New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-27
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
RUSHING WORK ON THE CINCINNATI AND
MARBLEHEAD.
OFFICERS DISCUSSING THE INDIAN HEAD ARMoR
rEsTs-oTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.

OFFICERS DISCUSSING THE INDIAN HEAD ARMoR
| TEsTs-oTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.
The Construction Department in the Navy YARD
| is now directing itself energetcay to the compile
ton OF the new 3,0Ooton cruiser Cincinnati. This
vessel has been built. to her engines, In the
yard only few things having come from outside
and her completion and trial at sea will be or much
interest to those who have been personally engaged
in her construction II has been known for several
! weeks that the Cincinnati almost ready TO be
put into commission but 1t was not known when
the ceremony would actually take place, for no IN
| strucons about II sent from Washington.
| Now however, the officers Of the ship have peen
! ordered TO report for duty Tuesday, June IA.
| and It is likely that she will be put into commission
on that date or within a day or two after. In the
| mean time the officers hurrying the work
| ahead The officers who have been ordered to the
| ship follows: Captain Henry Glass COM
mander; acknowledgements j. d. Jerrold KEEL
| ley executive officer; Lieutenant John c. Colwell
navigator; Chief Engineer James II. Chasmar, Sur
| geon Charles A. Segfried Passed Assistant Pay
master Eustace y. Rogers, Leutenants a. {. Dill
| lingkam II. NJ. 2. Huse, Augustus ~ Mayer and
| Charles A. Cove; Ensign Roger Wells Passed AS
sistant Engineers r. r. Leitch and George e. Burd
| Assistant Engineer w. s. Burke, Gunner Patrick
| Lynch. Carpenter s. c. Briefly.
The work on the traning-ship Portsmouth still
| continues She may be able to get off by the mid
! die OF June but as the rain has somewhat delayed
| the work she may be kept here longer. She is not
| to be put into the drydock for these old wooden
| ships that are sheathed with copper do not need
| docking every six months, the steel ships do
| The Portsmouth has few barnaces and a little
grass on her bottom. but 1t is thought that these
| will come off when she starts on her cruise Al
present mast is out and she does not appear
| quite ready to go cruise but soon the new
mainmast will be stepped and the ship VIII be
| rugged again for voyage.
| The Marblehead is to be ready for sea next Sat
| urday. The work on her is being finished up ana
| this week the vessel is receive whatever stores
necessary. It has been expected all along that
| the Marbehead would go to Marbehead Mass to
attend a Fourth OF July celebration at when some
colors were to be presented to her But now comes
| the report that she is to 90 TO Nicaragua and the
NewYork is coming here. Some officers have al
ready been ordered to report to the New-forK
when she comes. So the pleasant plan OF the cItl-
zens Of Marbehead for celebrating the great
| American holiday and adjoining a new naval vessel
| as well will be interfered with by the necessity
| for the new vessel to do actual service for the
| country.
The report Of the Trial Board on the deep-seN
| ffty-hour steam and gun trial of the Marblehead
sent to Washington a few days ago. ana some
| Of the notifications suggested are now being maze
| prior 10 her going to Nicaragua this week one OF
the suggestions that II the connection between
|
should be with wire rope, instead Of rods and bevel
gears It would much easier to steer the snip Tor
II required three to put the wheel over rapiuy
Another was that the wheels of the steam steering
gear in the charthouse should be secured by lrlc-
| ton brake The interests Of the are also
| considered. only a portion Of the ere" are pro-
yided with "ditty boxes" and. while the board Is
| divided in its opinion in regard to allowing these
! on board the senior member expresses decided
| opinion that they add much to the comfort ana
contentment Of the crew, and should be aliowe''
but OF a restricted regulation size.
| The search-ights were found TO be deficient IN
power. the projectors of defective workmanship
and 1t is urged that the contractor make the deeG,s
good The lights are also declared to be padlg
on the ends of the bridge and that the sx-pounders
the search-lghts The board also reports that the
marked feature in the battery Is the sacrlnce OF
| has been obtained by the removal of certain ma
teriai 1t urgently recommended that the battery
inch pivot guns be added. With the additional
twelve tons Of ammunition that VIII be carried
| her fighting efficiency, as recommended VIII arect
should sSou hf Be used to- smy this
| than a sacrifice of bow and stern fire.
Proving Grounds last week when the iS-ineh
Harveylzed plate was rven from edge to edge by
the first pro1ectile from the i5-lncn gun ana was
shattered by the second shot has been subject Of
much neresns conjecture by me Officers OF the the
! Navy especially those or the constructlon ana me
! ordnance corps II makes them wonder what Is
sgay To gndr vessel to blow her to Kngdom
come" and In the absence OF torpeioes the heaviest
ana m s boss proce H not ' the srges that
| can be fired. Conceding this development OF
ETrTssilcoa,l' Works writes to the Army and Navy
Journal" a description Of the combination OF this
plate which NAV account for its failure. He SAYS:
"The nickel Harveyized steel is simply an alloy:
consisting Of steel nickel and chromium nifHei
10 increase the hardness OF the material Theo-
! obr dc
the effect OF the nickel END at the same
in the plates is unavoidable Parts Of the plates
Will have n higher percentage of chromium than
viii causs shattering Of the plate into minute
fragments II we can add another metal capable
nulling an armor plate will have been found.
Fortunately. there exists such metal when
hardness which steel, and even the much less
brittle wroughron. derives from 1t IS little short
tanned without importing the effect OF the nickel
Tungsten Is more fuslble man chromium d., ana a
more uniform casting can be ootained out II III, IL
were not, slight irregularities would not Involve
chromium. In this case slight differences IN hard-
ness would be the only effect. tungsten Is USED IN
every knd to Ti ar called f6r The famous
Damascene steel and our best tool steels, blades
amount, and its applicability to the manufacture
Of armor plates Is obvious mere are su0nf lea
OF Krupps arnor plates, whose composition Is Kept
secret. to the use Of this metal ,.,,..,,, v,n,-
lam H. Beehler, which tried so successfully a
few weeks ago. will have another trial, beginning
this week II is TO be taken the Weimar, OF the
North German Lloyd line. which IS to sail on
Wednesday. and will be tested by the officers or
that vessel.
At yesterdays session Of the Court Of Inquiry
foreman in the Department OF Yards and Docks
three witnesses were called. The morning was
occupied with the crOss-eXaminatiOn OF william
Mitchell the testimony taken the day before
In the afternoon Quarterman JOsephs, OF the Yards
and Docks Department, was called, and he corr0Do-
ra ted the testimony given by Mitchell Then Will
lam Ryan. a stonecutter and small CONTRACTOR was
called as an expert witness one fact that has
caused some comment is that the alleged wastefu
expenditure has taken place within the present
fiscal year The investigation by the Court or In
curry may be finished next Thursday but i IL
Thought probable that 1t Will occupy the whole
week