New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-21
,rFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD
u-,v1TY AT A LOW EPB, BECAUSE OF
THE FLEETS ABSENCE.


~sr NEWARK TO GO OUT OF COM
MISSION FOR REPAIRs-oUEs-
rIoys or PRECEDENCE
o,srations at the Navy Yard have reached
,.u Abh as far as activity is concerned With
-. exception OF the work on the Alliance. Katah-
81, and Ericsson. there is nothing doing in con-
O.o,,on with the ships in commission, and there
!. neriod of waiting for the return of the ships
:. ,be squadron, which are expected back With
:. few DAYS from the evolutions off Charleston
WARRIOR. In the construction department men
- nounding away at the hull and interior Of
,nA Chicago. in the stone dock. and the con-
..,,c,ion Of a spardeck similar to that put on
no Essex has been begun on the training ship
,u,ance which came back from her cruise a
uu DAYS ago. The cruiser has received coat
~ red paint on her top sides. and the train
,ns.ship will he thoroughly overhauled before she
,s declared ready for service. The work on the
,av gunboat Annapolis. W iCh is In the drydock
;s entirely under the control of her builders as
she has not vet been turned over to the Govern
r,ent In the steam-engineerng shops the sys-
tom OF working half force one week and the
other half the next week has been begun and
will continue until more money is available for
operating expenses This will cause idleness
until the allotment OF March becomes available
and has the effect Of hanging up work for vari-
Gus vessels. including the Bancroft, San Francis
CO. Dolphin and Chicago. and the engines for
the Vermonts ferryboat. The engines for the
Conmodores launch, the Minnie, which was
wrecked when the caisson Of the drydock gave
way las, August, have been put in perfect con-
dtion, and are good as new The boat itself
is covered by a temporary shed near the dry
dock and is in the hands of the repairers.
STILL WORKING ON DRYDOCK NO. g.
The message sent to the Department by the
contractors who have the new drydock in hand
is the formal announcement that the structure
Is completed This announcement however. is
not entirely correct. The dredges and scows
are st!ll the entrance TO the dock and there
is considerable work of minor importance still
70 BE- done. No date has been set for the open
ing and the formal test Of the structure. and ii
s. understood that the Puritan will be the first
ship to go within the Enclosure. the date OF her
entry depending on her return from her trip
10 sea II the dock stands the test of the weight
Of the monitor in the small she will Oc-
oupy. one Of the battle-ships. either the Indiana
or Massachusetts will be the next ship 10 go
in and then the uch-needed wings will he
fastened TO the hull. and the Objectionable roll
ins in large measure obviated. A Board Of
Inspection and Survey. consisting of Captain
George c. Remey, Naval Constructor John F.
Hanscom and Civil Engineer c. c. Wolcott. has
been appointed to inspect the dock and, as they
Will have TO 60 over all the papers, contracts,
agreements and other documents which have
been executed since the project first started,
their task is no light one, The correspondence
in regard 10 the work between the Government
officers and the former and present contractors
has been OF the most voluminous nature and
by the time the Board has given an official YER
dict on the dock the members will have done
LOT Of work In connection with this dock there
IS considerable interest in the revival Of the
measure TO build a dock at Algiers. La. for
which $l.250.000 is said TO be needed The plans
Tor his dock call for a concrete structure with
floor length of 656 feet. and extreme length Of
700 feet depth. * feet. and draught Of water
over sill at high tide Of 43 feet the entrance
o be 100 feet wide
CHANGES OF PRECEDENCE.
Just why there should be any satisfaction in
,hange in the order OF precedence Of different
orps OF the staff Of the Navy is question which
andsmen VIII not lose any sleep over, but which
II the same time is Of some interest, in view OF
he attempts which have been made to obtain
or members OF the engineer corps the right to
ave control over their own engine-room force.
The recent action ny the Naval Committee OF
he House. in rearranging the order Of pre-
edsnce. and placing the engineers next TO the
Inc IN the order with the construction people
leXt has caused great amount Of qualification
O the members OF the profession interested and
lresuma bly, a corresponding amount of chagrin
o those who have been placed lower down. but
10 far the qualification has been more apparent
han the chagrin. Under the new arrangement
he line is first in order of precedence; then
ones the engineer corps; then the construction.
medical and pay; chaplains are next; then pro-
CssOrs OF mathematics, civil engineers and war
ant officers. with the enlisted men al the root
Z the list The engineers and constructors hold
hat this change establishes a precedence which
yill help them greatly in their efforts when the
Naval Personnel bill comes before the next Con-
,ress. Francis II. Wilson representing the Illd
District OF Kings County, is announced as being
determined 10 push the bill reported by the sub,
Committee aid there is great hope that some OF
he evils under which the service is suffering at
resent will be lessened If not entirely removed |
when the lawmakers are through with their de- !
iberatiOns.
The NEWARK TO GO OUT OF COMMISSION !
The Newark which recently came as far
North as Port Royal after coal and Will go back |
% duty al Key West. is 10 go out Of commits |
hon and undergo extensive repairs and altera- |
IONS she will be placed in charge Of the En- |
.ineer and Construction departments OF the |
Norfolk ward and her men assigned to other |
hips which are a little shorth1nded There is |
10 special demand for vessels OF the Newark |
ype and there will be no more hurry in con- |
lectI0u with ber than has been shown with the |
'hicsgo and Atlanta. now in the home yard |
The torpedo boat Gushing has also been ordered |
,ut Of commission at Norfolk. and her officers
md crew assigned TO duty in connection with !
he rev torpedo boat No g. at Bristol, K l., |
which has been ordered 10 Washington.
sCHLEY PRAISES THE NEW-YoRK
Captain W : Schley. commanding the flag
nip New-Yor has written report to the De-
partment in which he speaks in terms Of high |
praise of the action OF the cruiser In the gale
Encountered when the ships were on their way
70 Charleston He says that, although the
storm was one Of the most severe he ever en-
C0lnfAr.A -L.r. me- nnthino nXcenf The neCeS-