New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-23
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD.
SHIPS GOING TO SEA AND THE PORTS
MOUTH TO BE RETIRED.
AN ACTIVE WEEK AT THE YARD-THE SAN FRAN
CISCO TO SAIL IN A DAY OR TWO

AN ACTIVE, WEEK AT THE fAfD-lhE SH-> f'''
CISCO TO SAIL IN A DAY OR Two
NOTES AND GOSSIP
Nav,, matters and naval men have occupied
large share of public attention in the last week.
The publication of the Hawaiian report OF rear
Admiral John G.. Walker. the discussion Vi '"e
question OF sending vessel OF the Navy 10 tioh'-
lulu and another to Samoa, the taih aoou' .''e
Personnel b:!l the work of fitting out vessels lot
foreign stations and the project of assembling
large fleet for the January manoeuvres III ,ne
waters of the West Indies and the Guli OF MeN'c'
have afforded plenty Of for discussion AMONG
civilians as well among naval officers
At the Brooklyn Navy Yard the week mas pee"
one OF steady activity. The work of preparing inc
c,stne for he, trip to Sandy Hook in charge or
the Board OF Inspection and Survey. under com
mand OF Commodore T. O. SeIfridse' '"e rus"
caused by a query from the Navy Depar ."e"' "
n now soon the San Francisco could he maze
ready for sea- together with the peshlng oil "orh
on the Cincinnati in preparation for her cruise
with the North Atlantic Squadron as MEMBER Oh
tho neet Of evouton all being added to the regular
routine work OF the Yard on the monitors anu NJ
New York. now in drydock have KEPT e'e's'ouS
on a hustle Now the hustle Is nearly over '.''
Castne Is on her to the town aite' winch S
was named having passed through Hell "a'e
bound eas, on Friday She will probably return 10
Xev-York after the citizens Of Castine have had
finn with her and given her a solid silver punch
bowl and n set OF goblcts. but whether she VII"
stop at the Yard or not cannot be SAID II - w
than likely however that she VIII go 10 the vi -
second-st anchorage in the Hudson River ana 'ahe
on board enough coal 70 carry ner 10 no '""''''
where she will be under the command OF No''''o
,,.o charles 8 Norton. and Join the Newark J"
unfolding the dignity Of the American nag oetUi'
,h oonIo NJ the South American repuoilcs' lhe
Yantic may be left out OF the recKoh'hs d. '
laid IN at Nonteviieo awaiting repairs
The San Francisco is nearly ready 10 start io
>..nor, and will probably sail on Monday All
dv yesterday sailors made continual sr'hs NY
bor panpwav laden with all sorts OF boxes an,
b,les and barrels. bundles ana Days coh'd'"'"s Wv
stores for her European cruise NJ Ne"Po'' -
will receive her torpedo outht' anu No'','Y'
selfridge. with his board OF in'pecuo"' VI" ,r,
charge Of har for a few days and find out what 'ne
,o,tto & ~ there Is any. Then she viii come oack
~ N.w-York for coal. 1t was at hrs' susees 81"
tina, she 90 to sel from Newport Dut t'e iaN' 10 -
coal which will have to be supplied LOT "e' -p
ooross tho Atlantic would cost 81 50 ton al New
mort as against something under y a. Ne" o'N "
an obstacle which the Department Is uhao'e ~ '1
mount. 49, ,ryiocL,
THO Hew-york IL expected to leave the ur!'o.N
~, "Wednesday OF this week. as on thd' "a' ~
highest tides of the month VIII occur o." 49,
arc needed TO float her safely over tue '''' -
dock In The mean time her nun Will "a' -, shs
,, ~ main, and an:i-fouling composition anu ~
-, A.'.o = thorough cleaning, that wnen she Is
, moro aaoat the crack ship OF the ne" '>"N'
,,lu be az bright new pin. me '"''' ,'.
