New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
AFFAIRS IN THE NAVY YARD.
,,s, BOARD OF INVESTIGATION AT WORK
ON ITS REPORT.
,,opx on THE BIG TIMBER DoCk-Iih 'iNciN
x,r1 COMING TO THE YARD-coMlNG

Tho taking of evidence III the ihN'9Ns"'i0" vi
.or,ain charges against members OF 'he steam
t,aarng staff has been ended ana the ooaru
,s q, present at work on lis report u ''e "sV'e
,arv Of the Navy The men VINO were acc"seu vi
,ha various defections from the s'ric' me vi
du,v are much less anxious as TO 'he outcome
.so arc the men who brought the charges, and
,ha, one of the men who was FOREMOST IN the
o~s, was turned down" for contempt of court
,,oos a long way toward showing on what ma
.or,a, the investigation was based. There Is one
.h,ro IN connection with this court which makes
tho decision Of the Department that its pro-
,,,cs should be conducted with as much Sc
orscv as possible a wise one. It's sessions would
.a,o heen greatly interfered with by friends OF
,bs men who were seeking to depose officers OF
49, pureau. who would have carried their point
-, weight OF numbers had 1t been possible An
char no,nt Is that the publication Of the pro-
osad,ngs would have been likely TO start ques-
.,o,s which would have interfered with fair
and judicial handling of the matter, for there IS
O limit TO the endurance even OF naval oficers
under the inquisitlon Of a lot Of charges oased
~, enite and a desire to get even" for dismlssa.
The findings Of the court will go to Lieutenant
Jaucheimer Of the Judge Acknowledgement Oh
fce for revision before they are turned over "
the Secretary. and will see the lght propapis
within a month. In the mean time, the ori'ceis
Interested are going about their duty as II
nothing had happened.
There is a promise that the present dulness IN
the ward will be relieved. as ii is announced 'ha'
the Cincinnati is coming to the place where she
was built for her repairs, which VIII be extensive
ard costly She is expected dt the yard to-inoi-
row and the monitor Terror will be hoated IN
order n allow the cruiser to take her place III te
timber dock The work on the Terror mas gone
ahead rapidly, and the latest report from the
Bureau OF Construction and Repair SHOWS '"a'
.ho ,s es ner cent completed, her big sister. the
puritan being per cent behind her Ihese per
oon,oga figures after they reach the % limit
are somewhat deceptive, as the final per cent
"a always held up until the vessel is afoat and
IN commission. The other vessels under con-
.tr,c,ion show the following figures: Indiana
100 per cent. or entirely completed oregon s''
Iowa 5s Brooklyn. g.; Monadnock 9S'3; Nash-
;ua and Wilmington each 70: Helena, a; tor
nedo hoat No g. so and gunboats Nos and o.
zach % per cent The third OF the new gunooa's
,ha Helena Is TO be launched on Thursday, jan
nary 90 at the yards of the Newport News snip
building Company. The occasion Is looked lor-
ward 70 with considerable interest, as the iauhch-
ING of her two sister ships. the NashNlile ana the
Wilnington a short time ago, was IN ever! wa!
successful The Helena Is further along toward
con,nletion than her sisters were when they were
launched and there will be less time to walt
before she will be ready for commission.
ALI, EYES ON THE KATAHDIN.
The att,ng of the Katahdin for service
"a nearly completed. and 1t is expected
,ha, she will go into commission within few
weeks The novel craft. now that she Is Gov
ernment vessel is the object OF much interest
70 visitors at the yard and there VIII probably
he a crowd present when her flag Is hoisted TOT
the first time.
The result Of the recent examination OF ap-
nl,cants for positions in the Department OF Coh-
struction and Repair is shown in the appoint
ment by the Secretary of John Nolan 10 De
master shiphtter. George w. Phene master
painter and V. W. Hall master shipwright None
OF the candidates who appeared weIe qnaiihed ior
the place Of master shipsmith. and another ex-
animation will be held on the 2sth of this month.
RUSHING THE NEW DRyDocK
vor,, ON the new drydock is goirg ahead at a
satisfactory rate and the recent appropr'd'o"
of $4,000 toward expedting the work VIII heip
{, along There are only two sections remaining
70 be completed. and as there Is large fofce
~ men engaged on the task, II the weather hoius
good there is a chance that II VIII be fnished
before the time limit. The big work mas peen
carried on in sections each one requiring bulk
head to keep the water and mud away from the
n,en who were laying the cement flooring and
huilding the timber work There are three sets
or men employed. One gang is connected with
,bs dredgers and shovels. and does the excavat-
,rg. tho second looks after the bulkheads and
tho sniIe-driy!ng and cement work while third
,avs the flooring and builds the sides OF the
structure There is fourth gang engaged on
.he big pipes" which are the basis of the drain
ase system. and while they are outside Of the
dock itself. their work Is as important as that Of
any within the walls
Tho new track for the travelling derrick
which is ponderous piece OF mechanism Is
nearly completed and the great gun-lifter will
hep,n ,ts travels again within a week or two.
CHANGES IN COMMANDS.
Considerable interest has been aroused bp the
coming changes in commands occasioned by the
annroaching completion Of the battle-ships Ore
pon and Massachusetts. Should Congress au
thor,ze tho enlistmen: OF 1000 additional men
"a asked for by the Secretary OF the Navy th'
blg ships will be put in commission as soon a!
they are completed lOne Of the most iinportah
changes will be the appointment OF captain
Frederick Rodgers. at present captain OF tn'
Y,rookvn ward to the command of one OF them
AS the oregon VIII proDdpiy Dc '"' ms"
peted II is more than likely thai ne VIII &c
her. although it is understood that the con'i',a"'
OF the Massachusetts, has been promised to MN
Captain Rodgers has held his present pace EN-
October 1893. ard went 10 Washington last We
70 see the Secretary In reference to the appoint
ment. The Oregon which IS In the hands OF 'H'
Union lion Works Of San Francisco. VIII p'
ready to. go into commission early this summer
She is OF 1926 tons displacement, has engines
5000 horsepower. twin screws, and has slS'eei
guns In her main battery the largest beng iou
l3-inch breech-oadng rfea
Captain Rodgers who Is Familiarity KNOW
throughout the service as Turk Rodgers wa
born in 1872. and entered The Naval Academy q