New-York tribune., 1898-10-09
AFFAIRS AT THE NAVY YARD.
orr1c1AL BUSINESS swAMPED BY DE-
MANDS FOR PASSES.


row.r1HING sIx-INcH GUNS OF THE INDIANA
.Sp MASSACHUSETTS BEING REPLACED
BY QUICK -FIRERs-oREGoN AND
IOWA NOT TO sAII. BEFORE
WEDNESDAY.
THE crowd Of ships at the Navy Yard is In
..o,s,nr instead Of diminishing. and the crush
a, visitors seems TO he following the same INES
y-os,ordav there was the usual Saturday swarm
=. s,ghtseers and the fact that those who want
"a "a roach the Cob Dock had to go around
,y the causeway did not seem to worry them
such for the long tramp found to be full
:, interest. The officers at the yard are and
have been for some time under severe strain
,,osed hv the apparently endless chain OF de-
rands for passes. The mail coming to Admiral
punce and Captain Sumner is made up prin-
,oo,, Of letters OF that sort, and in many
,nstances the business OF the yard has been
,olaved in order to attend to them. One OF the
worst features OF the matter Is the fact that In
many instances the requests for passes nave
hean made for speculative purposes. and as
,aentiacation Ia practically an impossibity, the
oe7cers have been imposed on. and people VINO
have had a strong desire to see the ships nave
hssn robbed One result Of the evil is that no
more admissions VIII be issued for Sunday save
what are know as ship passes" those issued
nv officers to their personal friends. and 10 the
relatives and friends of the men.
STRINGENT MEASURES MAY BE ADOPTED.
OA,cials who have charge Of the issuing or
masses do not like to feel that they must ADOPT
the same rule for other days as well as SUNDAY
bu. II is possible that the war rules under "hic"
the ward is working will be rigidly enforced AS
an alternative the plan is being tried or having
the clerks devote a certain amount OF time eaci1
6ay 10 the handling Of passes, accommodating as
many applicants as possible in the time aho"eo'
M attention is paid to letters which do nov IL
close a self-addressed. stamped envelope Tor
renlv In speaking Of the trouble yesterday one
Of the best-known officers at the yard said: we
are more than pleased at the interest SHOWN III
che ehins and the yard by civilians. but it must
be remembered that this is a Government insu-
,u,on and we have Government duty 70 per-
farm which will not admit Of delay The chief
,rouhle al present is that the people from the
country districts and from up the state VINO
uant 70 visit us are the ones who are likely TO
he disappointed If the rules are enforced ana
they are the very ones want to see the ships
and become familiar with them. NEWCOMERS
ora all more or less acquainted with the yaro
a,d the vessels but the people who hear a lot
obout them and never them are the ones
uA want 10 see The present system, or lack OF
svs,Ann works a discomfort and annoyance, II
not an injury. to these people, and that Indirect
10 Injuries the service. 1t is likely that iden'in-
cation will have to be insisted on. as such In
stances as the raising of pass from -FOUR 10
fourteen and a beach pirate collecting toll
from the whole crowd not to be tolerated
RAp1D.FrRE GINS FOR THE BATTLE-SHIPS.
The Celtic left the yard yesterday afternoon
having as part of her cargo lot of ice brought
n the ward on schooner from Maine The
hospital ship Solace arrived and took her berth.
The collier Sterling. with her hold filed with
coal was foated from Drydock No. z, and win
the distilling ship, the Iris. is ready for sea-
They will nrobably be taken to Tompkinsville
IN dav or two Drydock No. is still occu-
niaS hv the Indiana and she is likely 10 stay
there for another week Her slow-nri1ns % o. ui
guns are being removed, and their places WI, VIZ
Se taken nv rapid-frers Of the same cahoie.
A set of four of the rapid fire guns Is reaoy
for mounting on the Massachusetts IN Place oa 10
the present slow -firers, and when TINS WORK Is
done the three batte-ships OF the class VIII De
equipped alike. The change will make con-
siderable difference in the battery OF the YES
sells as the fire Of the 6-inch guns, throwing
n 100 pound projecte. will be doubled in speed
There are only four of these guns on each ship.
but the guns will be equivalent 10 eight oh
WORK ON OTHER VESSELS.
Work on all the ships Is going ahead rapidly.
The Indana's condensers are being retubed and
a large number of her valves are being over
hauled; the torpedo-b boat Porter is little more
than shell as her machinery has been re-
moved for an overhauling. There is not much
10 do to the Massachusetts except get her new
guns ready for business and the repairs needed
on the Brooklyn will not require her attendance
at the yard for a long time. The Buffalo is be-
ing fitted for her trip TO the Pacific, the New
York can get away at short notice and the others
are in good shape. All these items, however.
make a large aggregate and II is proverbial that
while II is an easy matter for vessel to get
into the yard II Ia not so easy for her TO get
away again. Sailing days not known. and
nothing more than surmises are INDUCED in by
the officers
Early in the week careful survey OF the yard
water limits was made. with soundings at short
intervals. This was for the purpose Of dredging
the bottom OF the channel out 10 a uniform
depth. and the big dredge is hard at work in
the space between the stone drydock and the
Simpson dock.
A NEW TRAVELLING CRANE.
new travelling crane Of small capacity has
been added TO the yard equipment, and tracks
being laid for 1t alongside those for the big
This latter road is OF the broad-gauge
order, the crane having lift Of forty tons. The
new one will be used to handle small articles.
having lift Of twelve tons. and travelling at
good of speed.
Operations the new wall are we'll under
way and other waterfront work will be started
as soon as some Of the ships out of the way.
With the return to the retired list Of Chief En-
gineer F. G. McKean the duty performed by
him Will be resumed by Chief Engineer a. V.
Zane Mr.. Zane has been on duty connected
with fitting the Buffalo for her approaching
cruise 70 China.
The Secretary Of the Navy has assigned the
auxiliary cruiser Wasp for service on the lakes.