nsrfect beehive last wech' nv" W" -, n
all ovor nor scraping vanishing pa'h'''s ""' o'
ING and they suarmed up the Has's anu ~ t,
- ,d an, over the pier in promlscuouS i"S'-
az 1T h.,okened great activity ana urgent
-. Tho results OF the rush Will De seen !" Wv
,,,r,yed appearance OF the cruiser TINS wen ~
slgn Roger We.les IT, OF me 'i"o''".''' ,ho
his hands full for the last T." "aSS 49, =,
,.,,,np idea how WIG was anu '"' > -
~ the cruiser has been lying mas pee"
-. 81, , large scale-white flags with ~"
os cot days with white squares red ana "ni'e
a.. ..f,h no squares. and several otner 'on'o''a-
,,ns having been doing lot OF "hut'er-'a'N "o'''
every day - ,ar, of the
an rho grim battleship Maine. just as'ei" u "
,,,.,,cati the roof has been fitted TO the ai'e'
49,. ,a IN. httinCs for the heavy plates Tor the
s.,.,rd ,urret have been prepared 10 receive '
a., ,locLs NJ armor which were delivered al 'i''
yard on Monday and have been lying U" '"' - -.
w IT,. constructor Fernald will put gang
-, men AT work placing the big plates III '"o ','
,t,, and then the work OF mounting the guns WIN
- Tho other Jobs OF a minor nature on the
,,,,o arc h.ing rapidly pushed forward whiie the
cans, defense monitors Puritan and Terror are
rho subjects OF the usual attentions "' '"' '
~ the construction department 1890
t,outersnt-, commander Harry KnoNs trim niue
o,.nam,,e thrower the Vesuvius has not yet
afar
derclcts on the Atlantic Coast but she Is p'a0"
..Iv ready Tor sea. and II Is expected VIII start
on her mission OF destruction In few days
FINAL orders have been issued. her last cruise
has been made and the second-rate slooP-o'-"a'
Portsmouth after an active career of more tnan
nfty years will fold her spreading WINGS ana TAKE
her place on the retired list. She will be IN eN-
.ollcn, company The fleet Of naval sailing craft
which carried the fame of American shipbuidinS'
the daring and skin OF American officers ana sail
orr and the material power OF the American Ma
ton to every wavc-washei port on the race OF the
earth is rapidly diminishing. The engine and the
screw propeller have driven away the picturesque
heoutv OF the swelling sail and the s*aying mast.
Live oak and hackmatack have given way TO steel
and irons and with their stalwart old huils housed
over some OF the gallant frigates of days gone
by are now doing duty receiving ships. others
are drifting down the tide Of years In service as
school rooms while others still are lying in inglo-
rous idleness in the various 'bone-yard Of the
Nation
The Portsmouth, ship-r igged though technically
known as a sccond-ratc slOop-of-war. was butt at
Portsmouth y. H.. and was launched in the fall of
She is OF l022 register. l5l feet 10 inches
long 20 feet beam IL. feet deep and ready for sea.
with stores guns and ammunition on board. drew
between Il and is feet Of water Her original cost
Was Sl7O,5@ and up to 1850 Si.2o had been expended
ON her for repairs. Her original armament con-
sisted OF four s.inch smooth-bore cannon ana
eighteen % pounders besides small arms. etc, ana
she carried a crew of 30 officers and men. her pay
roll and cxpense account amounting TO about 500
Ue annually. Her first cruise to the Norfolk
Navy Yard From there II Is known that she went TO
Madeira though but little Is known OF her history
for the first three years that she was In commits
SION In 1876 however. WAS AT San Francisco.
CAL under Commander j. Il. Montgomery and took
part In the seizure of California. taking possession
of san Francisco July Of that year. In the
Mexican War OF 1916 10 and ~. the Portsmouth
took an active part In the operations OF the Pacific
Squadron. On March II, lIi Commander Mont
gomery captured the Mexican schooner Jose Eliza
near Mazatlan, the schooner afterward being
leased as unseaworthy. the cargo being sold for
x929 On April :. 1871. she captured the ship Adj
mittance at san Jose. In Lower California. and her