New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-08
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
RUSHING WORK ON THE VESSELS IN THE
HANDS OF REPAIRERS
DIFFICULTY IN GETTING ENOUGH MEN TO CON-
PLETE THE CREWS OF THE VESSELS BEING
PLACED IN COMMISSION - DELAY
ON THE PURITAN REGARDED
AS UNFORTUNATE

AS UNFORTUNATE.
Rush and hustle the order OF the day in the
Navy Yard and the departments Of construction and
repair and steam engineering have their hands
full Of business such extent that considera-
Bile overtime has been put In on the vessels
now In the hands of the repairers. The New
York went up to the yard and will probably
stay there for three weeks. On the Indiana
there Is considerable work yet be DONE and the
pairs TO the Names engines will take least another
week The work Of building a spar deck the train
ing ship Essex Is going along smoothly. while the
monitors are practically ready for sea-that is, The
smaller boats. the Terror and Amphitre. Their big
sister. the Puritan. is held up by lack OF Her
engines at slow speed on Sunday last for an
hour two and worked satisfactorily. and now the
engine-room Is spick and span awaiting the official
4, specticn by the Board which will take place o-mor
row. The Puritan was 10 have gone into commission
last week according 10 the programme announced
but 1t been indefinitely postponed the Depart
ment has found 1; difficult 10 gather the nearly 20
required without putting out Of commission
some vessel already flying her flag. 1t expected
that the Newark. which is being prepared for
active duty, would furnish the men, but the decision
OF the Department to keep her subject a possible
call has shut of that supply. There Is no trouble
about complement of oflcers;it is the working men
who are needed This Of affairs Is expected to
continue until the Congress authorizes further
increase in the Navy, the 1000 authorized at
the last session all needed TO keep the present
ships In commission ready for business Within few
months the cruiser Brooklyn will be ready for sea- and
then there Will be the trouble again. unless
some ship is placed out Of commission and her men
assigned TO the vessel To overcome this difi-
Guilty the Department Is considering the advisabilty
Of laying up Of the older vessels at the various
yards with just enough men on board TO keep them
in good order. the men thus relieved to be assigned
to the new Ships the idea being to Civ. all the new
vessels active service. while keeping the others avail
able for service In case OF sudden call
THE ERICSSON TO GO INTO COMMISSION.
The little torpedo-boat Ericsson. whose nose
so badly smashed when the caisson OF drydock No.
gave way is now within tho she,tering walls Of
the drydock. and force of men as large as can be
employed proftaby Is hard at work Strengthening
her out She will probably stay in the dock Tor
week longer and. the New-York IL drawing
eight inches more water than there Is at present
the sill OF the deck high tide. and the tides vii.
grow less as tho month advances. II Is not likely
that the flagship will be taken out Of the water for
least a fortnight. 1t Is said that the Ericsson
will 20 into commission as soon as the repairs on
her are completed. but this will not cause any
trouble as her complement calls for only thirty or
forty men, Her shaft which was bent in the
smash into the walls Of the drydock. is now on the
hs lathe in the engineering shop being straight
ened, there having been a bulge Of almost an inch
near the end Of the shaft. Two Of the new boilers
for the Chicago have been tested With satisfactory
results and the tests for the others will be made
within a few weeks.
DELAY ON THE PURITAN UNFORTUNATE.
Everything Is going at high pressure in the shops
and on the ships. and there Is rumor anoat that
extraordinary efforts TO be made to get all tho
ships Of the squadron ready for service within
short time Orders have been received relative to
the work necessary the Columbia, which Is still
at anchor OF Tompkinsville and the delay In put
ting the Puritan in commission Is looked on as I'M
fortunate. She is considered the most powerful
fighting machine in the Navy. and could engage
single handed and even terms with any battle
chip ahoat Her side armor Is fourteen inches
thick Of Harveyized steel Her four tweive-inch
guns mounted In turrets capable OF resisting
and her iSw fpeenosrd her decks being only three
teet above the water makes her difficult marx TO
The highest type Of exceence. including electric
Psa sec5S Se for oug r
and hosting the ammunition. and every arrange
comOrs and sn Of her and
!. The work on the various contracts IN the yaro
al wSqs M the ss 10 as % nes
srs having lot Of trouble with the rocks IN inc
m Prndie has been detached ircin the stan 9,
duty IN %h ths o worF on the
sns wa eef wde Is Being
On the Fushing-ave. side Of the hospital grounds.
ma 10 an Improvement greatly needed
FOOTBALL AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS.
With the large number of men at the yard at
ucned TO the various ships. II Is natural that
: mere should be some lively times when there is
mort season ashore. Football is all the rage. and
mere u standing rivalry between the Indiana's
g gw ana the men Of every other ship. The ma
ssnSs nave several games scheduled and tho pa
~ s xround u laid out grdiron. practice be-
%s nao daily The green on the Cob Dock is the
sos,nn nave been held IN the last two weeks.
again and the second nra nave cone Fra 10 e
- S Xn dances wa. held on the quarter deck Of
vermont on Friday afternoon. There
ps1uiant attendapcs. the dance lasting