New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-03
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
THE NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON
NEARLY READY FOR SEA.

A MORE POWERFUL FLEET IL DH ASST"oLrD
THAN WAS AT FIRST PLANNED-oLD
MONITORS NAY DE REFITTED-coM-
p1xrroN OF pRYpocK NO.
HAsrENED.
Work on the vessels OF the North Atlantic
SQUADRON At the Navy Yard Is nearly completed.
ana the expectations are that all, with the ex-
ception Of the Texas will be ready for sea within
the next two weeks. The Montgomery has been
co.t.a from the drydock. her place having been
..r.n nv the Marblehead. which will come out on
rhursday and the Massachusetts or Columbia he
costed in In addition to the vessels which have
been under repair at the yard. the chances now
are that the fleet when finally assembled under
Rear-Admiral Bunce will be more powerful than
was Mt first expected. The Vesuvius. which has
been tied up at League Island, is slated for COM
mission on January II, under command OF Lieu
tenant Commander John +. Pillsbury' VINO Is
now at the War College at Newport she VIII
carry some three-pounder guns and l,ooV ROUNDS
Of ammunition, and will be assigned 10 duty as
torpedo destroyer. The monitor Miantonomoh'
the torpedo boat Ericsson. and possibly .he
training ship Essex. which has LETT the yaro ior
Newport where she will receive her torpedo out
fit are also likely to be added to the ''or'"s
ing the force up to twenty vessels II the leHas
named. the first -cass battle-ships MASSACHUSETTS,
and Indiana. the second-class battle-ship Texas
thu Ave- cruisers Columbia, Newark. Raleigh.
Montgomery and Marblehead. the armored
cruisers New-York and Brooklyn. the monitors
Puritan. Terror and Amphitrite. the harbor de-
fence ram Katahdn. and the dispatch boat FERN
There Is a chance that the Gushing VIII also pe
added TO the fleet to serve as torpedo boat or
these. the Newark will probably remain OH "e'
present duty of the Florida coast and the ie~as
"a likely to remain at the yard for some ''i''e
The Others however, will assemble at Iia''p'o"
Roads as soon as possible All talk Vi wal 49,
connection with the assembling OF the Meet Is sun
frowned upon and it is announced 'ha' inc wi
centration Of so large part OF the ha'a' po"e-
OF the Nation is simply win the ioea Vi ,,',,
an object lesson Of what couo oe
in time OF need o,s
Talk Of brushing up the old monitors anu ~
ting them with modern s-inca guns ioi p"'
noses of harbor defence, has peen ie'ie"eu 80
the fact that they would FORM powerful "@"
4. "a, n he overlooked. Some OF them are al
ready In use under assignment " '"e
serves Of various States, and others are Slowly
So .n,av IN td,eness The Ajax, Canonicus
,.ahonac Manhattan and Wyandotte are each
:, o 100 tons disbursement, and the Comahche
r,a,sriu Iehieh Jason. Montauk, Nahant' Nah-
,rcret and Passaic / ,SIS tons. They are All SIN
s,s..crew vessels, Of small horsepower ana eacn
"a rr,es two guns. They have o-inch sioe arhoi'
with II inches on the turrets OF all e~oep' "'e
which have 10 inches. 1t is now propoSe" -
move the turrets and substitute TOT the s"oo'"
hore Gums two S-inch rifles. mounted on disap-
nearing platforms, worked by air pressure Inc
proiect meets the approval OF navai oncers aS
Gov nffan
the vessels while Of no use TOT one"si'o "'
oo,,d do LOT of damage to an opposing neet'
and as they are of light draught would nave "..s
,,ouble in going into rivers and shallow pays
u.bs-e the heavier craft could not reach then'
COMPLETION OF DOCK NO MEAN
The cruiser Brooklyn is expected to go 10 the
tornedo station at Newport about the m'ou'e u
this month to receive her OUTFIT ana she Is eA
\,,rcted at the yard on February l, when she VIII
receive the silver service which mas peen MAJ
Gov tho shin. In connection with the arrival OF
The BROOKLYN at the yard there Is weiNoe
,,ece Of news for those who have watcheo '"e
,a,oxs and chafed over them, attending the COM
n,et,on Of the big new drydock officially known
o. NJ g The visit Of Commodore Matthew'S
tho head Of the Bureau Of Yards and DOCKS 10
This station has had the effect OF Strengthening
out the tange relative to the WORK Oh INC uo~"'
and the dredgers who quit work SNORT ','"o
ago will resume operations tomorrow i'o' MP
on the approach 10 the dock IN auul. s ~
this another firm has undertak Ken SocI lob. and
for the contractors who have the oocn Jon, 60" ~.
as their plant Is one of the most eA'snsNe V,'
the Atlantic coast, it Is now announced INC. nc nc
o.e rehruarv and that the Brooklyn will be
the first vessel to be f1oated into the 1ocn tnr
will make the first day OF the montn a.. NJ -
eatinR one for the yard. as an extensive Pio
~ramne has been arranged for the formal open
ing of the dock. All the high officials OF tne D &c
parmen MgcxSoe W be- present and
there will be a big time generally II woua
seem that the occasion would warrant more FUSS
than usual for the dock mas become .ae an The
iob and as It IL the largest thing OF the sort on
;he Atlantic coast and Will provioe TOT the
S.N~.h Atlantic Squadron a place where It's
xdost vessels will be Independent OF tides and
Winds. there is good cause for jubiiaton over its
cy,,.roants are going on on board the receive
.hIr Vermont TO. the crews Of the ram ka-
ta6din. the monitor Puritan and the torpedo
boat Vesuvirs.
ORDNANCE BUREAU CHANGES
r. announcement is made that the President
,,,u reappoint Captain William T. Sampson u
III. nresent place at the head or the Orohahce
Rureau on the expiration OF his term iate 'i's
month. Captain Sampson w slated S for the com
oli. ra ~ the battie-ship Iowa. which Is to &c &c
;nto commission early In the summer. ne c WI
re s,,cceeded In the OTuHdhNN
DC ONeill. now on duty At the washington
gun factory. t.n. construction
Work Oh " been DELAYED by the storms but
snitmsry are making good effort to make
up for lost time and the task WIN De complete ,ee
not far behind the original dats wor ns On 'n 81
Wa coal wharf is going ahead as fas az could b
expected under the weather condi.Dnss st Ee'ays
under the circumstances. being uha'v'"""e
THREE SUPREME COURT JUSTIc1S.
>,v,v .ppo,SrrD JUDGES TO TAKE THEiF