New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-28
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
PREPARING FOR RUSH WHEN THE
FLEET RETURNS HOME.

no DATE SET so FAR FOR THE OPENING OF THE
NEW pRYDocS - THE WILSON BILL
ARousEs INTEREST IN THE DIS
PUrE OVER RANK AGAIN.
Much to the relief of heads Of departments at
the yard, the March appropriations will become
available tomorrow and a consequence Of
the increased supply Of money, the half-time sys-
tenn, which has been carried out in some Of the
shops has been discontinued. and the regular
force was at work full time yesterday. 1t is
expected that when the ships Of the feet come
back to their home port there will be a rush for
a time as the programme calls for an eastern
trip to be started before long. At present the
only vessels in commission at the yard outside OF
the tugs are the ram Katahdin and the torpedo
boat Ericsson. neither Of which is expected 70 go
to sea Immediately. although there Is nothing
serious the matter with either Of them. Inc IT.
tie gunboat Annapolis which came in from Eliz-
abethport for some tinkering In the drydock. has
returned to the yard of her builders, and her
place in the dock has been taken by the Atlanta.
which for a long time has been a familiar and
rather unattractve feature Of the Cob Dock wall
yie-v Her hull is being cleaned. and she will be
painted to preserve her plates from the action
of the Wallabout mud. which has been stirred
I'D by the dredges Of the contractors who are at
work on the entrance to the new drydock
NO DATE FOR OPENING THE NEW DOCK
No date has been set for the opening Of the
dock the intention being to do nothing more
about 1t until the Puritan comes into port. 1t Is
pretty we'll settled that the Massachusetts Will
be the first of the big ships to go into the dock.
but as she Is still at her anchorage off Torpkins-
yile and 1t is uncertain when she Will come up
TO the yard nothing definite is known as to the
formal ceremonies which will attend the opening
Of the long delayed and greatly needed addition
to the Departments docking facilities.
Although some credit the Mardl Gras festivities
with being the attraction which has drawn so
many Of the ships Of the squadron into southern
waters. those who believe that the Navy is built
and run entirely for business not inclined
TO accept SO peaceabe a solution OF the question.
and point TO the fact that the programme has
been changed from the first intention in not send
ing the ships to the yard for another overhauiing'
The disposition Of the vessels under command
Of Admiral Bunce is as follows: The New-iork'
Maine Indiana. Texas and Montgomery are In
the Gulf; the Marblehead and NesuVlus are at
Key West; the monitors Amphitrite, Puritan ana
Terror are reported from Charleston; the Newark
is at Port Royal. the Raleigh at NorfoiK' the
Columbia at Hampton Roads, and the Massachu-
setts In New-York Harbor. report from the
officers of the Puritan speaks encouraging! OF
the performance Of the monitor on her trip down
the coast in which she averaged six or seven
knots an hour. OFF Hatteras some heavy weather
was encountered. and the decks of the vessel
were swept by waves. There was only little
trouble with the engines. and that was OF
naturc which can easily be remedied. Her big
gums wore not fired but tests of the action OF her
,urret machinery showed that everything was
in working order
INTEREST IN TILE WILSON BILL.
The question Of possible action on the Wilson
hill by the next session Of Congress is already
attracting attention among the Officers at the
ward. and. as the labor organizations nave be-
gun to take an interest in the subject. knowing
that the Brooklyn Congressman is friend OF
labor there is every prospect that cohsiueiapie
,rese,,re will be brought to bear on the law |
makers Just how the workingnen are 10 De !
benefited by the victory or defeat OF the meas
ure providing for actual rank In their own oe
nsrtment of the engineers Of the Navy is |
question to which an answer has not YET peen
given, but at any rate the orgahi~ationS o. a.
Irenaring TO take q hand In the nght Inc
oninion was EXPRESSED yesterday by an oi11cer
who is competent to speak on the subJecf tha'
the one thing needed is a complete re0rsahlHa-
ZION Of the Navy on the same lines whlch RUE |
in the Army, where each division ana corps mas
it's own work to do. and is kept busy at IT, ana
where the rights of every member OF ,d .ne sea SEA
vice are laid down by the regulations ana
clearly defined the rules applying to the gen |
eral in command we'll as 20 the lowest III
rank Of the second lieutenants'
TOO MUCH DISCRETIONARY POWER.
1.-THE chief trouble" said the officer men,
toned. 'is that there is too much discretionary
poser given to the seaman branch. Every one
SENS TO have his own little axe to grind and |
looks 10 the laxity of the regulations 10 ala
him in grinding it. The engineers want some
thing for themselves, and the rest or the stan
can 90 hang The same with the constructors
and the pay and medical corps. and the civil |
engineers The line. on the other hand is de- !
termned on retaining full and complete con
troll over everything. even II 1t results IN the |
continuance of sending sailmaker out TO IN
spect Steel and putting navigator at the
head of the mud-dgging department II the
lawmakers would clearly define the duties and
responsibilities Of each branch of the service
give 10 each the rights and privileges which
belong to it by right and reason. as wei as
the duties pertaining to 1t. and then take OUT
the word may from the regulations and insert
in its place the word shall, making mandatory
what is now a matter of option, the Uoupie
which is always with us, and which can never
benefit the service or the men. would DE aooi-
ished"