New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-13
NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
ANOTHER INTERESTING CHAfIEn i-'
THE HISTORY OF THE TEXAS.
a DISPUTE BETWEEN HER CAPTAIN AND NAVAL
CONSTRUCTOR BOwLEs-THE BHooh-
LYN TO RECEIVE HER SILVER
SERVICE IN JANUARY


LYN TO RECEIVE HER SILVER
SERVICE IN JANUARY
start has been made In the assembling oi
the North Atlantic Squadron at Ha'hp'o''
Roads preparatory TO the winter manoeu''e''
and work at the yard is being pushed aiohe 40
fast as possible. in order that the meet may NC
kept together as nearly as possible Inc piacins
IN commission of the big monitor Puritan was
the principal affair Of the week although the
reception on board the Massachusetts OF 'he
bronze figure Of Victory was interesting 10 '"ose
who like to see the ships OF the Navy reiiieih-
bered by the States or cities after WHICH '"e'
are named. The New-York will come out OF the
drydock soon. and the Columbia and the MarDie-
head are waiting to take their turn under .he
hands Of the cleaners and repairers. Inc lduity
pipe connected with the hagship's condenser
has been put in good order. and there is no more
danger of a leak from that source. on the
Montgomery and the Marpehead there Is only
n little work to be done and the Columbia VIII
not be delayed more than few days AFTER she
comes from the dock. With the PURITAN nov"
ever. II is different. She is In frst-class shape'
and only needs a crew Her complement Is now
about sixty-fve men short and as enilstmehts
are exceedingly slow. there is considerable ahX-
iety as to the amount Of time required TO get
her men together. The officers are as pleased
with their ship as they could be expected 10 DE-
with a vessel where all the living quarters are
below the waterline and where. when there Is
sea on all doors will have TO be closed. They
get some satisfaction however. from the knowl-
edge that the monitor 10 not intended as a sea-
going fighter and that the greater part OF her
duty will be in or near the still waters Of a har-
bor and not far from a base Of supplies
And the Texas 1t seems If the reports that
The Texas was a "hoodoo' ship have good
deal Of foundation in fact. II there IS sucn
thing as n fact in connection with 100000
Not content with sinking without warning when
at a pier and causing scare when placed IN
drydock for fear of her falling apart, she must
needs turn up now as bone or contentlo'
between the line officer in command and the
staY officer who has charge OF the repairs which
are expected to make her seaworthy. AS was
announced in The Tribune yesterday. the Sec
retary has just decided point Of official DIFF
ference between Captain Glass and Constructor
Rowles. in which the naval constructor had the
better Of the argument. And behind the settle
ment of the case by the Secretary is the story
of a lot Of hard feeling and official jealousy.
The fact that on it's face the matter has been
settled is regarded as of no particular weight.
and there are intimators that there may be a
court of inquiry into the whole business. with
the idea Of another Atlanta case slowed away
somewhere in the background. The present
trouble over the Strengthening OF the bulk
heads of the ship. which Captain Glass wanted
done in one way and Constructor Bowles In an
other was practically settled by Commodore
Sicard before the papers went to Washington
for he Endorsed the recommendations of the
constructor. opposing Captain Glass's views OF
the needs Of the ship. And as during all the
time d the argument the work on the ship was
delayed the fact that the Secretary's order d.
recting the work to be rushed was couched In
peremptory terms is taken to mean that the
head Of the department IS tired Of the sQuabbles
which have delayed that work as we'll as other
Jobs 1t Is also noticed that in all the disputes
in which the naval constructor has been In
volved since he came to the yard year and
half ago ne has been victorious. one Of the most
noteworthy contests being with Commander
Sperry, when that officer was at the head Of the
Ordnance Department over the gun mounts of
the Puritan. This leads to the conclusion that
the constructor Ia usually sure of his ground be-
fore entering into dispute with any Of the
line officers. but there are those familiar with
naval affairs who say that there is still another
side to even that question.
HOUSE COMMITTEE MAY INVESTIGATE THE
TEXAS.
To cap the climax comes the information that
there Is a strong proba bility Of investigation
by the House Naval Committee Of the battle
ship Texas An inquiry into the alleged defects
OF the ship was started at the last session in re-
Spouse to a resolution. The Secretary Of the
Navy has sent TO the committee a long state
ment containing detailed information regarding
the construction of the Texas. which tended to
prove that she entirely seaworthy. In
sequence Of this the investigation was informally
dropped The recent mishap TO the vessel has
renewed interest in the subject, however. and
It Is believed that the investigation should be
pushed to finish.
THE BROOKLYN'S COMING VISIT.
Considerable interest has been shown In the
new cruiser Brooklyn, which is at the
League Island Yard receiving her stores and
furnishings. and will sail In few days to join
the feet. AS has been announced, she will be
here some time in January and the presenta-
ton Of the silver service will be an occasion Of
much importance at the yard. There Is some
little work yet to be done under the direction
OF the Equipment Bureau principally in her
electrical fittings. but in other respects she is
ready for business. Captain Cook and his off,
GERS are full of praise for the vessel. An Incl
dent related concerning her shows the pleasant
relations existing between her officers and men.
II Is that early in the week Of the engineers.
an inexperienced man, in getting up steam in
the starboard engine caused break in the
machinery. captain CoOh kHoWIbs the man 10
he an intelligent mechanic, ordered that he re-
ceive new parts to replace those broken, and
directed him to readjust them. with the result
that in a few hours the engine was again in
perfect running order and the captain was
pleased with the skill Of the engineer.
Speaking of engineers, the enistng officer on
the Vermont reports that there are twenty five
vacancies In the ranks of the machinists neces-
sary to fully equip the ships, and there no
enlistments pending. This unfortunate state of
AFFAIRS is held to be due to the action Of the
President not long ago in reducing the pay Of
the mechanics to $40 a month from a rate Of
SGD and in some instances SO. 1t is pointed
out that 1t Is poor man who cannot make
more than that at work on shore and be free
(rorr, he conditions surrounding Life