New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01
AFFAIRS IN THE NAVY YARD.
THE INSTALLATION OF GUNS FOR THE
PURITAN CAUSES TROUBLE.
oss or THE KATAHDIN's COMING TOWER
TOP RAISES A QUESTION OF FINANCE-A
CONFERENCE RELATIVE TO THE
METHOD OF PAINTING THE

METHOD OF PAINTING THE
BOTTOMS OF SHIPS.
with little TO do beyond the work Of fitting
the monitor Terror for her commissioning IN
Anvil and the repairs necessary to the trainin-,-
chin Essex. which has remained in the drydork
ali the week. the Navy Yard has. nevertheless,
heen the scene of considerable activity in the
week Jus, ended. The question of authority
nhIch came up between the heads Of the Bureaus
= Construction and Repair and Ordnance ana
no Comr,andant which resulted in the depart
vro -or washington on Wednesday Of the officers
,,+erosted caused not little comment. on an
snnarentlv trivial matter hung a heavy weight
~ responsibility and some delay In the compile
ton Of the work Of installing the guns OF IN"
big monitor Puritan which is in the stone doc"
awaiting her gun mounts. Commander Charies
s Sperry Is the head OF the Ordnance bu'ea"
IN the yard, and in that office has control Oh '"e
installation Of ordnance material into the SHIPS
Under construction there. Some time ago 'he
work Of preparation for the mounting OF 'he
thirteen-inch guns of the monitor was peeu"'
and before It had advanced far the ordnance
officer and Naval Constructor Francis l. bo"ie9
disagreed over the placing of lug' ana Nh.
Bowles placed the lug as he saw lit. MS c"use'
an anpeal 10 the Commandant. who ordered the
order was not issued until the Job had been COM
Melted. The Department became involved IN the
affair through the Ordnance Bureau desiring the
position Of the lug changed. TO which 'he 'on-
s,ruction Bureau objected sustaining MI
r,u,es The result of the sQuabble mas peeh
that the guns OF the Puritan are sull on the
Ground The hearing given BY the secretary
viii clear the matter up. but decision Is not
expected for few days. Commodore Sicaro
returned to the yard yesterday, out 'he o''e'
officers had not returned late yesterday ai'ei
noon. The contention OF Constructor bo"les Is
that under the regulations Of the Department,
q certain portion Of the work OF ins'aiia'io" Va
tho GUNS comes under the supervision OF his de-
nartment and he has gone ahead on that Idea
THE sECRETARY's ATTITUDE.
,,,.raparded at the yard as extremely probable
%,o. tho constructor will be upheld by the Score
tarv and the whole trouble appears TO be another
manifestation Of the feeling OF rivalry between
The line and the staff which is continually crop
ming I'D in one form or another AS an ofn0er al
the ward put It yesterday IN speaking OF the case:
This only serves 10 call attention 10 one th'hs
necessary in the regulations fixing responsibility
for work IN the different departments The duties
and limitations OF each bureau should De 50
sharply defined that there would be no room FOR
clash and careful study OF the case VIII sho"
how easily this could be brought about Let steam
engineering have complete control OF the motive
power OF a ship both in It's installation and hahu-
ling when in service. Construction shouId nave
mil nover when the building or alteration Of
ship is IN question, after the plans nave pee"
settled on and ordnance should have the same
fuu control OF the guns and batteries OF the ship
that the two other departments have In their re-
spective lines"
Whether or not the decision OF the Secretary
will contain any instruction which will obviate
further difficulty OF the sort Is in doubt, but that
II should IS admitted by all who are Interested
IN the work Of the bureau and the handing OF 'he
forces. to say nothing Of the completion or the
ships now under construction.
ARMOR PLATE DIVES INTO MUD.
One Of the most exasperating accidents which
has happened in the yard for long time &C.
Cured on Wednesday afternoon, wnen the Top
plate of the coming tower OF the ram ka'ahuih
broke from its fastening as 1t was being hoisteo
into position on the ram. and went overooarn.
The work was being done under the direction OF
the Bureau Of Construction and Repair. and the
gear used in hoisting the plate was OF rope the
accident resulting from the chafing OF the sharp
edge of the plate. Workmen scattered as they
saw the plate falling. and when II struck the
deck and. making a slight dent slid on into 'he
waters OF the Wallabout Channel there was
sigh OF relief that no further damage was caused
The water where the plate disappeared Is about
thirty-fve feet deep. and as the mud has been
pretty well stirred by the dredging operations
IN the channel 1t has so far been impossible for
a diver to recover the missing plate. James
Cummings an empoye OF the Construction De-
nartment has made several efforts 10 hnd IT. but
without avail, and 1t has been determined 70
dredge for IT, The generally accepted tneoiy Is
that the plate struck on It's edge and buried itself
deep In the soft mud of the channel III this We"
be correct there is a good chance that 1t wl cost
more to get the plate out Of the mud than IL
uoud 10 have new one made. The lost plate Is
made of Harveyzed steel, Is eight feet In dame
ter and six inches thick. and weighs about TWO
toms II is expected that the foreman In charge
of the work will have charges preferred against
him for not having used iron tacking
Assistant Naval Constructor Frank b Zehn,
uho is connected with the Construction Depart
rnent and Miss Josephine Collins were married
on Saturday last at the home OF the brides
mother, Mrs. Pattie Lyle Collins. IN Jefferson
p,ace washington. The Rev. Alfred Hardin OF
c. Pauls Church oficiated and Assistant Naval
Constructor II. L. Ferguson was best man Mr..
and Mrs Zahn Will make their home in Brooklyn
PAINT FOR SHIP BOTTOMS.
r,onnandcr Sperry. while in Washington In
connection with the difficulty over the Puritan,
had q conference with Assistant Secretary NC
Adoo relative TO the method OF painting the DOT
,oms OF ships and the kind OF paint to be USED
Commander Sperry Is head Of the Paint Board at
thavard and is regarded an expert on the sub
ject The purpose OF the Assistant Secre'ary IS
"a devise plan under which ships Will be painted
with the best procure bic substance and IN pre-
scribed way 1t is possible that Board OF ON
GERS may be appointed TO thoroushS INV "a =.
tho suhiect which t. rega rded by the Department
as Of extreme importance.
ID is announced that the new naval system OF
accounts relative 10 the civil employees OF the yaro
will 20 into effec, on April l. The system was
approved by the Secretary a short time ago, and
will be issued in the form OF general or1er IN a
few DAYS The blank forms to be used in the
shops are being printed and. as soon as they are
completed the order will be issued
There Is well-defncd rumor current mat cap
tain Henry Glass at present on special duty con-