New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-07
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
WORK ON THE CoFFERDAM OF THE BIG
DRYDOCK NEARLY FINISHED.
MANY VESSELS AT THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OPENING OF THE SOCIAL SEASON
THE WEEKS CHANGES

THE WEEKS CHANGES.
The Navy Yard is crowded with ships. and
every sailor in the fleet Is spelling for fight.
The war scare which had so much effect on the
New-York stock market on Friday brought no
scare to the inhabitants Of the territory bounded
by the big yellow brick wall in Flushing-ave and
the WaabOut channel, save the fear that there
might not be any pressing need Of their services,
and while the senior officers are not inclined to
talk about the prospects Of a fight with Spain,
or what would be done by the ships In case a
contest was entered into among the juniors and
sailors there is little attempt a. conceament of
q desire TO test the mette of the vessels and their
guns. coupled with an absolute assurance of
complete and overwhelming victory. This does
not mean that they are a bloodthirsty lot for
4 more mild hammered and gentemanly company
Of men it would be hard to find but ever since
navles have been. the desire for promotion has
been always present In tho hearts Of youngsters
and 1t long ago found expression in the prayer
Tor bloody war or a Sckly season. Not
alone 10 the Juniors is this feeling confined.
Men of mature years, with frost beginning 10
aho" in their hair AMI crows feet beginning
t. creep about the corners Of their eyes are
still signing their names Lieutenant ---
----, L. ;. N and thinking what a long
stretch there is ahead Of them before flag
rank" IS reached This stretch would be short
ened materially by sharp brush with Spain.
and the moral IS obvious Still there are no
war preparations being made at the yard and
the social season has started In with no APP
parent thought of an interruption save that
used by the occasional transfer OF shining
lights In the dancing set.
THE FLEET AT THE YARD.
Tho fleet now at the yard consists Of the flag
ship New-York. the battle-ship Iowa the cruis-
ers Brooklyn and Marblehead the gunboats
Newport and Helena the monitor Puritan and
the torpedo-boat Footo. The Helena and the
Puritan have been moved Up to the outer wall
or The Cob Dock JUST ahead Of the Vermont,
and the battle-shIp Massachusetts, is coming 20
the yard to-day or tomorrow and will take
the place or the monitor behind the receiving
ship This VIII hardly be large enough to ac-
commodate her. but there is no other place to
Tie her up at present It was in this berth that
the Texas performed her celebrated feat Of going
to the bottom without losing a life. All the
ships except the Newport could get away TO
sea on extremely short notice. as there IS no
work Of vital Importance being done on any Of
the n. The Helena VIII sail for the Asiatic
station within n week. II IL reported ard the
others will have their minor repairs completed
and start for Hampton Roads carly next month
The gunboat Helena is in the tImber-dock re-
ceiYing her final brushing and cleaning pre-
paratory 10 starting for Nicaragua with the
Canal Commission She Will come out IN a few
days. and be ready for her cruise In connec-
ton with this dock. Naval Constructor Rowles
has done sensible thing IN setting the casson
back into the inner groove thus allowing the
space Of live oak flooring between the outer and
inner grooves to be covered with water at all
times, 1T being Of the pecuarlties Of the
wood that az long as # is submerged It Is prac-
tically indestructbe from decay
GOLFER DAM NEARLY FINISHED.
The prompness with which the supply OF
lumber brought by the John Paul from Bruins
wick was used In the Golfer dam Of the big dry
dock has effected great change in the status
~ the work. Another schooner arrived at the
yard 4 day or two ago with the remainder Of
the supply, and Naval Constructor Bowles, who
Is rushing the work. announces that notice has
been served on the contractors who are to do
the films that the woodwork will be ready for
them In week This means that all the piling
viii be IN place and that the work Of e-npty-
ing the dock OF water will begin within three
weeks, about two weeks being allowed for the
filling in ~ the spaces between the rows OF pill
Ing and forming the outer embankment. This
work will be carried on night and day. and as
the material comes from the city's excavations
In the Wallabout. there VIII be no delay Two
of the yard driving machines and ono which had
been hired were placed 'Out OF commission
yesterday. as there arc only thirty more pieces
to be driven. and these Will 10 in place by
Tuesday noon. nj the latest It f. the intention
II Nj Bowles To drive an extra line Of sheet
pillng ut right angles with the entrance to the
dock. just outside the line Of the caisson. on
both sides. This will supplement the lines
driven when the dock was quilt II being be-
lievcd that the original lines too small
and IN addition. were not driven deep enough
There IS every prospect that the dock will be
good for long term OF years when the present
operations are completed. and the constructor
will have tho satisfaction Of having performed
a difficult task with CELEBRITY and effectiveness
FOR THE BROOKLYN's TUR- /
REFS
A successful test Of the electrical apparatus
for working the turrets OF the cruiser Brooklyn '
WAS made at the yard Friday The Brook
yn is the only ship In the Navy In which cleo !
rlcity IS used for this purpose. The test oc-
'upled about two hours I'm the forenoon. and the
urrcts were moved at varying speeds IN al. .
directions The turrets were turned thirty times .
inside as many minutes. stopping within inch T
" the circle In which they revolve. and II was
'ornd that the big guns could he trained with
greater accuracy and more rapidly by means Of
he electrical connections than with any other
oower The apparatus. which was placed on the
Brooklyn as an experiment. WIFI probably be
ldded to the battle-ships Keaysarge. Kentucky.
Illinois. Alabama and Wisconsin. The power is
generated by the dynamos used for operating
he veutlating fans and for lighting the ship
Lieutenant J. + Haesler has received many
congratulations for his success In getting the
urrets of the Texas in good working order
md Captain O'Neill. chief Of the Bureau Of
Ordnance. has written a letter TO the Score
AIRY CompllmentIng the lieutenant
The Iowa Is to have her final acceptance trial
N November II. and the final trial OF the tor
,edo- boat Foote has been scheduled for Novem-
ler Is. Commodore DeMeN VIII hn nrnsidant