The San Francisco call., 1895-11-18
ANXIOUS FOR A RECORD
Great Care In Outfitting the Cruiser
Boston.

Boston.
A week from to-day the cruiser Boston
will be put in commission. The most of
her officers have been assigned to her.
About 200 of the ships company have
been selected and Lieutenant Harry NJ.
Hodges is on his way out from New York
with draft of thirty apprentice boys for
the ship, which is in excellent condition
and VIII be fitted out with the best lot OF
stores and equipments that have been Sc
lected for any ship about to go in commits
sion. This is done al the instance of the
paymaster general at Washington, who is
anxious for the Mare Island yard to make
a record for itself in this respect as many
complaints have come up from the United
States ship Marion, now somewhere off
the lower coast of South America, at the
poor quality of stores issued from Mare
Island to her.
The most unique feature of it is that the
greater portion of the outfit given the
Marion are the self-same stores-that is
equipments, such as equipment, construc-
ton, ordnance, engineers, paymaster's
and medicai-that were passed upon
and turned in from the ship as being good
in all respects when she went out of COM
mission at the yard some time ago. If
they were good then they surely are now,
ship gong out of commission and one
going in as to the condition of the outfit.
When ship goes out the officer under
whose charge the stores and outfits have
been IS anxious to make record for him.
self and endeavors to have all of the things
in his department with the word good"
mar ked after the title by the board of sur
vey; but if he be called upon to accept
them again from the hands of the general
storekeeper he will object to receiving
them.
This was the case with the Marion stores.
They were turned ashore as good and re-
issued to the ship. The things were re-
ported to the department as being inferior
and Mare Island Navy-yard was given
black eye for furnishing poor goods. So
this is the reason that the Boston must be
supplied with the very best in store.
A lot OF pork was passed upon as good
and furnished to the Marion, and when
opened was pronounced excellent and
nicely favored, but after remaining open
for while it all turned bad. Off at
! tributed the cause to the porkers running
in the tules and feeding on fish, which
gives them when first packed pleasant
smell and taste. The pork was condemned,
and the firm offered to replace it with
other barrels.
Marion at the navy-yard they worked
to perfection and were so reported
| upon by the board of officers,
among them being the present chief
engineer aboard of her, who has been
ordered home on account of overwork in
| keeping them gong, and in his stead Chief
Engineer James r. Pickerell has been de-
tached from the Monterey, and will leave
by the steamer sailing Monday for the
coast and, on finding the Marion, will
endeavor to grease" up her machinery so
that it will run all right.
Paymasters Henry 7. SHIELDING, Henry C.
Machette and JOSIAH +. Stanton have lust
been appointed as special board of survey
on $4,000 pounds of navv tobacco recently
received from the New York navy-yard for
issue to the sailors on the Pacific ana
Asiatic stations, and which is pronounced
unfit for use Some Of the tobacco was
issued to the Marion, Monterey and Inde-
pendence, and when drawn out of store by
them after trial they declared it was
''no good" when they attempted to ''chew
the stuff" it burned their mouths, and at
tempts to light it failed. Jack went to the
mast and made complaint about the poor
quality of the stuff, which, of course, was
duly reported to the navy-yard. As Jack
was thought probably not to be good
Judge of the weed" plug of it was sent
on to the department at Washington for
the Secretary of the Navy, the Postmaster
General and other high officials and ex-
perts to test it. 1t is believed that it met
with no more favor on their tongues than
on the poor blue Jackets, hence the calling
of the present board of survey.
A new order has been issued that sailors
may wear cotton socks, and "black' at
that. Heretofore they have all been
wooden and gray. Bids were asked for the
furnishing of 1000 pair according to sam
pie. Levee Brothers of Vallejo secured the
contract to furnish them at 10 cents pair
They were delivered and ordered ''re-
jected' by the board of inspection as not
being equal to the sample. Levee Brothers
appealed to the commandant of the yard,
a rigid test was made, q chemical analysis
by the chemist at the yard was made, and
two thorough scrubbings and twistings
and wringings were given the stockings,
which stood the tests, and were therefore
ordered to be accepted and were SO noted,
and now the jolly jack tar will encase his
''Trilbys" in fine black hose that will
stand the work.