New-York tribune., 1897-01-17
kFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
ANXIETY TO GET THE VESSELS OF THE
FLEET AT SEA.
TROUBLE OVER THE PrRiTAN's ENGINES-THE
TEXAs TO Go TO GALvESToN-PLAV N
DETAIL. or THE PROPOSED

Troubles over the mishap to the cruiser Mont
~omery and with the engines of the Puritan have
heen the principal features of the week in the
yard and there has been plenty for all hands to
Al in connection with the two vessels named and
the others Of the squadron which are at the bulk
heads Captain Frederick Rodgers Of the Mas
..chusetts. Captain Henry Glass of the Texas.
and Commander Richard p. I.eary compose the
court of inquiry which is investigating the acci-
sent 10 the Montgomery. with Lieutenant X. c.
Eeilner Of the Texas as Judge advocate The
ers, session of the court was held yesterday
morning and an inspection made of the damage
N the vessel. This was found 10 ne substantially
as already printed in the papers, and the ques-
zion as to who is responsible for the accident IS
,he one now to he determined 1t seems pecul-
;ar turn Of the fortunes of naval life that the
cantain o. a vessel who not long ago was be-
fore a similar court on a similar case to that OF
commander Bradford. the Montgomerys com
nander should now sit as Judge over brother
officer involved in an accident startling In its
similarity to that from which his own vessel suf
,kred The Cincinnati case is still fresh in the
,,inds of those who have kept track of naval af-
,srs and as that also occurred in waters COM
naratiyely near to the Navy Yard. the rather
sarcastic comment has been made that perhaps
I, might he well for naval officers to be the sub
,ects Of a course Of lessons in the soundings and
currents Of home waters. so that they may al
,eas, get in and out of their home port without
endangering their ships
Workmcn have been busy under the wet and
sloppy hull Of the Montgomery since she
taken out ~ the water and the outside work Will
he finished in short order. probably within a week
or zen days. With the port engine-room. how
ever. things are somewhat different. and it is
bat be Oh IN CT get
from that Job for fortnight. Parts of the en-
zine have been sent TO the machine shops and
some Of the cement below the flooring Of the COM
nartment has been removed, ii having been found
10 be badly cracked.
ANXIETY To GET VESSELS TO SEA.
Tha, the Administration is anxious to get
many vessels possible away from the yards
and on sea duty before March is shown
by the efforts Of the Secretary to hurry
matters along at the yard. The Puritan
Is one Of the latest subjects for inquiries.
and one was sent To the captain Of the
monitor few days ago by telegraph. the tenor
Of which was, why don't YOU go 10 sea- Cap
tain Bartlett however. was not ready for sea un-
til the engines of the vessel had been tried and he
had the regulations behind him. Article loo
providing that engines. before acceptance should
he tried in the presence of the chief engineer OF
the yard end the chief engineer of the ship. II
seems that about six weeks ago Chief Engineer
Farmer at the head of the Department Of Steam
Engineering had trial of the Purians engines.
At which they worked satisfactorily. Chief En-
gineer Cowie. Of the Puritan. however, was not
present at that time. and naturally demanded
that the engines he started in his presence before
annOunCing that they We're ready for sea duty.
In this he was wise as incidents have shown.
men had occasion to bore holes through the
beams above the engine-rOom and they were not
sufficiently careful about where the borings fell
They went down on the engines. and when the
engineers came TO make an inspection the work
was stopped and canvas coverings placed over
IA machinery. This precaution came too late.
hNvever for when the engines were started early
last week il was found that the working Of the
various parts was seriously hampered by the
presence OF iron which did not belong there
Bearings became heat ted journals squeaked. and
even with constant applications OF water neat
which had not developed when the former trial
was made was too plainly apparent at the sec
ond There was another investigation, and the
result is that the steam engineering forces have
had comfortable session with the machinery
and some of it has been taken apart for cleaning.
The work Of getting it together again VIII occupy
ten DAYS or So and while the cost is sight. the
ANNOYANCE caused by the delay is great enough
10 cause some misgvings as to the outcome of
the affair
The Purtans turrets were tried during the
week and found to work satisfactorily. but
she labors under the disadvantage of never
having had gun trial, and 1t is expected that |
this important work will be the first thing on |
the slate after she gets far enough at sea for |
he they
without endangerng other vessels rot prepared |
10 receive visitors in the shape Of shot weighing
half ton
WORK on THE CONTRACTS.
Work on the various contracts in the yard IS
going ahead at a satisfactory rate and in spite
Of announcements that the completion of the
new drydock will be delayed four or five months
beyond the contract time. the people in charge
Of the work are confident that the dock VIII
be ready to take the Brooklyn out of the water
before the spring is here The old quay wall In
front Of the entrance TO the dock IS rapldlF
coming to the surface and the dredgels are
losing no time in making sufficient deptn ol
water in the WallabOut Channel 10 hoat any!
ming which the dock will hold. the fooi ol
the construction smithery is rapidly hcaiis
completion. much to the satisfaction OF tne
Department and the tracks for the big travel
ling crane gradually assuming the curve
which is 10 lead from the edge or the urA Auo'h
around in the rear of the machine shop'
ORDERS have been received for the 1eXas |" so
70 Galveston on February l6. 10 receive the
silver service which has been purchased by pop
hiar subscription in the Lone star state. lHe
extensive repairs Which have been under way
are nearly completed and it is now h"pcd thai
the will be ready 10 take part IN Adiniid d.
Bunce's proposed blockade Of tharl' Ston WhlVh
u 10 he the principal feature Of the winter
manoeuvres and which will begin On the irst
week in February
The Naval Academy Alumni will have its iirst
clnner al Delmonico's next saturday al y y. H..
AFTER the business meeting. at which the or
sanization viii be perfected. Invitations nave
Teen sent to the Secretary and Assistant Sec
ie'ary Of the Navy. and repl esentatNes OF 'he
West Point Harvard Yale Columbia and
rrinceon Alumni. A provisional executive com
mtee. consisting Of Robert NJ. Thompson. A. C.