The San Francisco call., 1896-02-24
The Cruiser Baltimore to Under
go a Thorough Overhauling
at Once.
COC0ANUT FIBER sHoT-PR0OF.
Discovery by a French Officer Which
Will Be Utilized on the
Oregon.


be scraped thoroughly to determine
whether any of the plates have been pitted
and also to have them replaced where
found necessary. 1t is expected that orders
will soon be received to thoroughly over
haul the cruiser, as it is the wish of the
department to have her in readiness for
duty at the earliest practicable moment
AS the Baltimore hoated past the monitor
Monadnock lying at the wharf, she looked
like leviathan alongside pigmy, but it
was the general impression that in this
instance, in case of combat, the pigmy
would soon defeat the leviathan.
Now that the monitor Monadnock is
fully commissioned and ready for sea, with
the Monterey and Comanche for company,
these three low-in- the-water iron sea dogs,
with their long guns pointing from the
turrets, could lie in the roadstead this side
of the Golden Gate and there bid defiance
to any feet of foreign ships of war that
might with hostile intent attempt to enter.
A de lega ton from the Naval Reserve
visited the navy yard few days ago rela-
tive to the Comanche being turned over to
the State for use of the reserves. The
monitor is moored IN the stream, but be-
fore being turned over to the State will be
docked and painted. No alterations at
present will be made in her armament.
Her machinery is all in excellent order
and it has not yet been fully decided
whether she will be fitted with search
lights and electric outfits. The reserves
will find in the Comanche a vessel they
need not be ashamed to have visitors in
spect.
Now that the battle-ship Oregon is so
| near completion at the Union Iron Works
| she may soon be expected at the navy
yard. AS the contract called for entire
completion at the works little may be ex-
pected to be done to her by the yard forces.
! The question to be solved will be where
her crew, numbering some 500 people, is
to come from, as the majority of ships
now in commission are in good order and
will require all the men they have. The
| invoices of stores to go on board have
been made out, so that but little time
would be lost in sending the st ores to her
on arriving at the yard and going in COM
mission. 1t is not even limited at who will
command this great fighting monster of
| the deep.
It is not generally known that hundreds
of sacks of cocoanut fiber were sent from
the yard 70 be placed between the outer
and inner skins of the Oregon to serve as
a protection In case shot should be fired
| through her below the water line. In put
| ting the fiber between the steel sheets it is
| first trod down, then pressed firm with
| cotton screws. The fiber is thus used to
keep out water, as the aperture made by
| the shot would at once close up and take
| the place of the wooden shot plug in vogue
| for so many years.
The Government, it is said has to pay
quite royalty for its use. Its utility was
| first discovered by French officer aboard
of French warship lying at Honolulu.
| The regular target practice was being
held, the object fired at being a crater of
an extinct volcano. After practice the Off
| Ger and boats crew were sent ashore to
| gather up the shot for future use. They
| went to the north of the volcano, but
could find none of the iron missiles. They
did, however, find immense quantities OF
fiber from cocoanuts and plants Through
this mass they dug and dug, until at last
they were rewarded in finding the shot
The officer then commenced a series of ex-
periments by procuring lot of cocoanut
fiber and having it ground up and packed
and tested, the result proving that shot
could be fired through it and moment
thereafter no trace of its ingress or exit
could be found.
Aboard the Monadnock and other ot
the iron ships the fiber is also used in the
under ceiling of the deck to keep out the
moisture, and the men from getting the
| rheumatism.
The above story is given for what it is
worth. but it is from men coming here
from the Union Iron Works, where they
are supposed to know, and may be of in
terest to the public.
The commandant of the yard, Captain
| Howison, entertained the captain and his
aid from the italian warship, the Cristo-
foro Colombo, few days ago. The officers
were shown about the yard. the Monad-
mock, the drydock, ana every courtesy
was extended becoming the representa-
tives Of one friendly nation to another
for all of which they expressed themselves
highly gratified.
The friends here of Lieutenant J. w.
Carlin are pleased to hear of his being at.
tached as executive officer of the receiving
ship Independence. Her present execu-
tive, Lieutenant-Comn ander Crocker, has
been detached and placed on waiting or
|
ders.
On Tuesday evening, in this city, for the
benefit of the Naval Union, Medical In.
spector George w. Woods, u. S. N, in
charge of the Naval Hospital. will deliver
a lecture, his subject being, "The Charles
ton, Her Initial Cruise, and Incidents OF
Her Vovagings." The doctor is pol
ished speaker, and has fund of interest
ing knowledge pertaining to scenes IN for
eign lands, and without doubt will treat
his chosen subject in an interesting man
ner.
The band stand in the park has been
completed and was used for the first
time few days ago. The mbrella-shaped
| sounding board in the roof gives a fine
effect to the music, as played by the Inde-
| pendence band.
Fifty.three patients are in the hospital,