New-York tribune., 1895-12-29
AEFAIRS IN THE NAVY YARD.
BOARDS AND MACHINISTS STILL WORK
ING ON THE TEXAS.

cl,Ns-MINoR MATTERS OF INTEREST.
rnat interesting conundrum as TO bow much
rr the engines Of the battle-ship Texas can ac-
,,,sh in four consecutive hours has not yet
xon settled and from present appearances II is
-, likely to be decidea for some days to come.
Tho results of the latest run showed that the
shin as far as her construction is concerned, Is
all right But down in her engine-room there is
another story to tell. and force of men is en-
Gagged in fixing her circulating pumps. tinkering
with the bilge pipes and doing lot of work
,scessary to fit her machinery for the strain OF
.our hours run at top speed. The report of the
posrd of Inspection was not satisfactory to the
Department officials and order came from
washington for the board to reconvene and do it
al over again, Chief Engineer Ralph Aston
has called his colleagues together and they are
once more struggling with the problem. Mean
while the ship is at her anchorage off Tompkins-
vile and will probably stay there for some days.
&C the order that her test run be made yesterday
~ Tomorrow cannot be carried out. 1t is ex
,acted that all the repairs necessary will be
made while the ship is afloat. and she is not to
On into the timber-dock in the yard. at least
Sor a few days. as it is already occupied
The Maine. which stopped at the Staten Island
anchorage for day or two on her way from New
mort where she had received her torpedo outfit,
hos arrived at Hampton Roads, and soon as
nor coaling is completed will start with the fleet
Cor the cruise the first stopping place to be st.
rrhomas The squadron will consist OF the New
York Maine Columbia. Raleigh and Montgom-
cry. at the start and will be Joined later by the
Indiana Texas and Cincinnati The Indiana is
now at League Island. and the changes in her
turret turning gear will be completed in few
days She has been ordered to proceed to New
mort News as soon as the work is completed She
w,u stay there until the Port Royal drydock is
completed, when she will be docked and turned
over 10 the Board of Inspection and Survey. The
Cincinnati which has been relieved of patrol
duty at Key West by the Amphitrite Will 60
into drydock, either at Norfolk or the Brooklyn
ward and after a cleaning will start out to catch
up with the fleet.
That the two monitors in the Brooklyn yard
are 70 be finished without undue loss of time is
ssovn by the fact that the Terror, the smaller
Of the two boats. has been placed in the timber
Iock for final scraping and cleaning and paint
ing of her hull ard the finishing touches to her
upper works Her interior fittings are nearly
COMPLETED and workmen are painting the wood
work of the officers quarters The Terror in the
dry docl does not make 50 much Of showing
Of strength as might be expected from her
walls only her big yellow funnel and her soli-
tarv military mast showing above the string
pieces The Cincinnati. of 500 tons less dispiace-
nent when in the dock towers above the sides,
and at first glance would appear powerful enough
10 blow the low-hulled vessel out of the water
7, is in that low freeboard and fiat deck, how
ever. that large part of her effectiveness lies.
The old single-turret monitor was compared TO
IA cheese-box on a raft but the Terror may
be likened to two cheese-boxes on raft, with
a lot Of red sponge cake between them. Each
of the two boxes" however. is fitted with TWO
l0-nch guns. and her secondary battery consists
OF two siX-rounder and two three-pounder rapid
fire guns four 37-mlmetre Hotchkiss revolving
cannon and two Gatling guns She is 259 feet
inches long, 55 Feet 10 inches beam. and, with a
draught loaded and ready for sea of IA feet ncn-
es has a displacement of 1890 tons Her engines.
OF the twin screw, inclined. compound type, are
calculated to develop 1000 horsepower, and give
her speed of twelve knots per hour. Her 10
inch guns are housed in turrets of steel 11l2
inches thick.
DISMANTIING THE CHICAGO.
The work OF dismantling the Chicago has been
continued at the stone wharf, and two of her
eight-nch rifles have been taken out by the
floating crane. These were from the port side,
and yesterday tne ydru tugs luIHeu
cruiser around, so that the crane could get at
the guns on her starboard side. These will be
taken out tomorrow. and then the work OF get
ting of her protective deck and taking down her
military masts will be begun. This will all be
carried on at the wall and it will be an interest
ing process to watch. The machine shops are
finishing her engines as rapidly as possible, al
though no extra hands have been employed on
the work
Nothing has been done on the Atlanta in the
last week. and the cruiser and the Ammen ram
Katahdin. which may. after all, be purchased by
the Government are at the Cob Dock wall, peace.
fully awaiting the movements of the powers that
be in regard to their disposition
WORK IN THE YARD
There are signs of the approaching completion
Of the York-st gate TIE roof of the guard
house on the right Of the new entrance shows
above the yellow wall marking the limit of the
Government reservation, and there is good pros
pect that the work, which should have been com
pleted two months ago. will be ready some time
next spring. The completion Of this job will be
a great relief 10 the yard people, as. when the
Offices are moved into the new building, NO. o.
the gate will make direct route from the Sands
St entrance to the Bridge to the administrative
department Of the yard, and avoid the long. dirty
and disagreeable detour around to the York-st
entrance.
The big steam derrick which runs around the
timber dock is to have new track. ana the west
side OF the dock is in a transition state ne"
piles having been driven for supports ior lhe
heavy timbers used as stringpeces. IN auui'io''
to these machines, there are others al WORN VII
the foundations for the new plate snop' which 10
20 be the largest building in the yard, and the
sea wall. and the new drydock. so that as far as
noise goes the yard is somewhat wariike.
Commander Colby NJ. Chester who mas peeh on
the yard staff ard member OF several boaros lor
some time has gone TO the command OF the re-
ceiying ship Richmond at League Island re-
leving Captain James Okane. CominandeI
Colby will be missed by the yard people an ana
many outside OF the service, Tor ne Is WEI,
known He was a member OF the court-martlal
which tried Colonel James Forney. OF the Marine