New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-11
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD.
prcrrT OVER THE LOSS OF THE
KEARSARGE.
CONSTRUCTION WORK AcTIvE-DlscusslNG THE
VALE REORGANIZATION DlLI~-A NEEDED

O,,. tho ercntest and most sincere regret was en-
,osead Yesterday in the Navy YARD III regalu 'o
~, lace If the wooden corvette he1rsarsc on i'o"-
.ado~ reef. The Kearsarge had a warm place IN
40 bc,ris of the officers AMI was looked al WIN
lido and affection and her loss will leave Void
hitch can be filed by no other vessel 'lhcerS
were curious TO know the latest news N rega'u 10
her and she was a topic OF general interest,
Aside from her historic interest and the ahec'loh
which she commanded on that score, the hears"rSe
s l,o,,od unon by the officers in general as an
easy berth She was old and roomy. SO that 'here
was plenty of space TO move around H. pu'' oV-
sides this she was easy because she uu not nave
the elaborate and powerful machinery OF 'ie ne"
vessels. Her engines did not need attention III the
same close way as the modern compNca'eo engines
o,1 ;r other denartments there was far less work
required 10 keep her in proper condition than on the
more modern vessels. But Notwithstanding 'he
Fact that the Kearsargc is not molcrn there is
not ship in the Navy that has beer kept more &C
lively employed during the last few years. and per
haps not one that has had SO much to do Since
The Kcarsarge was put out of commission and
thoroughly ovcrhaulcd. about six years ago. she has
been "cn the go constantly. For few months
every year she would be North, and would receive
the few repairs necessary after several months Of
hard work, and then she would be OF again on i'm
portant duty.
DANGEROUS CURRENTS NEAR EONCADOR.
An officer in the Yard who was talking about the
Kearsarse struck is variable, and is at times very
swift At one time it will have comparatively
slow speed and at another il will be rushing along
at the rate Of two or three knots an hour. can
only for the disaster the superstition that
the vessel had no observations and feel sure tina;
this must have been the The sky must have
been overcast otherwise the vessel could not have
gone ashore an hour after sunset. If II had been
IN the middle of the night the case would have
been different. but coming as 1t did, there must
have been n lack Of observations Then the vessel
struck the swift current. and not being able TO take
observations. the officers could not tell how swift
the current OR /; may be that when they
could observe. the current had been much slower,
and had increased at this point without their
knowing il.
Il am afraid that there may be suffering from lack
Of drinking water. The officers and crew got ashore.
but there is no water fit to drink on the island If
they have drink the brac kish water found there
1t is likely that they viii be made sick Perhaps
they could get back to the ship and get enough
piping to make distilling apparatus. but other
wise they may be in need. The party Will hnd on
the island a we'll dug by the Warner Miller party,
and they will find that the brackish water which
this yields is much purer at low water than at
high. There have been numerous wrecks there be-
fore; the island is on the high road Of navigation
between some of the ports In that part OF the
world. and is one of the most dangerous obstacles
10 navigation
The reporter spoke about the fact that there was
10 lighthouse on the island and the officer &C
counted for il thus: 1T is hard say who owns the
island Perhaps the United states of Colombia
IS the owner But no one claims these islands, OF
which there are many In the West Indies IhiS
one used to be owned by an American. who WORKED
It for guanc. but il was afterward abandoned Goa
sequently there is no one 10 bui!d lighthouse
there The Kearsarge party will be all right there
unless they unable 10 get water. Ihere are
A few palm trees and some bushes. and there is Il
nut built by fishermen who go over 10 hunt Tor
turtles eggs The growth Of trees there shows that
although the island low. the does not wash
over it,
The loss of the Kearsarge leaves the North At
lantic squadron badly off for vessels. When the
San Francisco went TO Brazil the home squadron
Was left with only four vessels and none of these
were adapted for active or enectiye cruising out!
the ,e y 9eayy ana can make good
but her principal battery her pneumatic guns Is al
TO go out Of commission IN order 10 De neDu,.,' ,bI
the loss OF the Kearsarge is seriously fet JUST al hs
lime but She could 90 ahead steadily at respect
able cruising pace. ana was aI"ayS reau! - ai a.,
save her and put her into service again Is ques,,
ton the prevailing opinion at NE ,e nas in ry
ing to do this. although the officers SAID that tney
eOua mot tell Of 5e yess There viii
be of inquiry into the disaster ana poss!n.y
ao court pf inSprY 2l this necessary
1t is almost certain that Admiral stanton cannot
be held accountable Tor tie acco os the i sn eT
than officers Of his position usually do, the Only
thing that he had TO do with her movements was
10 order the captain to go TO Blucneds Nicaragua.
Commander o. l.. Hcyerman who commanced the
ship. has a good name with his brother ofiicers
one of the officers yesterday recalled the fact that
when there was yellow fever on the han Ih lew
Inanded that vessel gave up MS private caDn Ior
a hospital for the men instead OF making speciai
quarters in some other part or the snip
WORK on THE MACHIAs.
The work Of removing the stores from the
Machas IN order 10 put her out of commission
goes on steadily. The three officers from the YES
sci who went to Portsmouth last week for the
Castine have been heard from by their brother
officers. The stores, ordnance. etc, are being put
Expected that she viii be in the Navy Yard about
the last Of the week ns ar the aeraoH
OF the vessels has already been sent in But theTe
is no hurry to get the vessels into dryd0ck In
the first place. the plates, angles. etc. VIII prob
ably not be delivered inside OF five or six weeks,
a hey 'H % Saye to e be trimmed Pcked
and otherwise made ready for use wnicn VII r n
INTO dock when 1t is learned that the plates have
been started on the road for New- orK, the ere
fore the plates are ready for use -, ,,,..,
IS under way. The main boilers have no, been
retubed as yet but the work has been finished on
on board for lighting and heating the snip
WHAT is DOING on THE OTHER SHIPS.
The Columbia will be the next OF the new YES
sels 10 20 into commission, az II was learned al
the Navy Yard yesterday that the MaToieheao
will not be commissioned until March H. Inc
Columbia will 90 into commission according TO the
present unders landing. on March ]. and IL Is
though, that she should be ready for actual guy ,
in month from then. After she IL ready foI ac's,
service il IL not likely that she VIII be sent Ia
away from the Eastern coast FOR several months I
as her final trial does not take place uhtii niN
months after she leaves the Cramps shipyaru
where she is now lying The work OF altering Inv "a,
end 70 whatever ideas there may have been o.
putting her into commission al an carry Gay. ~
Il a FOOD deal of work on her in order 70 Hhh'
these desirable alterations and It Is hought in rs
90 &c IN ~, ~" resent her officers and crew couit
no, even i've On board. The Cincinnati VIII prop pro-
abiv no ,tn frst slip going into commission a.te
The We,Sjebrad ana about the first Of ApriI sh'
.lac