused by the grounding OF tho Adams while in
BeriDg Sea.