New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24
AFFAIRS IN THE NAVY YARD.
',-.,r TEXAS NEARLY READY FOR HER
SEA TRIAL
,x-,,v THE TORPEDO BOAT HAS BROKEN DOWN
THE DIFFICULTY IN THE ENGINEERING
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. WANT

cSrrerins with the battle-ship Texas Ia about An
,shed and it is now announced that she will be
-oaav for the trial OF her engines within a few
6avs Nothing has been done to the damaged
,o,as in her hull and It is not likely that anything
lin he done until after she has had runs at sea
and settled the question as to whether or not the
Richmond Locomotive Works Will be credited with
saving turned out successful set OF engines II
. not expected that further action Will be taken
An reference TO the damage sustained by the ship
a. consequence of her docking. and there will be no
,s,action by a board unless the strain OF her sea
trial develops weaknesses which floating her In the
drvdock did not bring out Naval officers and en-
,neers are looking forward to the trial with
God deal of interest on the results shown will
Sa,snd not only large Of money, but the
General satisfaction OF officers and men with their
h, There is q general opinion. which due re-
card for the regulations keeps somewhat under
cover that the ship is not all that Is claimed for
her and the fact that when the Columbia, In the
Southampton dock, suffered similar injury, though
10 a greater degree. there was at once loud cry
Of structural weakness, while In the present IN
stance there appears to be an extremely strong de-
sire 10 cover up any deficiencies the Texas may
have shown in the way of weakness. is commented
as a desire to favor English designs at the expense
OF American designers and builders 1t Is hard 10
believe that this version OF the matter 10 based on
ANYTHING more than the attempt to md an excuse
for the attacks the Columbia. as the INTENSE
Amercanisrn which permeates the Navy in all Its
branches is OF too solid nature 10 permit any!
thing OF the sort
The ward tug Traffic, and the commodore's launch
took the place in the timber dock made vacant py
the floating OF the Texas and will have thorough
overhauling The Traffic ran into lighter re-
Gently and will have 10 have new stem before she
will he ready for business again, while the launch
81 IN need OF a new coat of paint and some minor
repairs Both vessels will be foated on TUESDAY
next, and az as the dock can be prepared the
flagship New-York will be hoated in for a cleaning
A force from the Bureau Of Steam Engineering has
been at work her fire mains for the last week.
and their work will be finished by the time the
ship is ready to take the water again Some OF the
interior woodwork on the ship has been rebuilt and
fixed over, and she will not stay IN the yaro long
after she comes out OF the drydock. The question
OF the flagship carrying a naval constructor mas
been settled by the assignment OF Horatio g. Gill
NOR Of the staff OF Constructor bowies' 10 mat
duty in place of Lloyd Bankson the orders as
signing Assistant Constructor F.<W. Hibbs 10 the
flagship having been revoked on the day after they
issued.
The mounts for the small guns Of the Atlanta
have been landed and stored away. and there are no
guns left on either that ship or the chicago save
those Of the largest calibre they carry. The last
OF the cylinders for the Chicago's new engines Is
rapidly being finished. and three of the SIX are al
ready set up in the room devoted to that WORK
The two big thrust shafts Aave been finished. and
are ready for use, while the worx on the other
parts Of the machinery Is well under way Inc
steam engineering bureau is having lot OF rouoie
with the little torpedo-boats for the Maine. On
Saturday last an attempt the sixth, was mace 10
send one of the boats over the measured mile
course on the Hudson. but like all the other at
sempts 1t was a failure The boat reached the
starting line all right and just before the run De-
gan nut gave way, Jet of steam came OUT INTO
the little engine-room. and, as there were two OF
the ward tugs on hand. the boat was taken IN TOW
and brought back to her moorng place. All these
accidents and failures would seem to reflect on the
construction Of the engines. but thefe are EXCUSES
for them which seem to have been o'eriooAeu'
The engines are extremely small, and carry steam
at a high pressure. They are in room where
rnoca Ga en- crarhped that the IN charge OF
them has 10 stoop over and creep around, In immi-
nent danger Of being torn to pieces as the result %
the slightest misstep. AS II this were not ehous"
+he same crew does not make two runs IN success
sion and II takes little time to get ACQUAINTED
with engines whether they are small or large. Inc
FIRST atteupt was made with a scrub crew, maue
I'D of machinists and other employees OF the bureau
and the second had different set OF men iioin o
n, the ships then in port. These men went ava!
nm their vessel and the third trial was with men
who had never seen the engines until they ciiihpeu
,ou,n into the little ''cubbyhoe' where the wheeis
90 round Later trials were made under Similar
circumstances and there is little WONDER Una. INC
engines are unable 10 stand tie pressure
confidently asserted that II crew couiu De p"
With the engines and kept with them Tor niue
- ~ roach,nerv OF the boats would work to the
ea,isfacton of everybody concerned, ana II in'sn'
he we'll TO try the experiment before condenhins
,ha heats or the men who designed ana puiIt inc
Engines
MORE CHARGES AGAINST ENGlNEhHo'
Tho Tribune last Sunday published story reiat
,ng 70 the trouble In the department OF steam, e"e
neering which caused considerable comment ~
eeerns that the three weeks whlch inc ui'e'
-nacbnists had so kindly granted to the accuseu
rtaile
,,iew ~ the recent action OF the head OF the Ma
tional organization of machnists In threatening d
Congressional investigation the Secrelary WI enSed
Commodore Scard commandment Of the YARD, ma, mas
been Informed BY the Secretafry sia chine shop
foremen and requested tS the rhe
matter and report the .afs having 4 been
and arbitrary in his dealings with the employees e
gnde We 9s or general Of the charges
previously made. and OF me an5 no one seems
IN n a. present but the officers interested are
not all alarmed as 70 the &c fear from any in
vestgation the Department may see nj 10 i hey
and d timer o fIe nnscs ahs Y'DA
The people on the other side OF the fence n n6@
saw as they SAID before that there Is trouble aheaa
Tor the officers and intimate that tne,e pi ibrouga
the other departments In the yard some tune me- ago
the charges to be based on oe OF the
gneering bureau account OF college aSe Enet
Win one 0f 'ne eutenant Knapp SO far has had
nothing 10 say on the subject They also assefs
.Set rIa.tIcaliy the whole stan OF the statIon -
,nore or less directly interested In the mater anu
that before is ended the force from h ,ne shakins
IN Meantime all hands are waiting LOT h,shnS
more than threats turn up The letters pups nd
last week showed that an attempt MAJ ~. ~ &C.
~ comDromise which was not needed by .ne a.
cused officers and another one IS gwen stii
also written to Mr. Hunt, and leaving the gate BUM
open: 49,. 80 onsuer NV note IL Is
orns,isred nroDer 10 advise you that your feha!Ss
~ outsiders about having me indicted peiore u ' ne
"Crand Jury is simply thrash Now SIT, WI. n',
ga Won wouid do so without delay, by GOO yoiu
Would wish you were in Hell before you rrimn or
,nsIfsisance In a Government office by the MAJ
administration Of public moneys or f M any vnu that
! am not amenable to either the CIVIL Military or