Evening star., 1895-04-11
CHANGES IN THE CHICAGO
Alterations in the Ship Contemplated by
the Navy Department.
New Boilers, New Engines and Exten-
sive Changes In Her Rig and Bat
terry, but Money is Lacking.

When the United States ship Chicago
goes out of commission at the New York
navy yard next week she will have been
practically retired from the naval service
for at least two and perhaps, for three
years. 1t Is the intention of the Secretary
Of the Navy to modernize the ship in every
respect. and while the necessary changes
would occupy many months under ordinary
conditions, this particular work will be
long drawn out because of lack of ample
funds to carry out the project. At the last
session of Congress an appropriation of
two hundred thousand dollars was secured
to continue the work on the new engines
of the vessel, which will be built at the
New York navy yard. Some of this work
has already been executed. but the appro-
priation is entirely insufficient to COM
plete the new machinery, which will cost
altogether about five hundred thousand
dollars.
improvements Contemplated.
1t is the design to put in new boilers. in
Guiding some of the new tubulous type,
and new engines. and II all necessary funds
were available this work would consume
at least eighteen months. In addition to
this, extensive changes are to be made in
the battery of the ship and the six-inch
guns are to be replaced by five-inch rapid
lire guns.
The ordnance bureau has no money at
Present to do this, being under the neces-
sity of practically closing up the gun shops
at the Washington navy yard, owing to the
failure of Congress to provide the neces-
sary appropriations. Then the constructors
have a great deal of work to do on the
Chicago, including a complete change of
the rig of the ship, and they also have no
money for this purpose So all three bu-
reaus must look to Congress at the next
session to supply the means to prosecute
their work, and as the funds will not be
available before July, 1896, and the work,
once begun, will require a year or two for
its completion, the prospects are that the
Chicago will have a long rest after the
hard service she has had during the past
ten years.
The naval engineers are about to begin
an interesting set of experiments on sec
tional boilers, which will probably deter
mine the type of boilers to be placed on
the Chicago. The large lake steamer
Northwest. built at Cleveland, has been
placed at the disposal of the Navy Depart
ment by the owners for an exhaustive test.
She Is a new departure in lake navigation
In being equipped with the celebrated Belle
vile boilers, which are extensively used in
the French navy. A board of engineer Off
GERS will be detailed to make a complete
round trip the length of the lakes on this
vessel and take careful note of the per-
formance of the boilers at every moment,
recording the coal consumption, the feed
action and other essential points. The de-
partment has also been extended an op-
portunity for testing a special boiler made
by the Babcock and Wilcox Company for
naval uses This type of boiler has given
excellent results ashore. and it is the pur-
pose to ascertain it's fitness for naval use
An experimental boiler has been set I'D at
Elizabeth, N. j., and en- engineer board will
few days.