New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-17
SHIPS NEARLY READY.
Missouri and Illinois to Leave Bos%
ton Navy Yard Soon.

Boston, Dec Ii (speciaD.-whsn the bz&tssshses
Missouri and Illinois TO the navy yard hazO
the latter part OF November It was ordered thAs
the repairs asked for, and which Eers approved
by the Navy Department. be proceeded with &C
once and hastsned that the ships might set back
to the fleet as soon as possible for duty. TO 90
this the work the armored cruiser Nsw-xork
and the auxiliary cruiser Prairie suspended
and the forces OF mechanics employed on them
were transferred to the battleships. But a. Ees
pairs proceeded with 1t was found that mHcn
more than that originally laid down was necaSs
sary to be done to place them In cruising ef5cieneA
However both vessels win be ready 70 lsaEe hsRa
not far from January L
It is barely possible that thu Missouri may not
be able to leave here soon the Illinois, tor
she is to have eight new gun mounts; and these
not yet having arrived. she may be delayed few
days after January 8, the day set for her com.
pletien. The construction department has had
considerable to do on the chip, including the
pairs to her gun deck, In which was hols made
by one Of the guns when It was dtsmounted The
steam engineering department Is receiving a gem
eral overhauIing but the principal work IL tbs
reboring of two OF the steam cylinders that were
found much out Of true the rebuilding Of the fire.
brick walls in the twelve Thorneycroft water tube
boilers the addition of new one-ton Ice machine
to her refrigeratIng plant and putting IN two air
compressoFs-
eraI days, has had her propellers removed for
examination Of the wearing surfaces of the main
Shaftng. to examine the port man smart InaC
was so badly bent when the Missouri-Ilnois col
Iision took place in squadron manoeuvres on Pensa-
cola about year ago. The shaft was taken out at
the New-York Navy Yard and was heated and
straightened-a process that is rare with such ma
could not be perfectly done; but the examination
of the bearings proves that the shaft is as good
as
The two sea boxes for tho main injsetors ara
found to be badly corrodsd about the inner cham
bers and these are to be renewed in tiTae for the
vessel to be hoated out of dock Wednesday next.
But the repairs to the ship cannot be completed
much before the first of the year for all of the
combustion chambers Of the boilers being
changed so TO permit forced draught to be used
without injury TO the boilers.
The trial board of the new battleship Louisiana.
sister ship to the Connecticut building at the New
York Navy Yard, returned here Wednesday
night from the trial the Maine coast. and the
members at work figuring out the results. The
final speed runs took place on Wednesday, and the
ship made speed Of 1905 knots, or six-hundredths
of knot above the contract requirement II has
not yet been determined when the Connecticut will
have her trials, although she Is said to be nearer
that it was desired that the Louisiana should have
the trial first that any changes that might be
desirable could be used by the Connecticut The
official board of the recent trials OF the battesip
Rhode Island made note of several things that
would have been of benefit, and these will be utfl
lied in favor of the NeW-Jersey sister ship build
ing at the Fore River works, In advance OF her
trials. 1t has been decided that the builders shall
turn the Rhode Island over to the government on
January g. but after that there viii be several
minor things to be done to complete her.