New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-02
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD.
MATTERS OF INTEREST AND TALK ABOUT
NAVAL AFFAIRS.
rHr SUDDEN HEAT TAKING EFFECT-RUMoRs OF
CLOSING THE YARD-PoLITICs AND con-
rRACrs-COMMANDER HEYERMANs
cAsE-THE NEW TORPEDO

CLOSING THE YARD-PoLITlCs AND con-
TRACTS COMMANDER HEYERMANs
cAsE-THE NEW TORPEDO
BOATS.
White duck suits palmeaf fans and a gen.
oral attack OF that tired feeling" are strohsN
IN evidence at the Navy Yard. There Is gen
.ral desire to do as little as possible, ana as ia'
=. onnortunity offers. the desire is gratified In
sn,te Of the excessive heat, however. there Is
certain amount Of work which must be done and
that work is going along at regular II not
ran,d rate Rumors have been current IN the last
week that the Department had under considera-
ton the project of closing the yard for snort
.,roe on the plea of mo funds" The heads of the
dNerent bureaus however. are not worried over
.hs prospect Of a complete cessation OF work
There are certain contracts with outside parties
IN hand which must be carried forward ana
that will require the presence at the yards vi d
large number of the regular officials OF the s'a-
fion The necessary delay In the completion OF
the work outlined for the cruiser Chicago VIII
make her stay at the yard altogether too long
az matters are now. and If work In the construc-
ton and other bureaus Is stopped. whether on
account of n lack Of funds or for any other
reason. it will amount practically to withdrawing
. Number of vessels from the navy list. Such ac-
coast-aefence monitors Puritan and Terror,
would leave the armored cruiser Maine In state
~ suspense prevent the New-Jersey Naval Mill
TIA from having the use Of the old frigate Ian
caster. hold the cruiser Cincinnati at the yard
for an indefinite time. keep the Chicago idle and
rrac,icallv disntegrate the North Atlantic squad
ron.
II is extremely doubtful whether the saving or
money by putting into effect this possible action
would be compensated for by the increased po-
Iitical power to be gained by shutting the YARD
ND for three months and then putting on large
force OF men in time to influence their votes in
the fall election That politics would be behind
this move if it made does admit doubt.
md II seems to those thoroughly acquainted
with political naval affairs that the less the De-
partment has 10 do with politics. or the less IN
Nuence it allows politics in the management of It's
affairs just at present. the better the Depart
nent will stand in the estimation of the public.
There seems TO be another case of Glles IN
connection with the new seawar which Is un-
dor contract to Cofrode & Saylor a Philadelphia
firm. with New York office. They started in
with a rush. but for the last two weeks hardly
a stroke Of work has been done. Yesterday the
las, NJ their pile-drivers was towed away. and
q. nresent the seawall on the New York side
Of Main-st is nothing more than mass of dirt
with several rows Of piling sticking up The
report Of Captain Asserson. head OF the civil en-
cheering bureau. will probably provide some
interesting reading for the contractors JUST why
they have stopped work is not apparent. as 1t is
understood that they have promised TO go ahead
at various intervals ever since the operations
ceased The big hole in the ground over beyond
the timber dock does not show any signs OF APP
proaching completion. few men have been at
work in the last week or so, but their efforts
have not amounted to much. Just how soon the
trouble between the Department. the present
contractors and those who have liens and mort
cages on the plant left by Giles VIII De setted
Is a question apparently as far from settlement
as is the query now current relating 10 the re-
suit of the Kershner court-martial.
The result OF this trial. as far as the finding
NJ the court was concerned has been in the hands
of the Department for two weeks, and as yet no
word has come as TO what will be done with the
Medical Inspector. who is still on waiting or
ders The opinion has been expressed, not only
in New York. but in Washington that the deiay
IS due to the finding of the court. which Is De-
1ieved to be antagonistic 10 the Department on
the question Of the constitutionality OF the now
celebrated article No. 235 Of the Navy Regula-
tions The point IS advanced that II the strict
reading Of the article is sustained by the Depart
ment it practically deprives any officer OF the
service who may be called 10 account by his COM
mandng officer in a foreign station from making
an appeal or endeavoring in any way to have
the case reopehed, which would be especially de-
e,rable II he were without the benefit OF counsel
at the time OF the first hearing That this is in vo-
lation Of common law and civil rights Is gener-
ally accepted and II is believed by those who are
acquainted with the opinions Of the members or
the court that the finding Of the body In the case
OF Dr. Kershner Of such a nature that iis
approval by the Department would be tantamount
70 a quashing Of the article.
Considerable talk has been created by the
summoning Of a medical board Of Inspection IN
the case Of Commander Oscar +. Heyerman. VINO
was said 10 be suffering from stroke OF paraIy-
sis. The people who started this report evil
IDENTIFY brought an OLD case down 10 recent
date. II may be remembered that after the trial
Of Commander Heyerman and his officers for the
loss Of the Kearsarge on Roncadoor Reef, leave
OF absence was granted to him. and he went 10
Germany. While there he had stroke OF
paralysis, which affected his left side. and
amounted TO a practical dsablement This now
ever has passed away. and the Doard winch
went to the Mansion House in Brooklyn yester-
day and examined the Commander reports ina,
beyond a slight affection OF the ieft arm anu
side he Is as we'll as ever ana VIII DE aD'e " It.
sumo active duty In a short time 49,
The death Of Chief Engineer w. w: Hca'on,
which occurred Friday. makes another Dredk
In the ranks Of a rapidly diminishing arm OF the
Nations sea service. He had been connnea 10
the Naval Hospital since November 49, iast seaI'
and his death due TO heart trouoie. Nj
Ueaton was born in New-York ana was ap-
pointed third assistant engineer In 1901: ana saw
his first service on the gunboat katahdlh. ne
was promoted 10 second assistant ens'n ~ ,aa
1863 and first assistant in 1866. In 1914 ne was
made passed assistant engineer. ana rec~It N
his commission as chief in 1883. He was menu n",
NJ the Union League Club and Of Grant foS',
Grand Army OF the Republic. His wie anu
children two brothers and four sisters surNI ~,
him The funeral will be held al his iatc ho'h"' ~"
0s7 Dean-st.. Brooklyn. to-day al " y. H. ""N
will be with military honors. ..,,
The question which was asked Gay or , tmo
ago as TO why Commodore bearosiey' a ms
was ordered TO Washington for examlnaton, IJt
nromotion while Rear-Admral Skerrett GetreU
~. S.a.",,ua5 az Son Francisco. is answered by