New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-27
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
FINISHING WORK ON THE BIG BATTLE
SHIP MAINE.

THE MIsHAP TO THE vEsUvIUs-LINE AND STAFF
MArrrRsMEAsLEs ON THE FLAGSHIP
reu visitors to the Brooklyn Navy Yard passed
throuyh the York-st gate last week. and wheh
tho weather the strike. the absence or the Dig
shIps and few minor things are considereu' t'''
Is not to be wondered at. But there Is one iea'u,e
of naval work going on which IN itset Is WI VI
a visit to the yard: that Is, the nnisnhg "oin ""
the second class battleship Maine now III inc
t,rhor drvdock The work OF setting and fitting
the great curved masses OF steel which form her
turret the pacing OF the smaller guns ana tne
/ building OF the shields around them' anu INC
thousand and one other operations are al op'e.'
! lessons In detail OF the way In which powerful
engine OF destruction Is put together ana 'he
J, means Of maintaining the Nations honor are sup
piled
! The little spitire Vesuvius made an attempt 70
! get to sea on Tuesday. but her steering gear De-
| came disabled and she came home again. IL Is eH-
pected that repairs will be completed 80 that s"e
can start again tomorrow on her campaign against
| the derelicts Gun-cotton torpedoes will be taken
on board at Fort Wadsworth, and the hrst rau
vii, be made on some distractions reported by the
4 Hydrographc Office of the Long Island coast
These disposed OF. acknowledgements hhoH
will take his vessel down toward Barnegat' anu
aftsrward &c to Hampton Roads for further IN
structons.
Orders for the Castine to be in the stream on Sat
! uraav February 9 will doubtless be obeyed. as
the work outlined for her by the Board OF IN
spectors is practically finished. and there Is noth-
! ing TO prevent her sailing by the present time
schedule.
7, 4. sald At the Yard that Rear Admiral Meade
10 greatly pleased at the action OF the Department
in attaching the new cruiser Minneapolis 10 the
feet under his command. With this cruiser ne
undoubtedly has the finest squadron ever assembled
by the United States and he will now be able TO
! have the evolutons, which at one TIME seemed TO
|
| To leave Hampton Roads with the New-fork
| Minneapolis. Cincinnati and Raleigh early next
week The Columbia IL now undergoing repairs
at the Norfolk Navy Yard. and when 'hese are
! completed she will come to New-YorS 10 De dockeu
According u an official telegram received at the
Navy DEPARTMENT she Is lying In the mud at the
| Norfolk Navy Yard when IT is low tide. Rear-Ad-
miral Brown, commandant OF the fard' states tha'
there Is no danger OF her straning In THIS POSITION
and his opinion has alleviated TO some extent
the fears entertained for the cruisers SAFETY. IL
! IL expected that the Columbia will not join the
Remainder OF the North Atlantic Squadron In the
Yves, Indies until the latter part OF February or
! the first OF March.
! Measles has developed among the apprentice boys
nm hoard the New-York. and the presence OF this
disease will uetain the vessel at Hampton ROADS
-.port received at the Navy Departmentstates that
several cas,, exist and orders have been issued
70 hold the New York at Hampton Roads untll the
disease is entirely eradcated. 1t Is probable that
the bows who III will be transferred 10 ''e
Naval Hospital at Norfolk and precautions TAKEN
to stamp out the disease 1t Is possible 'ha' nen'.
Admiral Meade may transfer his flag from the
x.uyork To one OF the other ships probably the
MINNEAPOLIS In case II should become apparent
that the New-York will be detained longer than
In now anticipated. In that case the squadron
eyomtions VIII occur without the big cruiser.
The case OF chief Engineer John Lowe. OF the
xavv Yard who has been ordered TO the Norfolk
Uospltai calls attention to one arm OF the service
which IL sadly In need OF young blood The new
ships are using up the older chief engineers at
rapid rate young men are needed ana Win tue
r.v per.onnel bill as an e.eme mt in the calculation
| ,ouro mon haye not the enthusiasm which would
| prompt them 20 become greasy mechanics even
| for the benefit OF the service.
! The case OF Chief Engineer Burdette C. Gowing'
who was court martalled year or two ago al the
! Yard has gone to the President Secretary Herbert
having approved the finding OF the Retiring Board:
Recommended for retirement. In line OF duty Doc
tors say that rum has had nothing to do with MS
| disability. 1890
The Navy Register for 1895 Is out and differs httie
from the regular annual except 50 far as 1t changes
the order Of precedence Of graduates OF the Naval
Academy who have been &C mmissioned since august
s. 1852. This arrangement Was compiled In accord
ance with a decision OF the Attorney-General on
June % last. The Register Is the combined work OF
Lieutenant. { Commando Head and Ensigns Robert
T. Coontz and william W. Phelps Ensign Phelps
had charge OF the compilation or the matter TOT the
document when the work was first started. but ne
was relieved and assigned to other duty. and En-
sign Coontz after a good deal OF hard and pains
taking labor, completed II. This was done unde'
the general supervision OF Lieutenant Commander
Head According to the new Register. the active
list OF the Navy Is composed OF li6O Officers and
the retired list Of i3t officers. or the active list
7l6 are line officers, 16i are members OF the Medca
Corps &c OF the Pay Corps. l75 OF the Engineer
M civ on o.
80 constructors. 81 boatswains. 40 gunners, 40 car
penters 10 sallmakers, % mates and Is marine OIL
GERS There 235 cadets at the Naval Academy
and 81 on cruise Thrtynine deaths occurred during
the year. 10 active and q retired there were II res
ignations Al rct!rements dismssals: two officers
were dropped and 8 dshonorably discharged
At the present time there are II vacancies in the
line. I In the Medical Corps 10 In the Engineer
Corps and In the Pay Corps.
During Secretary Tracy's administration OF tn,
Navy Department he ordered court OF nqu!r,
In the matter OF ORGANIZATIONS OF Officers Of tn,
order and discipline OF the Navy, and that HI
h s' new Navy Resuaiens have BEEN Issued snt
Article 2s5 prohibits officers from doing certain
to the Navy otherwise than through and with III
approval OF the Navy Department" It is in view
regard the following circular which has Just bee,
every every line oficer OF the service, and signed b,
as Secretary: ~
The HSuss On Maya " hs
sonnet OF the Navy on the 18th inst. and day 70
It's consideration and vote has been promised tn
House number OF the bill Is S,t76 There Is ever
chance that this bill will pass both houses OF Con
gress but It behooyes every man who fayors reoI
ganzation to use all proper means with his friend
to further Its passage through Congress You
committee advocates the principles OF this bill
Strong opposition will be had from the engineer.
whose representatives here have openly stated thci
desire for line titles, and their determnatlon I
Kill the bill. Very little or no opposition WIN b
made by the rest OF the stan since the equaliaatio
OF pay feature has been stricken out by the Hous
COMMITTEES, IA far as present ofceN are concerned
The opposition from the Hump amounts to yer
the bill Your attention Is called to the fact that tn
Secretary Of the Navy In his annual report urge urge
dent In his annual message, strongly recommende
l,onarass To take some action looking to the rels