New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-12
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
rrxpoRARY ACTIVITY IN SOME OF THE
BUREAUS -.
TEE NETWORK AND COLUMBIA IN PORT AMI
THE CINCINNATI coMINo-THE KERsHNER

once IN awhile the Brooklyn Navy Yard takes on
spurt Of work. and until that work Is competed
sairs in the various departments are at fever neat
,st At present Of these times Is In ful swing'
INIT the prospects that the greater part OF the
ork will be finished in a short time and the yard
s,.n.e into its customary state Of quiet The New
vork has been In the drydock been scraped. cleaned
.rd nainted and Is once more afoat. The Column
~. tied ND at the ordnance dock and TOOK on
enough coal to carry her across the Atlantic whhe
,hs New-York was In dock. The crack cruisers
,,rn 10 coal comes this week. and while that Is be-
~. ao,s CAPTAIN Summers vessel will receive her
rnnlv Of war heads for her torpedo outfit and nm
,sh up some minor jobs.
The Cincinnati is expected at the yard tomorrow
or Tuesday. and will have extensive alterations
made to her blowers and ventilating apparatus.
This. together with the work necessary to mt out
the Portsmouth as a training-ship for the New
y.rssv naval militia the work on the Lancaster TO
nrepare her for her gunnery practice cruise. the
tobs necessary 10 complete the Maine ana 'he
doubIe-turreted coast-defence monitors Puritan ana
Terror will keep the Construction Department out
OF mischief for some time.
The Bureau Of Steam Engineering Is driving
ahead on the new boilers and machinery Tor the
chicago which Is at the Cob Dock wall In idleness'
CAPTAIN Anderson's Bureau OF Civil Engineering
IN connection with that OF yards and DOCKS. mas
IFS hands full OF business. The captain ana MS
clerk have been driven out OF their roomy quar-
ters on the second floor OF building No 7 ana are
now tucked away In a little corner OF the room
usually devoted to the draughtsmen. and before they
return there will have been season OF sprihs
houseceaning. which will make the old quarters
much more bright and attractive. The contractors
on the new ONCE building. No. 6. are rapidly using
up their supplies OF structural ron' ana the hna'"o"
20 the steam engineering shop is approaching COM
pIction. Fires were lighted under the new cremh'
tory yesterday. and experiments were made 10 de'
termine lust how far tho apparatus II going to f-
nj expectations.
The announcement that work on tho new unp'r
dock would begin last week was due 10 misuhuer-
standing on the part OF the contractor. Now mat
Secretary Herbert has signed the contract now
ever. Walsh Brothers. who have undertaken
the task OF completing the big structure VIII begin
operations at once and carry them forward 10
completion as rapidly possible. Doubts that nave
been expressed as 10 tho possibility or the con-
tractor finishing the work within the price agreed
upon and the time allotted only cause smile from inc
contractors as they say they nave figured II down
ana know what they are undertaking. 1t must not
be forgotten, however. that Mr.. Giles was In tho
same frame OF mind over two years ago. wneh no
first began work. and the experience OF the simp-
sons In building the present dock serves 10 snow
that sometimes those who know all about 1t know
more when they get through than they did when
they started However. all hands interested hope
for the best results and 1t is certain that every
opportunty will be afforded the contractors TO carry
out their agreement
The interview which was published In The tribune
on Friday morning between Rear-Admiral Meade
and a reporter has not only stirred up great deal
OF comment and criticism and hard feeling In WASH
infton but its effects have been felt in the Brook
lyn Yard. There Is a general expression OF regret
that the Admiral should have seen III just at this
time TO express his views in such plain language.
and the question has been raised as to whether ne
Is really responsible for all that he said. There
Is no question as to his hedging on the tax as
published, for those who know him recognize the
ring OF the remarks. That he has had enough
provocation TO warrant an outbreak is admitted by
those thoroughly with naval politics and
the manner in which he has been treated py the
Administration. The bringing OF Admiral RAM
says name into the affair by those who nave COM
mented on the article Is entirely unwarranted.
Admiral Meade In his published interview, maze 10
al,usion 10 the head Of the Bureau OF Navigation,
ana whatever i-feeling or friction there may have
been between the two officers 1t did not find express
sion In the remarks printed.
The question Of court-martial for the Admiral is
one which brings up extremely fine point OF nava!
etiquette. There are only three officers OF his
rank the active service who can be reached They
are George Brown at present In command or the
Naval Home, at Philadelphia; John G. Walker,
head OF the Lighthouse Bureau. and Francis NJ
Ramsay at the head Of the Bureau OF Navigation
To have the court composed of active officers would
therefore,
Meades juniors In rank. The placing of juniors on
a court TO try superior officer, while not in
direct violation Of Navy regulations Is at least con-
trary to the unwritten law of naval usage. end 1t
10 extremely doubtful II such method would be
followed. The probabilities are that In case
court is ordered the list will be called on TO
furnish members This list. which includes Rear
Admirals Gherardi. Erben. Fyffe. Stanton. Benham
and others. is sufficiently extensive TO make the
largest court which the Department has ever con-
vened. There is one possibility in connection with
the case, however. which seems TO have been over
looked. In his present state OF mind II would not
surprse some of those who well acquainted with
the office II he should simply refuse TO admit or
deny the interview. and let the Department court
martial him II 1t cares to- There is one thing GER
tain however-if the matter eliminates In trial.
IL will be one OF the most interesting ever held
since the Navy Department was organized
The fact that the Board OF Bureau Chiefs has
compromised on the question OF the build and sail
plan OF tho composite gunboats authorized by the
last Congress II Il matter OF much qualification 10
the friends OF both types OF vessel. Two will be
Of the sngle-screw type. and supplied with full.
sai power: TWO others wiz be OF 'he ,"'n-scfsw
severe test OF both classes OF vessels and while
Of course ono SIDE VIII be IN position 70 smile
no doubt that all four Of tho vessels VIII be Of
much nse 70 the lines Of duty to wn'cA 'hey Will
An Interesting item In regard 70 the new British
nnentary paper covering the naval estimates Tor
is6-& Designs which have been completed and
resembling the Powerful in the protection OF the
armament and arrangement for the transport OF
Ammunition from the magazines to the fghunB po.
sitlon. In the matter OF height Of freeDoard ana
long forecaste they will resemble the Royal Arthur
md Crescent while the protective arrangements
10 the engines, boilers, magazines and vita! por-
lions OF the ships will be practically Identical WIN
those OF the Powerful and Terrible. The steel huiis
are TO be wood thed and coppered. so that me
vessels may keep the for long PERIODS WIN
out serious loss Of speed The measured ar, mile
speed with natural draught Is figured at Di2 KNOTS
Which should give. with the type OF boiler 10 be
used q continuous speed for smooth water
and clean bottom OF about 10 knots. the full ca,
pacity being 1900 tons OF coal: The armament VIII
Include hffeen 6-inch rapid-hring guns. four,
teen l2-pounders and twelve S-pounders, with
q full complement Of small machine guns;
tubes and one stern tube. The principal
dimensions will be: Length between perpendiculars,
az feet length water line. 49, feet; breadth. %
feet; mean draught. q feet inches; displacement
400 tons. tt, -.
The new second-class cruisers to be built at
Chatham Will be Of new type. being S2o feet long;