The San Francisco call., 1898-03-03

NEW YORK, March "A Washing ton special to the Herald says: The
 Navy Department is still crying for
 men. Besides seamen, it was officially stated at the department to-day, ma
 chinists were particularly desired. ana instructions have been sent to different rendezvous directing enlistment in un- limited numbers of men of this trade.
 Some men of the grade of chle1 ma
 chinists have been discharged within
 the last three months. It IS ueslreu
 by the department to fill the vacancies now existing on board ships in com
 mission, as well as to provide machin- ists for the monitor Miantonomoh and
 the ram Katahdin, which are to be placed in commission on March 10.
 Secretary Long definitely determined
 to-day to place Captain M. l.. John son in command of the monitor Milan tonomoh The selection of this officer was somewhat a surprise to naval of fcers on duty at the department but | it is due to an application for sea
 duty made by Captain Johnson. Cap | tain Johnson was relieved only last
 September from the command of the
 cruiser Cincinnati. which was at that
 time attached to the European station,
 but returned to the United States and
 is now the flagship of the South At
 Iantic station. The experience thus
 obtained by Captain Johnson, officials
 believe. will be valuable. Since his
 return to the United States he has been
 on waiting orders.
 The Board of Construction of the
 Navy Department to-day determined to
 remove from the cruiser Philadelphia l her above-water tubes. It was also
 determined not to introduce submerged | tubes in place of those to be taken out. | In exclamation of the removal of the above water tubes, it is explained that this action is in pursuance Of policy | adopted by the department or taking
 such tubes out of all ships of service.
 There is danger in case of battle that
 an enemy's shell strike torpedo in
 an above-water tube and cause its dis-
 charge. the result of which would be | the destruction of the ship.
 | The most serious embarrassment un-
 der which the navy would labor in case | of trouble-lack of docking facilities will be removed shortly. Naval con
 structor Bowles, who is experimenting
 the repairs to dry dock at the. Brook | lvn Navy Yard, has reported xo the Navy Department that the dry dock will be ready to receive ships on April l. In addition the department mas
 been notified that the work or dreog- ing the basin in front of the dock at
 Port Royal has been commenced and that the work will, De puShed as rap idly as possible.
 I learned at the department to-day that the structure at that point has been strengthened and officials of the department now say that when the basin is dredged out 1t will be possible | rz -l.s, anchor in the basin until favorable tide, when the vessel will enter the dock The importance of having large dock in the South is appreciated by the officials, especially at this time, when the entire North Atlantic squad ron is massed in Southern waters.
 It is recognized by naval tacticians
 that should there be war with Spain naval battles will undoubtedly take
 place near Cuba, and that it will be highly advantageous to have dock close at hand to which disabled ships
 may be towed for repairs. The Port
 Royal dock is not as near the gulf as the authorities would wish, and it's reautation for strength Is not such as to cause the officials to desire to in trust a vessel to it's care; but on the
 principle of "any port in storm" it is expected that it will be very valuable in case of emergency. The construction department has established a shop at Port Royal and has been purchasing
 the necessary tools with which to equip it, so that repairs can be made without any difficulty. With the com pletion of the Brooklyn and Port Royal docks the department will have two structures capable of accommodating battle-ships. The Port Royal structure can proba- bly, not take in the Massachusetts, which is equipped with fin keels, but if | it became absolutely necessary to dock these vessels at Port Royal these keels | could be removed. Dry dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard will be able to receive any of the battle-ships, and the | department will be glad to have it again in commission. All of the bat | tle-ships are in need of docking, and
 when the opportunity offers they will
 probably be sent to the Brooklyn yard | to have their bottoms cleaned and
 painted.