New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-21
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD.
THE SPLENDID RECORD OF THE MONT
GOMERY AND IT'S COST.
TRIAL CONDITIONS WHICH DO NOT OCCUR ~
WARFARE-WO OF OTHER siIIPs-cOM-
MOpORE WALKER ~ LINE FOR

TRIAL CONDITIONS WHICH DO NOT OCCUR ~
WARFARE WORK OF OTHER sHIPs-coM-
MopoRE WALKER ~ LINE FoR
ADMIRAL BELKNAPs PLACE
one after another the new ships Of the Navy
fall into line on the list Of triumphs in the way
OF speed The ship IS built. she has her trial, and
ii is found that she excels all previous ones Of
her class in speed If not in other qualities also.
The Montgomery is the last vessel thus to prove
herself q great success. At her trial Friday
il was found that she was the fastest Of the
2.000-ton cruisers. it being expected that the
cards when worked M. will show speed OF
nineteen knots. But not alone in speed Is the
montgomery a success. Naval Constructor ".
II. Varney who made the trip on the vessel
from Baltimore to New-London. speaks highly
OF her. lie thinks that she is stancher than the
other two ships Of her class. the Marblehead and
the Detroit She hshaved eXcellenuy in the voy-
age up from Baltimore. although the sea was
rough and the breeze fresh and she did the
same on the trial trip in Long Island Sound on
Friday. Now the Montgomery probably will go
10 the Norfolk Navy Yard, to be completed and
fitted for active service. her various fittings
We're made there
This trial brings up again the question about
the present method Of conducting such tests.
Successful the Montgomery trial was. from the
present point Of view but is the point which is
now taken correct? An officer who talking
ON this matter yesterday referred to the fact
that IL is to the interest of the contractor to
make special efforts 20 develop speed In the
first place, the contractors underbid each other
to secure the building Of the vessel, and per-
haps thereby reduce their gains TO the mini
Min; the premiums on speed offer chance 10
make money. and this opportunity the con-
tractors embrace Now. speed is a good thing,
and the effort 10 gain II is not entirely bad. but
the fact Is that the speed trial is an extraordinary
test. and that moreover. ii is liable To injure the
vessel permanently IT is an extraordinary test
because ii Is made under conditions that would
never be repeated in actual service: 1t Is made
with the machinery in the most perfect cond
ton possible: with the bottom of the ship freshly
painted and slushcd; with a OF the most
skilled men. and with picked coal. When. in
actual service would vessel sail with picked
coal? This four hours trial racks the vessel
more" said the officer. than years Of real SER
vice. Why. even the grate-bars are burnt out on
a trial. II can readily be seen how vessel is
harmed 10y such racklng'
So these trials not representatives. They
do show what the vessel is capable OF being
made 10 do just a horserace shows what
z horse can be made to DO. But they not
really practical. They are made under cond
lions which will never again be- realized, and at
the same time they leave a permanent mark
on the new vessel
THE MARBLEHEAD AND CINCINNATI.
The Marblehcad. which had a successful trial
awhile ago. is now at the Navy Yard being
completed. Various changes are being made
in her in accordance with suggestions of the
Stability Board. and these will delay the time
of her completion. An order has been received
to 1T her out and the work will 60 on rapidly.
but 1t IS not known just when she will be COM
peted. The work on the cruiser Cincinnati is
going on with much energy. The Construction
Department has a fairly large force or men
employed on her. and as other departments
also have gangs Of men there the ship presents
the appearance Of a busy hve-and n noisy one,
too. The inside joiner wOrk-the work In the
caDins-is nearly completed but there is much
work 10 be done on the decks. The Ordnance
Department is putting In the torpedo LAUNCHING
tubes, Of which thcr. are four two broadslde,
one in the bow. and one in the stern. The
Steam Engineering Department Is laying pipes:
the boilers and engines ana other machinery
already I'm place. The completion or tho
vessel and her first run Will be watched WIN
interest 10 see how she compares with the ships
which have been built 10y contractors. She has
been built. even To her engines ana boilers, IN
the Navy Yard. and with the utmost care
Several Of the heavy plates oil The Names ar
NOR belt have now been put In place, although
the work was begun 50 short a time ago. rms
ship as we'll the Cincinnati has been built
with a great deal Of care by the officers who had
her In charge. and WILL no doubt prove satls-
factory, as we'll efficient, ship. Her en-
gincs were built By contract, and so the inter
est attaching to the trial trip Will differ from
that attaching To- the trial Of the Cincinnati The
Terror IS now In the drydock to receive her
side The work On this vessel and the
Puritan is necessarily Ecavy and slow. but 1t
goes steadily
No decision has as yet been made public by
Secretary Herbert 1t will be "A matter Of great
importance az well OF great interest TO the
people on board the vessel To learn whether she
is to be cut In two and pcced out, or TO have
her rigging, battery. and other weights reduced
and cement put along her keel. decision Will
probably soon be made and something done To
the vessel to improve her condllcn.
ABOUT THE OTHER VESSELS.
Now that the Montgomery's trial IS over. the
Vesuvius has returned to the Yard. and the
Dolphin will probably be back soon. How long
they will stay Is another matter. II may he that
the Dolphin will receive some OF the orders To
which she Is liable at any time. and the
Vesuvius will go out to do more OF the wreck
destroying business which she has done so sue
cessfully before. There may De some DINER
vessels in Ncw-Yorl before long. When the
Chicago went TO Europe 1t was thought that
she would stay only about year, and now the
transfer Of some Of her officers to the Bennington
has been taken as an indication that she w0uId
be ordered home When in this country she mas
made the New-York Navy Yard her head /
quarters Two vessels also I" return To this
country from the Asiatic Squadron. one is the
Marion, from japanese waters; she Is 10 go To
the Mare Island Navy Yard to be repaired; and
the other IS the Lancaster. also from Japan /
which is coming home by way OF the Suez
Canal The Lancaster was for many years the
agship of the Asiatic Squadron, but she VIII /
now IL is said be attached TO The trann. squad /
ron Her place flagship has been taken ny /
the Baltimore. Ii Is probable That new chicf
engineer will be sent to the San tranclsco be
fore long as Chief Engineer III. w. FItch. VINO !
Is now ON the ship, has made report mat MS
health has become much broken.
REAR-ADMIRAL BELKNAPS RETIREMENT.
The orders to Rcar-Admral George f. Belknap !
10 act az president Of the board of Office RS when
had charge of the trial of the Montgomery were /
revoked on account of the nearress ~ MS re-
tirement This will take place tomorrow ana