New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-07
IrrxrRs THE NAVY YARD
LITTLE TO BE DONE IN THE ABSENCE
OF THE FLEET.

mock NOT YET TEsTEp-A REPORT ON
VESSELS IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION
pors,nr the arrival at the yard Of the New
vorr the Indiana and the Fern, which have
s,arted northward, and the Puritan, which snouid
no pretty near home by this time. there Is little
roinx on in the Navy Yard. and the principal part
~ the time Of those who have plenty to DO when
.,,s a 70 IN mort il now taken up with discussing
,,e effects OF the change in administration of the
Y,enartnent and the shake up which Will come
before the month is out as the result OF orders
,ssued within the week just ended. On the water
front the principal job on hand is the putting Of
gun deck on the little training-ship Alliance.
u,bich will not be completed for month. In the
shops the progress on the Chicago's engines and
The new boilers for the Dolphin is the important
work in hand and, according to recent instruc-
tons. steam will not be let into the engines for
the big cruiser which are all set up waiting for
trial. but as soon the Construction Bureau Is
,esdy 10 receive them the engines will be placed
on hoard the ship and their first trial will be had
IN the quarters they are to occupy permanently.
The construction Of the 1S-foot track carrying
the travelling crane into the boiler shops has
been completed and arrangements are now being
made 10 ship the boilers to the vessel, which Is In
the stone DOCK soon as she is ready for them
The machinists have been doing considerable
work on the shafts Of the Chicago and they Will
be in good order within few days. One OF the
prominent objects in the big machine shops Is
new Sc; Of propeller blades for the Raleigh. which
have been completed within few days.
WAITING FOR THE PURITAN.
Still waiting for the Puritan is the word in
reference to the opening of the new drydock. but
Il is cause Of satisfaction that the big dredgers
have ceased their work and are awaiting the
trial Of the dock and the attempt 10 float one or
the big battle-shps over the SILL
Captain Sampson. chief Of the Bureau OF Ord
nance has reported that there are at the New
York naval station about 5000 Of the new maya
zine rifles with which Jackie is to be armed,
and as fast as the ships Of the North Atlantic
Squadron arrive at this station the sailors ana
marines are to be armed with the new weapon
After the home squadron Is supplied issues VIII
be made to other stations along the Atlantic
coast. and when additional arms are received
here they will be forwarded to the Pacific coast
and supplied TO the ships Of the Pacific and
Asatic stations.
The ram Katahdin left the yard on Thursday
and ran into the fog and dampness on Friday on
Toupkinsville, where she remained until the
storm abated. She is ordered TO join the fleet.
but lust what her future actions will be no one
seems to know.
CHANGES AND NEW ASSIGNMENT
One Of the last orders issued by the outgoing
Administration was that retiring Rear Admiral
John G. Walker on March 20 and placing MIN
on waiting orders in the mean time. This re-
tlrement will give push to some officers who
have been looking for lift for a long time.
Rear-Admiral Walkers last important appear
ance at this station was as president Of the
"
Kershner from the service on charges growing
out of his action when CT BOARD the flagship OF
the feet in Southern waters almost two years
ago.
The assignment Of Captain silas Casey. now
IN command Of the receivingship Vermont. to
the command of the New-York and the assign
raent Of Captain Merrill Miller, recently Of the
Raleigh TO the recevng-ship, will have the
effect Of somewhat changing the social side Of
ward affairs as the Caseys have been well
known in society outside the limits Of the yard.
Captain Miller however. will be able TO con-
tribute not little to the gay side OF the life
Of a naval officer To Captain Henry Glass of
the Texas has been assigned the important
duty of Captain Of the Mare Island YARD, put
10 assignment has been made of commanding
officer of the battle-ship. Captain Winheid :.
scniev returns 10 duty with which he is thCT-
oughly familiar, that of member of the Light
house Board. His last shore duty was in COM
raand OF the Third Lighthouse District, with
headquarters at Tompkinsville, Staten Island
where ne made many warm friends Com
mander Horace Elmer. who was for a time al
the head Of the Ordnance Department IN the
yard. is slated to relieve Commander I. F.
Jewell II the command Of the Marolehead ana
Lieutenant Commander w. :. Cowies, about
April !. will take the place made vacant by the
= acing on waiting orders Of LeutenantConl-
mander H. 3. Mansfield who has been detached
from the command Of the transport Fern. Lieu
tenant-COmmander Cowles returns 10 this coun-
try after a stay OF four years in London as
Naval attache
REPORTS ON VESSELS BEING BUILT
A statement showing the present condition Of
all vessels Of the Navy now IN process OF con-
struction has been prepared by Chief Constructor
Hlchborn. II appears from the report that the
Iowa Is IS per cent completed. the Kearsarge In
per cent and the Kentucky 1854 per cent OF the
three most recently authorized battle-ships. the
Illinois is 212 per cent completed and the Alabama
per cent The three gunboats. the Nashville,
the Wilmington and the Helena, are nearly up to
the 100 per cent mark The Wilmington is fur
Their advanced than the other two boats. being
rated "a per cent completed. She has had
her trial trip. and is now at Newport News. She
will shortly be ordered TO Norfolk. She will be
ready for her officers and crew within a month.
She is destined for the China Station. The Nash
Vile anu the re1eua are not lar Denlnd the WI
mington. Each is said TO be % per cent complet-
ed. In about three months they ought to be
ready to be turned over to the Government.
Work on gunboats Nos. TO- IL. II, 13 IA and Is
Is proceeding satisfactorily. Nos. IL and II are
near the point Of completion. The construction
work on each Is given as "a per cent completed
No 10 is IS per cent completed. Nos. Il and 10
II per cent each and No. 10, 20 per cent The
Government has under construction fifteen tor
pedo-boats known Nos. 8, A. 3, 6, T. 8, 8, 10, H.
Il. Is, IA 15. 10. II and IS No 8 is SO per cent
completed; No. 4. 20 per cent and No. 3, 20 per
cent. No. recently had her trial trip, and de-
veloped wonderful speed No. Z will shortly have
. trial run. No. is put down by Chief Con-
structor Hichborn as 69l2 per cent completed
The following percentages Of work done on the
remaining torpedo boats are given in his state