The morning call., 1894-07-02
UNCLE SAM ACTIVE.
Great Deal of Work Going on at
Mare Island


detaching all the officers OF the United States
snip Marion as soon as the ship is out of com
MISSION, Which will be in few days.
contrary 10 all expectations word was re-
eeiVed the first of the week TO commence max
ing repalrS to the Marion, ana TO push her
along without stopping. This was good news,
as IL Will give work 10 large force OF men for
a number Of weeks 10 come. Her masts and
yards have been sent down, and many OF her
stores and gear Of all kinds are In the various
shops and houses Workmen are busy remov-
lug the boiler tubes. many of Which were leak
ing badly when the ship came TO the island. In
The shops men are at work preparing new tubes
To take the place of The old ones The engines
are being taken apart preparatory TO their
thorough repair, and before six weeks roll
around the steam engineering department W III
have put all her machinery in order and be able
10 report the Marion ready for sea, so tar as
that department is concerned. The cOnstruc-
ton and equipment departments have gangs OF
Carpenters, IiggeTS and sai-makers w0I king
Oh their various parts OF the ship aud gear.
Throughout the yard there is considerable
work going on, more specially In the upper
end, where The steam engineering buildings are
located. There Is Il good gang OF foremen ana
mechanics, with chief engineer who Is
anxious 10 get all the work possible, and a
bureau officer, Chief Engineer George w. Mel
Vile, U. 5. N, in cha ge OF the Bureau OF
5 cam Engineering al Washington VINO rec0g-
niZes this facI, and that Ma, e Island is one
OF The best pOnls In The United States TO 60
WORK, and they turn IL out just as cheap and as
good, If not better, than at most places. lie
therefore desires 10 see Just as much OF The
machinery woik done here possible. A
piece OF work has just been done III bis depart
me1t at Maze Island that is a great credit TO
all The wOrkmen, from the chief down TO the
boy In the shop who gathers up the bolings.
The immense crank shaft of the United
States steamship Boston has been made ready
for service and by means of the 1OO-ton crane
lam ed n hoard.
largest piece of wOIk OF its kind ever handled
III the machlne-shop, the Journals being sixteen
inches in diameter and tie shaft. with It's three
large crankS, solid It's entire length. IN
modern practice such shafts are made IN de-
tachabie sections and are hollow. Ii Is there
fore sale 10 say that there Will never be sucn
another shaft in the United States Navy. Ihe
boxes in which this wondIous mass reVoyeS
have b en- babDIted and bored ready for ad-
iustment in their places. The eccenIrlcs and
their straps have also been thoroughly repaired
aud are ready for their duty Of forcing the
steam valves to their Work. New condenser
heads Of brass have been completed Tor the
auxiliary condenser. IN these heads modern
ferules will be used Tor packing The tuD 5.
one Of the cylinders seyenIy-fOur inches In
d ameter has Deen DO, out aud new packing
rugs made for the piston which weighs several
tons.
Tie work on the Monadnock is such as to
commend itself aud rebound 10 the c. edlt OF
the Mare Island officials and mechanics. o
be sure, the hull was built on this side of the
river DY contract, DuL Indt was years ago
Since the monitor mas been at the yard she has
been practically rebuilt. All oil her inside
bulkheads were removed ana compleie
change made. She is assuming an appearance
of 4 ship that Will make her the most powerful
ana deS TuctiYe that has ever been on the
coast.
The Thetis is having considerable work done
10 her engines They are receiving thorough
owe hauling The thrust shaft has been taken
out and the journals and thrust collars turned
up. The horseshoe thrust rings are to ne bab-
bltled; the valve motion In all lis parts re-
paired.
The fiscal year commences to-day, aud while
he past Year in some departments has been
fair, it is not such as the capabilities OF the
yard call for There are still hopes that Con-
gress may make approximations for the care
and preservation OF the yard sufficiently large
10 enable more Work 10 be done toward The
maintenance of the yard proper han has uSu-
ally been The case. There Is always great
deal OF work about the various worei ing parts
OF the yard, buildings and quarters that Is re-
qnired TO be done that cannot be done owing
TO The limited means AT the disposal OF the
pToper authorities. The chief of the bureau of
yards and docks deparImrnt was here and
made a very EXHAUSTIVE examination into all
the requirements OF the yard, aud u IS sale TO
say that Commodore Mathews Will 40
ali he can toward aIotting such funds
at his command 10 keep up The " yard ara
command 1t will not be his fault hat the i'm
provements and repairs are not made.
The yard from this date on Will be sup
Water Works, located up at Green Valley
Falls Connections with the pipe leading across
the valley from Vallejo To the nayy-ydrd were
made Saturday, aud without doubt there VIII
be no cause OF complaint regarding the inferior
quality of water being furnished 10 the Govern
ment
The Monterey has had her bunkers enlarged
so that now she can carry some forty additional
tons of coal Her bridge has been enlarged and
all minor repairs made. She is now ready for
sea- Monday she will be hauled out IN the
i a.. 81 81
ders nave not yet been received for her 10 sail,
though they are expecled AT any moment. 1t Is
hard 10 predict the direction tnat she will go.
The yard will be closed to work on the
Fourth. The general salutes Will be fired. from
the yard battery. Owing TO the fact that The
Marion and Thetis are practically dismasted,
but little bunting can be displayed The ships
VIII be dressed, as far as practical. A guard OF
marines Will come over 10 Vallejo 10 join In the
celebration. The officers at Mare Island usually
ION IN the celebration. and this year they Will
also be represented In the procession.
The latest telegraphic news Is 10 the effect
that Captain Francis j. HiggnsOn, U. 5. N. has
been ordered as captain OF the yard. He is 10
take the place of Captain Henry Glass, now in
command of the Unied States cruiser Cincln.
nali in commission at New York. Captain Hig-
ginson was lately in command OF The cruiser
A anta. In addition to his duties as captain
of the yard, he Will be III charge OF the depart
partment of yards and docks. Captain Hlggiu
son is an officer universally liked by all assOci-
ated with him on board OF ship or at yard sta
tions where he has been attached.
Commander McCalla, who has been acting as
captain of the yard. has had the Fire Depart.
ment al the yard out several times night as well
as day during the past week drilling the men in
fire quarters.
Carpenter, U. S. N, will soon relieve Rear
Admiral James S. Skerrett. U. S. N, as CON-
mauder-in chief of the Asiatlc squadron, on
account OF the laItePs retirement from active
service.