New-York tribune., 1897-08-01
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
SECRETARY LONG PAYS HIS FIRST OF
FICIAL VISIT.


DECEPTIVE SPEED TRIAIs-rHE' BRooKLYNs
NEW NESS sYsTEM-DELAYs IN THE NEW
mock CAUSED Fly RED TAPE.
The Secretary of the Navy and the battle-shp
Texas were the principal arrivals at the Navy
Yard yesterday. A salute OF seventeen guns
welcomed the former. and the latter was t'ed
,n Mt the Cob Dock wall without any fuss. Inc
Secretary was making his first of1clai WISH "
the station, and was received with the usua'
honors by Captain Sumner the captain oi ''e
ward acting as commandant and the o'hei o''-
GERS and made thorough Inspection vi '"e
plant. besides paying an extended Visit 10 ."e
Naval Hospital and the disabled drydock FOR
the Naval Hospital he had nothing pu' Pia'e'
ard as TO the drydock. his opinion was that
3t would take six months of time and S"'"" III
money to put it in good order. Secretary Long
,oft tho ward earlv in the afternoon on the yard
tug Nina. and went down to the meet Af'er a
hr,er ,nsnection of the vessels he was to go on
hoard tho DoInhin and start for NewLondon on
his way to Newport
II ,s NOT likely that the Texas will take part IN
The naval fete at Newport on August T. as she Is
scheduled TO go into the drydock to-morro" anu
will remain at the yard for at least week ioi d"
overhaung and come minor repairs. II Is an
nounced that al, the ships of the fleet VIII '"Ne
turns at the drydook, so far as they can "i'"ou'
interfering with the plans OF kear-Aui'''i "'
Sicard for the sea manpuvres. AS the Cihcii-
natl Detroit and Annapolis are still al 'he !aru
in addition to the Texas, there is little danger
that the usual amount of work will suffer much
diminution for some time
The training ship Essex is ready FOR sea- anu
was to have sailed yesterday afternoon "he 10
20 sail from Newport on August I, ana VIII al :
rive at Plymouth. England, on september IT,
leaving there on September - The remainder
Of her itinerary is follows: Arrive al dipiai'"'
Oc,ober 10 leave October n; arrive at Madeira
Oc,ohar 3o leave November Is; arrive at St
Kits December 3. leave December II; arrive at
e. Cro;x Decen,her 10 leave December "; ar
r,ye at Port Royal. s. c.. January II. leave jan
,,arv 90 arrive at New-York February 6
DECEPTIVE SPEED RESULTS.
ru.+ how deceptive speed results obtained
when & ship is light and full speed with iorceu
draught is obtained, the recent trip Oh the "e"
,unhoat Helena from this yard to Washington
shows on her preliminary trial she '''aue
record Of ia knots, her draush at that triai
beine about nine feet. on her trip 1ro" ->e"
York TO Washington the best she could be maze
- a. ,.s orlv eight knots on this trip her
drougbt was more than fifteen feet. ana Only
ratura, draught was used service condltlohs rui-
In, This result has brought out the OPINION
from the EXPERTS that ship on her preliminary
trial should be weighted down TO her approx
mate service draught. and then speeded under
natural draught thar result, it is claimed peins
q much fairer test of the true merits vi ,r,p ,r
in the way Of speed and tactcaI aoiits ~ ths
Helena and the Concord are ordered 10 TAKE t,e
rIaces OF the Yorktown and the Machas on tle
Asiatic Station. the two latter shps " ~ az
for home. the Yorktown on octopei " "
n alNar
Another of the new gunboats is to be placSu
an commission soon. Commander orie'
having received orders TO take coiillllaiu VI .;,
Wheeling on August 10. He VIII nave WIZ, i'' m
lieutenant F. II. Lefavor as executive oncei
lieutenant David Peacock, navigator Ens's , W.
f. H. Durell. c. F. Hughes d. w louo d1,u posse6 e
NJ crosse watch and division officers fasseo
Assistant Engineer ". II. Chambers VIII nav
charge of her engines and Passed ASsis'ai' ,,' ~
Surgeon G. Rothganger VIII be the ineu'o"' VI
dcer.
THE BROOKLYN'3 NEW MESS sfslhM'
Published reports of complaints from 'he
Rrooklyn regarding the new system OF heSsi"e
fail of confirmation, and as far as can dc
learned the system is so much OF suc'e'' '
@hs ,ren have better food and in greater variety
than under the old system. Under the he" -
CON, the shin's crew is treated as one mess the
proyisions being under the charge OF o'ii-
n,ssarv woman. The Government allows 10
a
which is commuted. The plan was hre' ''e"
nm tho training shlps and 40 far the Brookl!h'
Indiana Massachusetts,. Texas and Coiuiipia
have tried il with satisfaction. The MmneaPoi's
nos asked permission to adopt the new SYSTEM
.nd /, is expected that before long all the sIhps
~ tho North Atlantic Squadron VIII pe uii W,
the same plan The Adams, on the facnv, M anu
the Atlantic training shlps TSse "'1
also use it, --,.. ,,.ho hos
Rear-Admral Joseph Nelson Miner, VINO ies Hea
been ordered to the command OF tiiS a.
station started for San Francisco on .iie ior
tenant T S Rodgers. his nag Ieu'yii"n; M Va eao
Admiral will be joined az Omaha y! s ,.I ,J ',ii1
secretarv Lieutenant Philip Andrews. ana VIII
u trn1, San Francisco for Honolulu on Az
snst ( relieving Rear-Admiral Beardslee on IN ms
arrival there. The Philadelphia VIII pe HIS ""e
ship.
RED TAPE DELAYS DRfDOCk WORN
v,or, on the coffer-dam of the drydock. the
principal job now on hand at the varu' 10 GUNS
ahead as fast as possible but that is slow speed.
There are and have been what appear 10 'ie
.ves of a landsman a lot of unnecessary delays
s,,o tho comnletion of this highly i'm
-. n.ork and as result of these delays
.be Nrst-class battle-ship Indiana is to accept
,he hosnitality of the British Government anu
80 talon ont OF water on the drydock at HaillaN'
Nova Scotia This condition OF analrs mas
caused much feeling on the part Oh 'hoSe ia
,erested in naval affairs, and, While the en-
pineers at the yard are doing everything IN 'helr
mower the fact that they are hampered %! ON e
cial red tape and dilatOry tactics on the pt. pat ~
those who should lend every aid toward r~usniirs ~
the work ahead is giving rise TO some seNele
comment The plant Is not IN C~onui,io,, ~ 80 ~ and
about the best results in the shortest time ana
ANY attempt to increase it's efficiency by tne III
PRODUCTION Of improved equipment runs asaii'Sa ~
q nolcv of delay. lnger and wait Whlch is
enough TO take the enthusiasm out o1 any pooy
~ men who are striving 30 do good and quick
work in the face Of an emergency: ciSi.an Ia u
work Of building wharves on the New o,k t