New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30
AFFAIRS ATTHE NAVY YARD
,yr DATE FOR THE MENOCAL COURT
MARTIAL SET

. LITTLE WORK BEING DONE IN THE SHOPS
REPAIRS on THE DRypoCK.
.,,housh instructions had been issued TO have
49,. prooklyn ready for sea on Saturday. she
-. not ready at the close OF work yesterday
,,orroon. and probably will not leave the yard
lore Tuesday as there are tests to be made
= tho Jobs recently completed. including the
s.,,rS Of new hawse pipes designed TO relieve
49, strain on the ship when the anchor is
,.orned and 20 do away with the danger OF foul
~. the anchor chain in its rapid passage
.x.o,gh the bow OF the ship She is the only
81 of the fleet now at the yard, and in view
', tho reports which have come up from the
sa,s a, Key West OF breakdowns and other
..s,al,ies. there Is little reason on the part
.Da cynical as to whether not it would not
=. hA,,er policy TO keep the big cruiser safe at
" mornings at the stone wall. Considerable
',,ssion has been aroused TO the credbility
ma renorts that the Indianas boiler tubes
- way on the trip to Key West. and the yard
sm.ors are sure that the boilers were all right
,hA shin was declared ready for sea after
...,ost overhaung She has not been at the
r-.os,vn ward for some time. but was thorough
=, overhauled at her last visit
LITTLE WORK BEING DONE
no sh
,rc =, The chronic shortness OF the money
,,,rnlv. AMI the absence Of any large work save
nat covered by special appropriations, like that
oar the chicago. on this cruiser there was
..s, Yesterday Of the working OF the Cowles
.,ors-arnl" watertght doors. nine of the eleven
,,,snaod FOR tie ship having been put In place
IN. new doors were found To work to perfec-
,,on anc Naval. Constructor Bowles is thor
oughly satisfied with the operation of the new
svs,en. The work Of fitting the boilers and
engines Of the cruiser is going along slowly but
steadily and the same holds good OF the At
lanta and the Dolphin
There IS a prospect that the vacant space
hack Of the marine barracks Will soon he occu-
MED by a building. as the plans for building
FOR the storage OF oils varnsh and other IN
eammabie materials are prepared. The building
vnl follow The usual plan Of Navy Yard struct-
ures occupying a ground space 6Ox2oO feet. ana
heing three stories high and plain as to eN-
,er,or H.ayv steel grders viii he used Tor
the flooring supports. and there Will be steel
truss roof with corrugated steel cover ng The
huildne is estimated to cos. $1,000 Another
s,rncturs IN the ward for which plans have been
drawn IS Il 800 horse power chimnoy' for the
wards and docks shop building. The chimney
vas ORIGINALLY intended 20 be built Of brick but
later mans call for modern steel structure
80 fee, high and feet inches liz diameter at
the base Just how il comes that the size OF
chimney is re,koned in horsepower is conun-
drum which IS pulling some of thosa who have
10 do With The work. and the question has been
asked whether or not the contractors who put
up the chime, can be called TO account if an
engine Of only 100 horsepower is used and the
limit Of 800 is not reached.
ADMIRAL MATTHEWss SUCCESSOR.
The question Of a successor to Admiral f. O.
Matthews as head of the Bureau Of Yards and
Docks Is one ~ much interest at the yard as the
,roount Of work carried on there under the di-
potion Of the bureau is larger than at any other
yard under the Departm srts control The folly
> having man who lacked a thorough tech
zeal training al the al Of a bureau in which
tchnical knowledge o. a certain sort is the test
,, fitness for employment has been pointed out
tine and again and there is strong feeling
hat selection VIII he made which VII! Keep
the bureau out Of the hands Of men whose inter
esis H. in Other directions. The disreputable
condition Of the Naval Academy buildings at
Annapolis the dangerous conditions Of the foun-
cations Of the War College building at New
Guilty with the causeway at the yard, the large
amour, expended for repairs 20 work done at the
Ntval Hospital in Flushng-ave., are only few
OF the Instances OF loss to the Government d.
reetly tracedble TO the custom Of placing the
work or civil engineers under the control OF peO-
pe who know much more about their own
hsnches OF the Navy Department work than
they d. about Nh pr)Der handling OF bTick ana
n rtar and stone and WOOD.
The Government has begun suit against Jere-
mah Rrnerau. Patrick Mcclure and Edward
Turnhun the three Brooklyn contractors who
in the construction Of th- wall around IN" Naval
Hospital The Government seeks to recover
81 So damages Tn" defects in this wall re-
ouired me D. UoVal Of ;hc greater part OF the
work and its rebuff ling under the direction Of
the Government engineers. and il was hrough;
GU a. tho inquiry following the discovery on ihe
defects that one of the doctors at the hospital
had been assigned 20 the duty Of inspecting
the work as the contractors carried it on.
DATE FOR THE MENOCAL cOUPT-MARTIAL.
Members - the court have not yet been
selected but the announc cnt IS made that
Civil Engineer \. q. Mcnocal viii be placed on
trial ODD charges Of culpable ncfciency in the
rsrforman,e e duty. the court-martiai begin
ming IT'S sessions on March T. at the Navy Yard.
Wheth.r or not other officers VIII be tried viii
depend On the disclosures at he couIt-martial
Inc 'hair Crow out 81 the laN-lN NOih OH
Dry dock ~. .. executed while NJ. Menocal was
In charge Of he department. and for which he
IS held responsible as chief Inspector. The trou-
mes - the cock are 10y no means over. although
M work is being rushed as fast as possible.
telegram received at the yard yesterday an
nounced that the urgency appropriation Of SOD
1000 ior carving on the work of repair had been
2ned and there win hc no cessation of opera
IONS at present.. Part &C The second layer ~
Ne flooring in front of ,he ca.sson is berg laid,
but Tho leak. alo not all stopped. and there is
Considerable pie-driving 90 be done before the
tnirance 90 .no dock VIII lie thoroughly pro-
iecied - The wing walls the sheet piling has
nsen carried out beyond the outer edge Of the
dock structure. and one Of TN" big machines VIII
ne laid off after n day or two more o. work. IT.
coor a. fhc outside Of the cOferdan leading
10 the sluiceway through the dam has begun
10 leak slightly and late Yesterday afternoon
another SPOUT Of fresh water on the east side
y the dock announced that all the sources Of
ianger had rot been removed This lax, 1t j.