New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
FOR THE SUMMER MA
NoEuvREs ALMOST ENDED.
oxr MORE COURT ON THE KATAHDIN. AND AN
OTHER TRIAL IN PRosPEcT-THE Dry
DOCK cAIssoN TO BE FIoATED To-
pAY-woRK BEING DONE IN
THE YARD

DOCK CAlSSON TO BIZ tl.OAItD ~
pAy-woRK BEING DONE IN
THE YARD.
... rra, rush Of preparations before the as
..,,h,inr Of the North Atlantic Squadron for the
.rrer manoeuvres has been almost ended. and
III. for the next few days the yard will be as
80, q Mace as there is on the waterfront. the
"a - the week will probably the end OF the
~ and the departure Of the vessels now at
A.. r;srs While all the details OF the M
..uvres have not been completed. enough is
S,ovn 20 show that they will be comprehensive
I'D exhaustive and that all the powers OF the
rsssels as units and the fleet as whole Will be
.,oun in the way Of attack. defence evolution.
,,narent. speed etc Admiral Bunca has wisely
a.c,ded 10 have the evolutions take place beyond
,,s roach of the excursion boats and for that
..sson has selected a place between the lines OF
travel taken by outgoing and incoming transat-
,.n;,c steamers away TO the southeast of Sandy
Hook where there will be little danger of inter
fsring with the ocean travel, and yet have the
sh,ps within easy distance of their base OF sup
niles SQUADRON and line formations OF all sorts
and descriptions. boat gun and torpedo drills,
practice work with large and small arms. signal
ure hv dav and night. searchlight work. target
nractice az stationary and moving targets large
and small. and all the other points In which the
sunerioritv OF the ships and the men who handle
them will be Of avail in struggle for supremacy
will be included in the programme. and as the
feet will be the largest ever assembled under the
eag and carry a weight Of armor and guns far ey
cseding anything dreamed Of in the time OF the
civil War the results are confidently expected
10 be Of great value to the service and to the Ma
ton The armored cruiser Maine will up
from Key West by way of Norfolk within few
DAYS and take her place with the feet. The little
cruiser Montgomery has been ordered to go TO
Key West. taking the place Of the Maine, and the
Department is preparing instructions for Com
mander Royal B. Bradford in command Of the
Montgomery. regarding the prevention of filibus
terng while in Southern waters These will
probably follow the line Of those issued to Cap
tain Crowninshied of the Maine. and will direct
that sharp watch be kept to prevent any viola
ton Of the neutrality laws. While the Montgom-
cry is at Key West sanitary rules will be strictly
adhered to. as the Department has learned that
there are number Of cases Of smallpox under
treatment there. The Maine is considered
n UGH better ship for manoeuvring purposes than
The Montgomery and when she stops at Norfolk
she will probably go into the drydock for an ex-
animation as to any strain injury she may
an obstruction near Key West
NEW PROPELLER BLADE FOR THE GIN
CINNATI
The bent propeller blade Of the Cincinnati is
standing in the machine shop of the steam engi-
neering department in the yard. and shows how
powerful a blow can be struck by ships pro-
peller when 1t is going at anything like speed
The solid copper bronze inch and a half
thick is curled over and twisted II II had been
soft iron. The accident to the same vessel some
months ago. when she made some bad dents in
her bottom and lost two blades OF her port pro-
peer by running over an obstruction near Exc
cution Rock In the Sound was the occasion Of
court Of inquiry, and resulted in an order TO
keep on hand at the shops a spare set of pro-
peller blades for the ships. The wisdom of this
order was apparent last week. when. instead Of
q delay Of fortnight. waiting for new blade.
one was taken from the stock and fitted. without
delaying the ship Secretary Herbert has writ
ten letter 10 Captain Mortimer l.. Johnson.
commanding the Cincinnati. generating him
from all blame in connection with the recent
Ynishap which occurred while the ship was sent
out with the Connecticut naval militia in Gar
diners Bay. The letter was sent on receipt Of
report in regard TO the extent Of the vessels in
3uries.
The New-York Will leave the yard. as original
ly announced, on Tuesday and she will be fol-
lowed by the Newark and Raleigh soon the
latter has put in a day in the drydock. The
Terror is also slated TO go down the bay and
Join her sister the Amphitrite. while the Ban
croft may be called on for duty as dispatch
boat. The Columbia Captain J. H. Sands, is at
present on her way South, conveying the mon
flor Passaic. which is TO be turned over to the
Georgia naval militia. She will return as soon
as her present duty is completed and join the
feet
ANOTHER KATAHDrN COURT.
Hardly had the rumpus kicked up by the
charges made against Commander Richard p
Leary and the other officers Of the ram Katah
din by Hagel, the machnist settled down when
more trouble broke out. and. as a result OF the
charge that Lieutenant j. c. COlwell the ex-
ecutive officer Of the ram. had struck and other
wise maltreated q cOlored wardroom servant
named Alleyene. court-martial was convened
on Thursday to try the Lieutenant The court
sat the Newark, and was presided over by
Captain Norman II. Farquhar o. that ship
the other members being Captain Johnson Of
the Cincinnati: Lieutenant Commander William
Swift OF the Indiana; Lieutenant-COm
". J. Barnette Of the Raleigh; Lieutenant A. G
Berry Of the Vermont, and Lieutenant Henry
McCrea, Of the Ordnance Bureau. Captain Rich
ard Wallach. of the Marine Corps, is Judge-ad-
vocate and First Lieutenant L. w IT. Waller
OF the same corps, IS counsel for Lieutenant
Coiwell- So far. none of the witnesses called
nave substantiated the charge that the servant
was assaulted by the Lieutenant. The chief
witness for the prosecution was Hagel, the ma
cninist. who contradicted himself. and did not
heip his side. The defence presented its side
OF the affair yesterday, and the report Of the
court VIII be forwarded 10 the Department at
once. Hagel II is said. will be the next one TO
We u7ed In connection with the ram. on the
'n.lse OF fraudulent enlistment" He boasts
=, ms pull with certain Congressman. and says
:" not afraid Of the result Of the trial. 1t
-, suggested at the time Of his trial that he