The morning call., 1894-04-02
NAVY YARD ITEMS.
The Mohican Ordered to
Sail on Wednesday.
Many Men in the "Guardo''-Find.
ing the Equilibrium of the
Monterey.

VALLEJO. April 1.-The past week at
the navy-yard has been one OF rush for
those at work and idleness for quite
large number of men who were discharged
owing TO two factors. namely. the closing
up of work On the ships that have been
undergoing repairs and the running low
of funds. The latter is to be regretted, as
there is yet plenty of work of various
kinds to be done and the men are willing
to do il.
Orders having been received from Wash
ington Monday last for the Mohlcan to
leave the yard Wednesday. the ship was
soon a scene of activity. She was hauled
to the wharf and gang Of men set to
work coaling and putting in stores. The
| merchants were kept busy on this side
sending stores for the officers and ships
messes on board. AS an instance OF what
the trade amounts to, it is said that one Of
the ships lying at the island has mess
bill of twelve or thirteen hundred dollars
a month, and this for provisions alone;
bread, meats and vegetables are furnished
by other firms. On the receiving-ship In
dependence the entire ships company and
the recruits are formed in one mess.
They are each allowed 50 month ration
money. On this they live well and have
plenty. if not more than they can eat.
For their Sunday morning breakfast each
man is allowed four eggs-fried, boiled,
scrambled or in an omelette. Each Satur-
day morning sixty rolls of butter-the best
to be had in the market-are sent on
board. The coffee has an aroma to it that
cannot be euualed in the best restaurant
in Sar Franciscan
At the present time the number of men
in the ''guardo" is larger than it has been
for some time past. A draft of men ar
rived last week for the Marion, but as the
Marion failed to reach here they will be
distributed among the other ships. The
Alerts crew has all been selected. The
crew Tor the Boston Is awaiting her, and
some are retained for the Olympia.
The Yorktown also received orders to
proceed to sea on Saturday. She was out
in the stream, but was hauled TO the wharf
and coaled up. Saturday morning, at half
past o'clock. she left the yard bound to
the same destln alton as the MohicaD, Port
Townsend.
The Albatross came into port Friday
morning and was made fast 10 the piece of
wharf near The ferry landing, to be handy
to 90 in the drydock TO be painted. The
blocks were prepared for her. but not ar
irving at the yard the monitor Monterey
was fioated in and "heeled." an operation
for hndlng her equilibrium. As soon as
she comes out the A batross will 60 in.
Several of the crown sheets Of the boilers
for operating the pumps connected with
the dock having burned out they are be-
ing replaced. The same boilers that are
used for running the pumps are used In
supplying power for running all the ma
chinery in the various construction and
repair shops. The head of this depart
mem, Constructor d. W. Taylor, has been
ordered to the department at Washington,
and will leave in the course week or two.
He has endeared himself TO the workmen
by his honorable and gentlemanly de-
meanor, SO strikingly in contrast with that
of his predecessor that he will go away
bearing the best wishes and kindliest feel
ings of all. The work he has accomplished
in his department has been of the best and
the improvements in the plant have merited
the commentator of all. He is to go into
the Bureau of Construction and Repairs at
Washington. His successor, Constructor
Samuel W. Armist4ad, comes from che
Norfolk Navy-yard, and Is we'll spoken OF
by those who, in previous years, have been
associated with him.
1t begins to look as though the Govern
ment intended TO do something in the way
of keeping the channel clear as by late
kilograms from Washington money has
been set apart 10 make survey of the
water front from North to South Vallejo
for the ultimate purpose of building sea-
wall. II this done on the Vallejo side and
then on the navy-yard front from the dry
dock to the magazine wharf no finer chan
mel in the world would be found. In the
course of a decade OF years 1t would pay
for itself, judging by the forty or fifty
thousand dollars spent within the past five
or six years for dredging in front Of the
working part Of the hayward alone.
Chief Engineer Burnap has been ordered
up to British Columbia examine lot of
coal the Government is about to purchase
for the northern expedition. 1t is great
pity that the coal cannot be purch ased in
our own country.
Commander Morgan. who is to command
the Alert, reported to Captain HowisOn,
the commandant of the navy-yard on FRI
day afternoon. The Alert will go into
commission ON Monday morning unless
something unforeseen presents itself. Her
machinery has been tested and found to
work well. her guns have been placed on
board, and but little remains TO be done to
her after she goes into commission.
No orders have yet been received con-
corning the departure of the Monterey.
They are using their best endeavOrs to get
her down to San Diego TO participate In
some Of the festivities to take place next
month.
Majors Nicholson and Lowry were out
from Washington the first Of the week,
guard. They remained three DAYS at the
island and left for headquarters Thursday
morning While here rigid inspection
was made. and as far as learned they found
everything to their satisfaction. There is
no reason why they should not. as Major
Pope, the commanding officer. is model
officer, and the men comprising the guard
understand their business. A sham battle
was had between the men, aud the various
kinds of exercises known to the art of war
fare on sea or on land were presented.
The YORKTOWN left the navy-yard yester-
day on her way to Port Townsend.
The Ranger is expected at the yard this
week and will go in the dock for cleaning.
No time has been set for the departure of
the Patterson from the yard. The Alert
will probably be the next vessel 10 leave
the nayy-yard.
There is no talk of fitting out any ship TO
be sent to the Samoan Islands at present.
The Naval Battalion.