The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1895-02-05
IN WIN TER QUARTERS.
u 8 8. Petrol and H NJ s. firebrand
Half Buried in Mud.

The United States steamship Pet
rel is at Newchwang, China, where
she arrived on the 9TH Of November,
after weeks cold, disagreeable pas
sage from Nagasaki, stopping one
day at Chefoo, en- route. Since her
arrival there, the crow have been
very busy preparing for a long win
ter at that place. All stores haze
been sent on shore aud placed in
warehouse, sails, running rigging,
etc, yards and masts have been sent
down and the ship stripped to
girtling, just the same as il she was
about to be put out of commission
and going into rotten row at Mare
Island Navy yard.
Two fighting tops have been con-
structed, one on the fore and the
other on the mizzen tops. Hotch-
kiss 81 milimeter revolving cannon
will be sent aloft forward aud Cat
ling gun aft, these to be used in case
of mob violence in the town or any
interference with the European in-
habitants who reside along the
bank near whore the Petrol is to
be beached The English ship
Firebrand is also there and is
already in her mud dock, high
and dry, stripped the same as the
Petrol, and is lying next TO her.
Both OF the ships are lying there to
be buried up in ice and snow until
spring shall come again aud release
them from their ice bondage. The
docks are novelty, "a many on the
Petrol never saw anything like them
before, and they never expect to
again, aud they are well worthy of
mention FOR the information OF those
at Mare Island in the habit OF Sec
ing the great stone drydock at that
place, in which cruiser may so
easily be- noated in and settled down
on the blocks after the water is
pumped out. Tho dock was dug
out by au army OF Oh 'namcn, pre-
cisely the same as a drydock before
they are walled up. A thin layer OF
earth or caisson is left at the on
trance TO prevent the water coming
in, and after the proper depth is
obtained on the inside this earth IN
front is dug down as far as they can
go at low water, then when all is
ready at the next high tide, full
head OF steam is put GU the engines
and ahead they go at full speed,
running through the mud until the
ship is fairly through. Shores are
then put up to keep the ship on an
even keel, the same as in a drydock,
the ship resting on the bottom. As
soon as secured the entrance is
filed in with mud and brush, the
water is then pumped out by
handybillys and the ship is then
high and dry. Mats are then
placed around the ship, earth filed
in around her nearly as high
as the berth deck air ports, the ship
housed in with bamboo poles aud
mats, and by this means made as
comfortable as possible in a eli
mate where the communication with
the outside world is completely cut
oil Tor five mouths in the year.
The river, completely frozen over
with ice four feet deep and the Their
mometer ranging from 10 to 70 de-
grees below zero. The Petrol arriv-
ed Newchwang on the 10th OF Nov
ember with about $50 tons of coal
on board, and $50 tons more were
to be put on board in day or two
for heating ship. All the bats had
been taken on shore and covered
with mats and buried in sand to
keep the frost out. The captain has
given a free gangway to all hands
from after quarters in the morning
until 10 p. M, and as long as the
men keep it the privilege will exist
and it will not be broken, for the
reason that the captain and all the
officers are well liked, and allow
every privilege possible. They have
an lceboat, fully equipped, and
skates, so that for all those on board
the Petrol there is plenty OF sport
ahead during the long winter
months. The officers on all the
ships at the navy-yard seem to look
more after the interests OF their
crews, in the matter OF seeing that
they enjoy themselves, than in years