The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-20
Serious Defects in the New
York'S Equipment.
BELKNAP DIDN'T SEE THEM.
But He Did See Illegal Trousers
and Misplaced Braid.

Shell Cage Dumps = shell. and &c wes
Pure Lack that saved the Crew-Botsh
Work In the Tsrrets and Two M.gszi,.s
with supsrhestea Tenpersture-A ss-rs
Tsahes onncsr, However I-provea
Things, and the New Tork Cen Lick
Anything Anost-But the Report OF ths
Inspection Board IL Funny In View or
the Intsr.sting Thiues They Didn't See.
wAsHEGToN. April lathe readers OF TIE
Sun who have given in recent months especial
attention to the reports Of naval matters A.
printed in various New York newspapers. win
remember an article that appeared early In
January referring to the cruiser New York In
terms that were not wholly com pllmentary to
her officers and crew. This article. as was
said at the time. was based on the report which
the Belknap Inspection Board had made to the
Secretary OF the Navy after q trial trip In De-
cember lasting forty eight hours; It was In
short. q criticism OF the New York made
practically by the Secretary OF the Navy
through the New York newspapers.
Because this was true. and because the New
York was then on her way to Rio do Jsneiro to
augment the feet stationed there to protect
American interests. q place where complies
lions might arise that would compel conflict.
not with brazilian ships alone. but with those
OF some European power as we'll the publica-
tons stirred the friends OF the iavy In way
that rarely happens. Indeed. they refused to
believe the report at all, but preferred to walls
until tho reply or explanation OF Capt Philip
was received at the Navy Department before
saying anything about the matter for publica-
ton
This explanation has now been received. and
By the sam steamer came sundry letters to per-
sonal friends. in which mention was made Of
troubles on board the feet new cruiser. There
is. therefore. no longer any reason why the
story OF the New York should not be told. and
hore It is:
or all the ships In tho Am erlcan navy. there
Is probably none In which the American pso-
pie. seamen and landsmen. have had so much
confidence as In the one that bears the name
OF the American metropolis. As an all-around
fighter tho New York. with her magnificent
eight-inch guns above and four-inch rapid.
fire guns below; with her protecting steel to
shed the enemy's fire; with her feet twin
screws to drive her In hot wake or enable
her to seek Q far country. she was intended to
DO cruiser 1T to carry the American nag
wherever flags float
The reader unlearned In such matters might
suppose that when Uncle Sam had accepted .
ship from the builders and had placed her In
charge OF his sailors she was 1T for sea. blow
high or blow low. and ready TO fight at the
drop OF the signal The truth is that the work.
men were on board when Capt. Philip and his
crew took possession. and they remained there
day after day because she was not completed
In ordnance.
On Dec. IL at 1880 o'clock came Admiral
Belknap and his Inspection Board to give her
q spin. The hour at which the Admiral ar
rived Is worth noting. because It was at pre-
cissly 10 O'Clock that morning. according to
the Admirars report. that the workmsn left
the ship. Not that the ship was completed-shs
was not completed and probably IL not at this
writing. but trial trip had been ordered and
the orkmen had to get out OF the way. The
report that 10 based on what was done and OBJ
served In the next two days Is ut to double the
depth OF tho wrinkles In the face Of the tough
est shelIback in the navy.
THINGS BELKSAP SAID.
The ship was inspected from the collision
bulkhead to the shaft tunnels from the bridge
where the nlpping air made the Admiraps
nose red. to the stoke hole. whore the temper
ature made him think OF the wrath to CONS.
Hor lines were found to be as beautiful a.
those OF q Venus Her cabins and her
ward room were as luxurious as the kind
OF home which a Venus should have to
dwell In. Her boilers. her engines. her shafts.
her p:opellers were beyond criticism. But
when they came to the compartment valves
the trouble. according to Belknap. began
Ever since the Admiral had been sailing salt
water as master there were some things he
had insisted on. One was that topssils
SWELL BOTTOM TROUSERS.
should be ree:ed In gale OF wind. and another
that the compartment valves be kept constantly
open The New York didp't have topsails to
reef. hut she did have compartments valves.
and they were found shut. The Admiral made
q note OF It, and reported the matter to Mr..
Herbert who tslegraphed to Capt. Philip 70
learn why in-the New York the valves were
shut He has since learned that the safety OF
the ship. owing 70 peculiarItiss OF oonstrue-
ton not to DO explained here. requires that
they be kept shut; and. further. that though
shut they we're In order and ready for action.
or course the men were lined up for inspsc-
ton. No naval seaman need fear that he will
be sighted by an Admiral who Is lns pseting .
ship. There are more than 500 in the crew Of
the New York. and they are a lot OF men to
make the eyes Of the senhorltas OF Rio dance
with delight. But some OF the rascals had got
In debt to the paymaster spending the money.
very likely. In lark when they did not have
the full number oLundsrshirts required by the
department. while siIty-two men fresh from
the receiving ship were not only short In the
count OF their dunnage. but had had the
giving q rake to the seams OF their sgsll-bot-
tom ,E0sssT ro or IN tSi9s b sh: oTsid on the
HdmiqSI saGse6sd 90 to s spsSE. thss. ssgaIiss
In his report TO MIR. Herbert.
Worse yet. some Of the officers did not have
on Overcoats. because their work in hand. and.
possibly, their youthful spirits. kspt them
while others who were short on
activity and didn't have any sIuDsrancs to
speak Of, sought solAes In the covering Ear-
msnt. The AdmirA! was one VINO wore an
overenAt and he made report about lack OF
uniformity in those who didn't.
Then the Admiral had the men sent to gem
eTal quarters. which. being Interpreted. means
thsy were placed ready TO night tho ship The
report Of what he saw then msn-
lions at length y variety OF deficiencies In the
training Of the msn and the preparing for
action. There was confusion in getting bslts"
The short rammer h4ndles" OF the eight
inch guns were not mATks 10 show when the
shells we're home. There had been cOnissSedly
no drill With bToadsSords,. Last Of all, the
N en- showed that they had received but little
Instructions Ia artillery drill"
The explanations OF these charges admit
them 70 DO true There Was confusion" when
the men were sent 10 general quarters, be-
cause siXty-two mad Iust arrived on board and
hall the rst we're not yet acquainted with the
chip. The snort TammeT handles were nos