New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-18
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
THE coM1c-oPERA COURT OF INQUIRY
AND THE DAMAGE TO THE COLUMBIA

WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH COLONEL. roRNEY-
TEMPEST IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE
CRUISER CoLUMBIA-NoTEs OF
NAVAL AFFAIRS
The sou-stirring questions as to what had be-
come OF a can-opener. a push-cart. some furni-
,ure and sheets and pillow cases and a lob LOT of
stove COAL said to have been hypothetical or
otherwise disposed Of b, Colonel James Forney.
have kept a court Of inquiry in anything but a
eutter Of excitement for a week. and have ap-
narently been settled to the satisfaction of the
officers composing the court With all due re-
spect for the appointed forms Of naval pro-
cedure in such cases. 1t seems to an outside OBJ
server who is not awed by gold lace or af-
,srted by the distinctions between line and staff
that a remark made not long ago by a certain
pear-Admiral. retired, about "Pnafore
business" was justified by the present instance
No one Of the friends of Colonel Forney is will
ing 70 believe that he was. while In command Of
the Brooklyn Marine Barracks guilty Of any,
thing which justified the calling Of the court in
the first place. and already those who know are
hooking askance at certain officers who are more
anxious for promotion than they are particular
about the means of getting the coveted numbers.
has easily won its case. as what little testimony
VA. introduced against che Colonel was more
than offset by the testimony in his favor. and
the marines who were called as witnesses were
for their old commander to a man. What the
court will do however. is something no fellow
can find out. Its report will go to Washington.
and the Judge-Advocate- Generals office will
vrestle with it, after which 1t will go to some of
McAdoo for final settlement, the tempest in a
,sapot will have subsidized and Colonel Forney
will probably go back to Portsmouth. and others
connected with the case will continue their in
tsrrupted leaves Of absence.
that the Columbia is structurally strong as
.ry ship in the Navy has been shown by the Of
fcial examination Of her hull since she has been
plsced in the timber dock in the Yard The re-
mort Of the Board of Inspection. composed Of
Commodore Sefridge. Naval Constructor Bowles
and Chief Engineer Farmer, is follows:
In general the actual damage is Slight. II be-
ing confined to loose and eaky rivcts. ard a few
leaky butts and beams in the fat keel plates. and
10 dents in the fiat keel plates and sarboards
These dents occur evidently where the snip
rested on the keel blocks at Southampton. and
are located at the outer edges Of 1t.
I'VE find that no damage to the machinery has
been sustained.
I'VE find that the cause OF the damage and in
Jury sustained by the hill OF the Columbia by
the docking at Southampton was generally care
less and unskilful docking. shown by APP
parent neglect of most elementary prepara-
ions 10 secure the uniform support Of the keel
0. the ship. The immediate cause Of the dents
and bruises to the bottom plating of the Column
bia was that the keel blocks at southampton
were not properly aligned and did not bear
equally. and that each block was not squared or
to give support to the fat and ,evel surface OF
the fat keel On the contrary the keel blocks
had been repeatedly used, and by bar-keel YES
sells so that they were crushed down in the GEN.
tire 10 such an extent that when examined as
soon as the water was out or the dock at South
anpton a considerable number showed no bear
ing whatever on the fiat part Of the keel. and
only bore on the outer edges on the bottom plat
ing. Wedges were driven between the keel and
tho centre OF these blocks at the request of the
officers Of the Columbia vessel was fioated out
o. the Southampton dock just before the CoiuH'
bia was taken in"
REPAIRS RECOMMENDED.
Recommendations provide for loose rivets TO De
CIT out and redriven. leaky butts and seams TO
he caulked and reriveted where necessary. bent
frames
eted. broken and cracked cement to be replaced.
The estimated cost for this labor is sS75. and the
material $50 a total Of 1925, and the total time
required twelve days. The fire room stanchions
showed a slight increase N buckling after the
ship was locked in New-York. although the ship
rested equally on fair. true blocks built up for
ward to point forty-six feet from the forward
and it recommended that
ha
occurs after the ship is aioat Estimated cost Of
six new stanchions is Labor $2Io; material
5000; time required. eight days.
A visit to the bottom Of the big white flyer yes
terday revealed the fact that some of the water
which got INTO the space Of her false bottom
on the trip from Southampton was finding Its
way TO the light again in trickling streams
where caulkers' chisels have tapped the tender
p,aces. but 1t Is asserted that the wavy appear
ance OF her keel will In no way interfere with
her value as a commerce destroyer or as an ex-
annie Of American ship building This Is all
the more remarkable when 1t Is seen that the
whole starboard side Of the row Of big plates Is
denied and sunken, In some places as deep as an
inch and half. However. the CONSTRUCTION
Bureau knows its business. and there is little
doubt that the Columbia, when she Is again
eoa.ed wi, he in good order. The steam engi-
HSotcN' WIN DS 80
neering neople have some minor jobs to do on
her and II will probably be ten days or two
weeks before she will be ready for sea- she
Will then try and catch up with the fleet OK
Rear.Admiral Bunce in Eastern waters
And in this connection, the Admiral Is receiv-
Ing a dose of the same medicine when was SO
literally dealt out to Rear-Admiral Meade ana
ui,h ~ Columbia two weeks away, the Texas
three or possibly four weeks away the Atlanta
40 broken down that she can be OF little II any
use the Cincinnati making great 9it,l AZ pre-
ready for commission but short OF men, IL seems seems
N t6ose Who have kept track of naval anairs
that the loudly heralded feet evoipto 3sv wn rd
The satiors Mill he "a great fzzle as were those
attempted by Meade ir Southern waters; p,,oa
This is not the fault Of Rear-Adniial pune
any more than 1t was the fault OF MS The hes,-
sor in the command of the squadron. Inc ies.
tatlng vaclllating policy of the Administrator
is ,ba co'sa ~ The trouble. proper course;