The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-29
VICTORY MADE TO TOTTER.
TROUBLE IN MOVING THE BIG ALE
GORICAL FLOATS.

|
The Designer In Charge Of the Work Says
| the Captain OF the Government Tug
Wompatuck Handled the Floats Too
| Roughly, Thus serioualy Damaging One.
The two barRes symbolizing Peace" and
Victory" which are to be anchored of Grants
| Tomb during the Naval Parade near the stake
| boat st. Marv's. were moved yesterday after
| noon from the dock at 13oth street,
| Madison avenue and the Harlem river where
| they were built. to pier at the foot OF
| West 130th street and North River. The
trip was fraught with great excitement and
| the immense statues OF stan on the barge Vic
| tory were quite seriously damaged. Workmsn
| were busy last night repairing the breaks and
| bracinR the statues so that they wonld not fall
| down to-day.
The first trouble was caused by the captain OF
| a schooner at the dock at 139th street and Har-
lem river. He had tied up his vessel so that II
lay across the bow Of the barge Victory. When
| the three Starn tugs that had been sent
to tow the barges arrived at 2:30 o'clock in the
afternoon. the captain OF the schooner refused
to move his boat and declared that
there was no power on earth that
could make him do so. Chairman Carroll
OF tho Naval Parade Committee was notified
and he called up both the Police and the Dock
Departments. The police station In the vicinl-
ty was notified and squad OF men went to the
dock to see that the schooner was moved.
When the captain saw the blueconts coming
he got out OF the way In a hurry and the three
tugs started off with the two floats
They proceeded through the Harlem River
and Spuyten Duyvil canal without mishap. but
whom they reached the North River they wore
met by the Government tug Wompatuck.
There was a man In uniform on deck and q
number Of women were aboard.
Tho Wumpatuck approached the floats with
out diminishing speed and bumped into Vic
tory. The float began to rock and the statues
swayed 80 that pieces OF staff began to fall.
Keep off," shouted Designer Charles W.
Trembly. who was on the float. You'll upset
| US II you don't take carel"
I've orders to tow you." replied the man in
| uniform on the Government tug. and won Z
keep or You can't bulldoze me-"
With that. the Wompatuok came alongside
| again. making the barge rock harder than
ever. Tho thirty workmen on the float became
wild with fear and began running from one
end OF 1t to the other shouting to
tho captain Of the Wampatuck to keep
Of II he didn't want to drown them.
Mr.. Trembey declared last night that the only
answer the captain made was a voley OF
profanity. Finally. he said. the women on
In beseechng the captain to sheer off.
He finally said that he would II those ON the
barge would throw him a rope and let the
floats be towed by him.
To this Trembley consented. The hawser was
| thrown and then the captain OF the Won pa
tuck started to tow the barges at such
rapid rate that the figures again be-
gan to rock. Capt. Daily who was in
command OF tho Starin tugs ranged them
astern OF tho floats and started to pull back
In this way he managed to retard their speed
somewhat.
NJ ID. Crompton. who constructed the floats
and who was superintendng the moving.
shouted to the Wompatucks captain that he
would cut the hawser II he didn't slow up.
This had its effect.
Meanwhile Capt. DAILY at the risk OF sinking
his own tug. moved up alongside the float and
thus managed to steady her a little. When
the two floats were tied up at 136th
street the men aboard them breathed a
sigh OF relief. and they said things as the Cap
tain OF the Wampatuck cast of the hawsers
and proceeded on his way down the river.
All OF the statues on the Victory float. Mr.
Trem blay says. were weakened so much that
he fears they will go to pieces to-day. Mbig
piece 10 missing from Minerals arm and she
had lost several fingers. The glass globe OF her
paratus OF the upper portion OF the float is
broken and the tanks In the acetylene gas
plant were also damaged.
The force OF men on the floats was put at
work Immediately repairing the damage but
Mr.. Trembley requests that all the captains OF
the vessels in the parade be careful to- day to
make as little wash as possible in passing the
floats. as he fears that they may be capsizsd.
Tho float Victory is constructed on a rail-
road barge 1872 feet long At the DOW Is n
figure OF Neptune fas honed out OF staff Tho
sea god ia riding in hugo shell drawn by
three sea horses. This figure weighs three
tons and is thirty-two feet high. 1t
rises from waves fashioned out OF staff Near
the centre OF the float Is a statue Of
Minerva holding torch in one hand
and trident In the other. Tho tin
OF tho torch is SO feet above the
water line. Below and around Minerva are
four heralds standing. and two kneeling
sounding the news OF the victory 10 all
points OF tho compass. Back Of this
group 10 Columbia with a flag. and back
OF her is an eagle with outstretched
wings on top OF globe. holding In one claw
bunch Of arrows and in the other a laurel
wreath. The eagle 10 twenty-eight feet from
tip to tip Of the wings. The float 10 fitted with
tho largest isolated aoetylene gas plant In the
world.
The float Peace is a two-deck excursion
steamer. It Is draped with bunting
and top is a statute OF Peace,
fashioned In staff. Mr.. Trembley said
last night that tho workmen had done three
months work in fourteen days and that he
couldn't yet realize that the floats has been
com pleted so promptly.