The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-08
THE NAVY YARD.
WOrkmen Are Put On by
Special Permission.
A Ship Ready for Sea Cannot Move
Because She Lacks Men.
Busy Times.

nauleQ up the stream. one Will soon De |
ready in all respects for sea, but where |
she will be detailed has not yet been an
nounced.
The guDboat Yorktown the same after |
noon was hauled down to the buoy abreast |
of the drydock. where she Will at once be |
taken in. ss it is necessary 10 get her |
ready for service as quickly as possible.
orders having been received from the
Navy department at Washington to send
her to China to join the Aslatlc fleet. The
officers and crew on the Yorktown are
we'll pleased with the idea OF going over
to the Orient. as it is considered the best
of all sauadrons to be in to save money.
and that Is one thing that Jack likes. TO
Lave plenty of money in his pocket
when he lands on shore with MS bag and
hammock. 1t does not last long, however,
when be re- ches terra firma, as he is an
easy prey to the "land sharks, as
was atteSted at the races just closed In
this city. Saturday afternoon couple OF
them were out to the track and IN few
moments time they laid down on the red
ana black all they had accumulated in
| months. The sharperS and capperS con-
doed with them, while they slyly wiDked
at each other at having skinned" them so
easily. 1t makes no matter. Jack Will
! ship again and go over to emma, probably,
| in the Yorktown and soon save another
stake by the time the little gunboat is ready
| to return. 1t is expected that when she
returns to the United States she Will go on
| the Atlantic coast. To get her ready for
| duty at once it was necessary for the CON-
mandant OF the yard to ask and the Secre-
tsry of the Navy to grant the privilege OF
| increasing the force some thirty or forty
men over the number allowed 10 be taken
on within the sixty-day limit Of Congress
sional or national election. The privilege
was accorded, and during the past week
the force was increased.
The officers at the navy-yard consider
that Congress should now abolish this
law, as the rules governing the board of
labor employment are SO rigid that it is
now an almost utter impossi0illty for
large body of men to be taken on at the
yard at any one time or any particular
political party. The law was enacted by
Congress in 1856 TO prevent large numbers
of men being taken on at the yard just
before election to control a particular
election, and as this cannot now be done
the officers as well as the employees at the
yard think the law should and Will be
abolished by the next Congress.
The flagship Philadelphia Is still lying at
the Guaywall, with a large force OF men
employed on her machinery and boilers.
1t is expected that the cruiser will be
ready for sea by the Goth of October ana
islands, though the Bennington may first
be sent there, as at present no American
man-of-war has been at Honolulu since
the Philadelphia came NJ some weeks
ago.
crew. Evidently the Navy Depar tment is
in somewhat of dilemma what to do for
a crew. II is strongly limited that the
crew and perhaps some Of the officers OF
the United States ship Adams will be
transferred to the Marion, as while the
Adams is having her keel repaired they
will be of little use on board, and The
, Marion being in readiness she could be
commissioned and II ted out with all her
supplies in less than couple of weeks
time. She will probably not go to China
again.
The board of inquiry on the grounding
of the Adams commenced taking addi-
topal testimony the latter part OF the
week. So far as understood nothing new
o has developed In the case. just ms soon
# as the Yorktown will come out OF the dry
e keel looked after, though the result of the
!. recent keel-haulIug developed the fact that
q but little damage was done TO 1t.
II The Alert is at the yard and the rest OF
= the Beriug Sea feet will be here during
the coming week, that is il the present
n programmes is carried out. The two
d ships to come to the yard are the Mohican
IS and Albatross. They each will require
Z more or less repairs.
II The force at the yard now exceeds 6
:, u thousand men and the payro!ls are larger
than they have been LOT n1teen or engineer
Ic years.
D. The Corlss engine-h0uSe for the con-
y struction and repair department Is about
Il complete and is considered one of TIT
re most substantial buildings at the yard.
~ A new turntable is being built up In thu
IS steam engineering machine.shop for turn
b, ing the yard locomotive, Tamalpais. anC
Of when she runs in with cars loaded will
u stores or machinery.
is Past Assistant Surgeon J. b. Parker, =
~ S. N, of the Independence, has been de
IL tached and ordered home TO await orders
81 and Past Assistant Surgeon n. j. Black
BY wood has been ordered to temporary dut,
be in his stead. The receiving ship Inde
Mt pendence is a model ''guardo," everything
on board being as neat and clean as cal
be and the men on board appear to be a
happy and contented as though sitting b,
their own fireside.
ST Commander George Z. Ide. u. S. N, i
expected to arrive at The yard during th
coming week to assume command of til
IL United States ship Alert
e. 'fhe monitor Monterey is looked for a
Sc the yard during the coming week. One O
st her officers, Lieutenant Downs Wilson, q
Oh S. N, fractured his knee a short time az
lie and will remain in the hospital at til
a navy-yard until he is able to use his leg.
,r, The hop given last Wednesday evenin
10 in The sail-loft was brilliant affair.
no no was reception rendered by the officers c
nj the Bennington to Rear-Admlral Beard
lee, the commandment of the yard, and I
he the officers in the various ships and at tn
at naval station. The loft was decorate
De with flags, bunting, etc. The costume
o oi worn by the ladies were remarkably hanC
he some. Music was furnished by the Ind,
Ir pendepce orchestra.
de The Hartford has had the canvas cove
Ill ing renewed over the spaIdeck SO that i
he case work is commenced on her it may
rs prosecuted during the winter months.
It now looks as though November will com
ok before anything 10 commenced On her.
on is lust as well, as the department is In q
an hurry to have her repairs commenced
.ht completed.
ne The United States ship Ranger arrive
nc at the hayward about o'clock Saturd a
cd afternoon and made fast to one of III
II buoys opposite the steam-engineering d.
partment, where she will remain for tn
present. She accompanied the Mohics
part way down the coast, the latter sh
IDS having lost two of her propeller blade
sss and half of the other one Is broken OF
I'VE She is coming down under sal. and shou
CO. 60 be here the fore part Of the week.
,se There is quite feet OF ships now
ed, the yard. to-wit: Philadelphia. Adam
as Alert, Ranger, Bennington. Yorktow
ate Boston and Marion. The Adams, Range
OF Alert and Yorktown are lying in t.
, na stream, the rest alongside the Quaywa
Of The Yorktown will 60 in dock Monday