New-York tribune., 1895-10-20
1 EFAIRs AT THE NAVY YARD.
vAINE AND THE LANCASTER NEAR
Ly READY FOR SEA.

FROM THE souADRoN-YARD WORK AND
,aovrMENrs-NoTEs ON NAVAL MATTERS.
p,,sht and shining as a new pin the armored
''sr Maine came out OF the drydock in the Brook
~ Navy Yard about o'clock yesterday afternoon
~ was towed to the coal wharf. where she Will
10 on board the supply OF fuel for her speed trial,
~x,ard having a test before Joining the fleet OF
~ North Atlantic Squadron. at Norfolk. and taking
, IN the evolutions which Admiral Bunce has
s,arned The cruiser received two coats or anti
p,,rg composition and general washing down
"a cleaning up Her big guns have begun to
1--we their coats OF black paint, and when she gets
a. sea she will be as pretty fighting ship as any
an the Navy list
There was a good deal of satisfaction expressed
.t the yard yesterday over the fine performance OF
,he Indiana and predictions made that she
rould do even better than her official trial showed
,hen she gets fairly in working order and a demand
,s made on her TO do her best That the first battle
.h,p of the Navy should keep up the record al
ready made by her builders was TO have been ex-
rected but that her engines should develop the
horsepower with which they credited and stand
the strain demsnded of them in perfect manner
was a matter over which the engineers were almost
AZ well pleased as II they had made the engines
themselves.
With the successful trial OF the Indiana, the
launch of the Nashville and the Wilmington the
two new gunboats. the floating Of the Maine nearly
ready for sea. and with her final coat OF paint on.
the week has been one of much interest to those
who keep track OF naval affairs. AS the Lancaster
will probably start for the South Atlantic station
this week and the Maine join the squadron, the
yard will be empty OF vessels In commission In a
short time. The Lancaster has been towed over to
the main sea wall and Is rapidly assuming the
"shipshape appearance which she will present
when outward bound. Her destination after the de-
livery OF her relief crew TO the Newark is not yet
cd but Is hal Oha hat ne Will
return North. and. after rehttng, go on cruise in
her official capacity a gunnery practice ship.
Work on the yard Improvements has gone along
steadily for the last week. and the boards which
have guarded the hole in the wall where the Sands
st. gate Is to be have come down. showing that the
prospects for the rapid completion of the gate
good. The OF the Wallabout channel just
beyond the gate to the timber dock is solid raft
OF piling. which Is intended to be used by the
Washes in the timber dock. Work on this big
Sob is being pushed, 1t is the desire OF the con-
tractors have the greater part of the excavation
finished before freezing weather sets in the
work OF construction be carried on when It Is
TOO cold 10 the big dredging machine effectively
The piling for the wall is all In place, and
the other jobs are we'll in hand.
THE TEXAS AND HER ENGINES.
News from the North Atlantic Squadron is that
she vessels taking on coal and stores at Fort
Monroe preparatory to another cruise at sea for
practice and exercises in feet tactics. The tactical
board Of the feet is in session. and is giving at
tenton to suggestions which have been made by
officers OF the different ships regarding the new
drill book 1t had been feared that the needed re-
pairs to the Montgomery would keep her in drv-
dock for longer time than was at first expected,
but II Is announced that she will join the
feet in few days. Admiral Bunce it Is said, holds
that whenever practicable repairs to the ships
ehoud be made on board. and in accordance with
this view peremptory orders have been issued TO
confne the dock work on the Montgomery TO those
repairs which are important Before the feet goes
South 1t will probably be necessary TO send the
New-York and the Raleigh TO the Navy Yard as
their fire mains in bad condition and It is i'm
possible TO repair them with the vessels force
The statement is also made that her recent trial
the Texas made only twelve knots. that her con-
densers leaked. and that 1t Is practically certain
that her pumps will need changes before she can
be thoroughly efficient in the matter Of speed The
temperature In her hydraulic rooms, where the
turrets are operated At is also said. rose to 10
degrees Admiral Bunce Is inspecting the ships OF
the fleet and has finished with the Columbia. the
next on the list being the New-York and the Mont
eomery.
In a private letter recently received in New-York
relative to the Texas attention is called to the
fact that the Texas had to 80 to sea for trial OF
her engines as the water at the Portsmouth Va)
sard was not deep enough to permit OF dock trial
as is the case at the Brooklyn and other yards
TO this cause is due the fact that Whatever de-
hciencies there in her pumps and other parts
of her machinery first seen when the ship was
at sea- and naturally attracted more attention
.han thev would II they had been found when
ehe was tied up at yard wall. The failures So
called were nothing than those which usn-
ally develop when engines are put to the test for the
frst time and the statement Is made mat there
has been no more trouble with the Texas than there
was with the Maine and other new ships the
"a
chose who designed them on their builders They
have been tested in horsepower ulai' nd ana
account OF themselves 49,. Norv
In relation to the docking Of the Texas the Navy
Al The Norfolk dock is not sufficient TO float the
tattleship and that she VIII be sent TO aIs tne wtb
the probabilities strongly in favor OF the latter
place If she ienns 10 ns aDd the Yard will
more popular place than ever 20 ISr the vessel but
because He her Commanding officer, Captain Henry
Glass and his executive. Lieutenan' r nt9
GERS Of the Navy with Brooklyn and New-fork
V'''''' LITTLE AND BIG BOATS
The fact that the Herreshoffs have the contracts
FOR two Of the new torpedo-boats gives rise to an
discussion as to how far they will modify
and improve on the plans designed by the Depart
ment for these little flyers. That the hrm VIII
bring out something in the way OF war Vessels
which will be a surprise to the Navy Peopio 10
confidently expected and Commander u. A. Con
verse and Lieutenant S. s. Wood. who have peeh
ordered 10 TIE Bristol shops as inspectors OF the
work. will be popular with those who Will try 10
Hnd out Just what is being done Lieutenant "ooo
has been detached from the Vermont 10 atteho u
che work at Bristol. ,...s 20
The Ammen ram Katahdin, which was siateo 70
have another trial Thursday last. is stu IN te
drydock at the Charlesown lMass) yard ana a ioO,i
present appearances she will stay there for SOM
lime and the trial viii be indefinitely postpoheaa'
The work on her alterations is not yet compieteu.
and no day can be named when she Will be ready
70 be foated again .,a...,o,s
OF battie-ships 5 and 6, the Kearsarge ana her
mate have been completed. Four shippulo.ne
firms have received copies of the same The snow
ing is highly creditable to the chiefs Of the Bu-
reaus OF Construction and Repair and steam I'm
gineering ands their assistants and draughtsmen
6ecretary Herbert recently asked Chief Constructor