New-York tribune., 1895-07-28
CAPTAIN PETER c. ASSERsoN.

CAPTAIN PETER c. ASSERsoN.
r,rk Then came another change py
- Constructor Fernald is 10 so 10 Sou'iaP
va r1 ,nspec, the vessels which 40 ho' heeu -"
,,,or Engineer Asserson s'hi De'hs AeP' '"
,riers for Norfolk -. % ,hese |
~. nscpiar punishment metei out 10 'hese
-. oe,ccrs has provoked great deal oi 'oi'i'iie"'
wv C., ,s,ort from Washington was mat 'hey
W. s,,,tv OF the offences charged against 'he"'
Ia would be punished This report mas never o.en
a.n,ed vet one officer is sent 10 ioie'9 ry
=. ,hat practically amounts to Vaca"ol' "' 'u"
v and the other is placed in position o. 'ssPo"
'hu,.v enual 70 that he now holds also a iu'' p'''
60 ,ay. heen instances OF this peculiar system
:. ,,s,r,snt in cases Of ae officers iound gui's
'. .nv doing but in the staff 1t IS not na''er
Of record
prp1-1IDINC THE NORFOLK YARD
whatever question Of naval politics may be IN
,o,ved IN the transfer the ranking c'Nn ensine'
~ the Navy Department will be weicoiheu l" WI
IN md his absence Will be felt in the Brooklyn
,,,5 After as he expresses 1t, his return 'o'"
the lights" Of the Civil War. Captain Asserso" was
49,, 20 the Norfolk Navy Yard and found task
to- c,an, ahead OF him. The close OF the CONNECT
IN 1865 saw the Norfolk station in ruins Inc "'
chine shops and ship sheds had all oeeh pu'neu,
he drxa,ck had been blown up and shattered anu
.,a 0a,es and caissons destroyed ny the Coheuei"'
80 uho before being driven from the place had
g an i, over 10 the torch and the powder kes' iie
hoean the work Of rebuilding the s'a"o" i'' '
and when he left the yard 1t was III rs s0oi ''''
,,,n as any similar place on the coast. Ne" ma
no shops had been built the ruins Of the dry-
lo,k had been repia by substantial structure
and everything was complete and in running oruer
Further than this. there were no co"p'ai'i's "a
,clation of civil service rules.
r-h,s work cou,pIeted the touch OF skilfui mana
vas needed a; the Brooklyn yard. and ten years
s-o he began the task Of making the s'a"on "oi'"'
O. the srea. city of which II is a part
BRILLIANT RECORD IN NETWORK.
70 recoun. the principal engineering WorKs LOT
which plans have been made and WORKS carried on
y Canaan Asserson in his service In the home yard
would he To give history OF the place ltsei' All
lss; u was practically without drydock or
wharf at which ship could be tied up. Ihere was
only l5 feet Of water In the Wataoout Chahhe''
the Cob Dock and ordinance dock were being eaten
away BY the East River tides and 1t was ihsaie 10
walk along the water In part OF the YARD
The big stone drydock had collapsed. ana was
leaking and its gate was held up by woodeh props
The buildings with few exceptions were iai's u
- pieces and decay and rot were everywhere visible
The water and gas pipes were rus;ed anu Droheh,
,Ae principal streets Of the yard were unpa'ed' anu
the bx brick boundary wall was menace TO pedes-
u.ans
In the shops affairs were in even worse sta'e
than they were on the outside. for valuable machh
~ and tools were rusted and scattered. the shops
such a condition that 1t was dificuit 20 even get
horse yhod, while the building OF p'ece Va hia
chinery Of the question
BEGINNING THE WORK OF REPAIR.
The cap,an's first task was to save part OF the
Co.'S Dock fthen known as the Salutins Battery
WALL about 100 feet long from the grasp OF the river
In front OF this he built cribwork the iun ens ~.
Of the endangered wall. first dredging out the inuo
until there was thirty feet OF water al Inc euse oil
Was built
Then N. s.on. drvdock was tackled and after
Golfer dams had been built at the entrance the oa
masonry removed. new granite noois anu III
verisd arches Of enormous strength were construct
ed the masonry walls lifted and reset. aho 'he
caissons rebuilt. The pumping plant wh'ch wa "a
runs was reconstructed ana the who'e WI" Voc Voc
accomplished in less than six months. and for aoou'
SA@ less than had been estimated py pouiu VI
engineers. This dock. which Is now occupied Ny '"e
'v monitor Puritan, will probably not require any
extended repairs for the next hfty years
rhe Wallabout Channel was then dreugeu ~
oeph Of "a feet In front OF the yard anu 'hc ai
ships Of the Navy could be hoated In safety al 10"
Me
wharves were next attended 10 WIN '"e '.s'' '
nat nearly 5000 linear feet Of water iroh' mas D.e'
restored to the yard. solidy bordered oy a u u".oe
sen-patform carrying with q concrete wa" - -
.hick At the base surmounted by granite 'op'"s
Mmss'srworks which included the iayins ayss,,r o veil
niles Of mans were then begun and artesia mvm &
Mefe drilled one OF which IL still IN use 10y
ns I,t III seoc gallons day o. puts AZ, the drill wa
ersen through 22S feet Of solid rock O,h1t W, % !,
sae nov beng driven. and the yard is "o' ''''
'snef from lack Of wa.er. -. ,,a oradIn
..as,e installation OF electric PaH.' ar0 IN
s'u Repairing Oi the streets and avenues ~ ~ RI
s.rg Q: brick and stone s.dcwalks IN y.@cc "a ~ re
i,;2iten planklIy. and the tearl., ,n ali sue
s.ring or The hrick boundary wal mo.to, VII M IN
.siriy accomplished. and the const!"css lin
unDef dryoOck known as COCK I've ~, - ard goo
S|smp!c OF how obstacles we're overcome az" ~ sim
w's accomplished by the consiruc.ors, -. The cor
ss Ar * Co. ana Captain Asse:son. VINO "a' -"
'Tae.ing engineer .,,e q
,.two great locomotive cranes. each capamgh Ice -
nssSs.ed OH tracks having gauge OF ~ TO- svs,cr
~Inoi.ng OF 'armor and guns. and ia =, ~
M locomotives ard platform ears WIZ so 49,
Wv pace or the present low-noVihs .e"'''
,,., WORKS NOW BEING COMPLETED.
Among the tasks which Captain Asserson WI
ave for his successor finish are the ne" i'm
Sx, the contracts which have caused 80 nv
'"o's 10 The Government. and which ~ ~"
."s " per cent stage II completion ana 'he '"'.'
o~ IN The yard. together with the new se"""'
Wv main wharf. The new boiler shop 40 fee' M 'o'
i~ feet Wide. Is nearly completed. me c'e"a'. :,
Inc disposal OF refuse Is In operation an. -
t.ei tebcniing shop :. already rooieo, n,U
ana eet o. seawail In various staec5 Va - - 1.in
bu,r, '.er .,GO feet OF boundary wan i.u~ ar
,hhaaoiiion. there arc the aow o!!co Du'iu'nn M
Sr...ssw NJ .sw gai, "a oc cut through at sa"as-""' "
ot soos ot E;l,or Importance.
THE WALLABOUT LANDS.
vac Of the results OF the captains work at U