The evening times., 1898-09-05
WARSHIPS IN RESERVE
Several Vessels Will Be Laid
Up at League Island.
ELECTRICITY In THE NAVY
Admiral SchIey Reports That Tur-
rets. Ammunition HoIsts and All
Auxiliary Machinery May Be 0Der-
ated With Greater Celebrity by
Electricity Than steam.

Secretary Long has not forgotten his
policy, announced some months before
the war, of laying up in reserve some of
the costly ships OF the navy as soon as
circumstances permitted. 1t is under
stood that the department intends, Just
as soon as all danger rof further hostili-
ties Is removed, TO 'lays up at League ISL
and several ships The Minneapolis and
Columbia are now lying in the reserve
basin at League Isiandi The basin is not
large enough for the, purposes of the de-
partment. and dredging is now in pro-
gress there. 1t is intended by the depart
ment to enlarge the basin. so that it will
accommodate at least twenty ships. some
of which will be battleships. and adver-
tisements will be issued in a few days
inviting bids for another contract for
dredging the basin
What ships will be laid up in reserve it
is now impossible to state. The Secreta-
ry Is known to be desirous of being as
economical as possible. and he thinks a
large sum can be saved to the country
by practicing reserve system as adopt
ed abroad The battleships kearsarge
and Kentucky will be in commission next
year and their entrance into active SER
reserve of two of the battleships now In
service which are stationed on the At
| lantic coast.
Information has reached the Navy De-
! partment that the advertisement for the
steel pier and steel shed, which Will com
| prise the new United States coaling sta
| ton at Pago Pago Samoa. will be- open
| ed at San Francisco on Tuesday OF the
present week. 1t is not expected that
! the successful bidders will be Western
! firms but that the Bethlehem and Car
! negie Companies will secure the contract
! Contractors will be required TO furnish
! the material as set forth in the contract,
within ninety days. 50 that IL can be ship
! ped at the expiration of that time to its
| destination. 1t Is said that 1908 tons OF
coal is now on it's way to Pago Pago in
GOLFERS which will lie at that point un-
| I'll the shed is erected. when the Golfers
| will transfer their cargoeS to II.
Although ii may seem strange. in view
| of the fact that the government of the
| Philippines is not yet determined. stil
| America has navy yard at Cavite,
which is recognized by the Navy Depart
| ment. Rear Admiral Dewey sent a
voucher to Civil Engineer NJ. T. Endicott
| chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks.
/ for the payment of $50 incurred in remov-
/ ing rubbish from the "Cavite navy yard.
/ The revised statutes do not specifically
! safe where the appropriation for public
works shall be spent except at United
! States navy yards and stations, that
/ Mr.. Endicott was able TO approve the
| bill without any question
! Lieut.. Reginald Nicholson, who has
/ been assigned TO command the torpedo
/ boat destroyer Farragut, is on his way
/ to San Francisco, where the vessel will
! be placed in commission about October
/ /. The Farragut will be the first thirty
/ knot vessel put into the Government
/ service. She Will remain attached to the
/ Pacific station
! As a result of the naval battle at San
! tiago electricity wtlIs hereafter be used
! by the Navy Department as the motive
power for turrets, ammunition hoists and
all auxiliary machines on board ship not
4 in the engine-room.
/ Chief Naval Constructor Hichborn has
/ tried for several years past TO secure the
adoption of electricity for these purposes.
1 and to a slight extent he has succeeded.
Some of the turrets and ammunition
hOists on the Brooklyn and the Iowa are
operated by electricity and the others by
steam, and the Kearsarge and the Ken
( lucky are to be equipped entirely with
! electricity. But in the battleships cleo
| triCity has not been adopted for all of
! the auXilaries.
| In view of the favorable report made
/ on electricity by Admiral Schley. Capt.
/ F. A. Cook, commanding the Brooklyn,
/ and the turret officers. it is probable that
! the department viii direct that it be used
| on the latest ships.
Admiral Schley, in an official report to
| the department states that in the battle
of July > the turrets controlled by cleo
tricity did better and quicker work 2ad
were not so hot as those moved by steam
I would heartily recommend the use of
electricity a motive power for all tur-
rets, ammunition hoists and all auxiliary
machines on board ship not in the en-
gine-rooms. The use of steam for sep
arating the trrrets produces almost in
supportable heat in the handling rooms:
with electricity this is avoided and great
er celerity is accomplished"
Capt Cook states that from the expert
ence of his ship with electric motors he
is strongly in favor of them for the
movement of turrets. ammunition hoists
and all machines where leaky pipes can
be dispensed with and quick work is re-
quired. Reliability is the only element
which has entered into the discussion of
electricity versus steam, and n ithS ship
the use of electric motors for the tursets
at drill and actual combat has proven
them much more reliable
A board appointed by Capt. Cook to re-
port upon the relative efficiency of steam
and electricity controlled turrets in the
light of the experience of July 8. reported
that lit begged to reiterate its unquali-
fled approval of electricity the power
for training turrets. To anyone who has
trained turret guns upon a target by cleo
tricity and who has afterward attempted
to do 1t by any other means. the contrast
is too striking ever to be forgotten. The
electric motor and controller give perfect
control and finesse- of train to an ideal
degree.
The Importance of having a safe motor
! power for the auXiliaries of a ship is rec
ognized not only in the United States. but
abroad, where electricity is being gener-
ally adopted. Lieut. W. R. Rush, of the
Brooklyn, in a report, stated that with
steam there is danger of death to every
body in the handling room from a shell
| cutting a steam lead. A cut wire can be
quickly repaired, while the cutting of
steam pipe in action would be a more Sc
riouS matter.
LOST IN LONG ISLAND SOUND.
Three Drowned by ROwbOnt Up