The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-12


Railroad. Thus we would have means OF outlet
for our monitors by these canals and we would
have the whole West TO furnish MS With its pro-
ducts thus rendering o threatened blockade
futile and without result
League Island can be shown most incontro-
vertbly, not only TO be place of safety for our
iron-clad vessels but also the very best In which
TO build up navy. Now, Judge from whatI
have seen in this House that facts and facts
only, will be listened to, and they seem to me-
as far as presented, to be all in favor OF that
location.
say that on the question of defensibilitv. on
the question of fresh water, on the question of
the depth of water, freedom from ice, and on
the question OF cheapness OF living, aud the
facility OF procuring materials, you can find no
place to compare With 1t. II looks to me as IL
nature planted 1t there for some great national
account of salt water.
All who have examined 1t state this as the
great and lnsurmountable objection as far as
iron vessels are concerned. Salt water destroys
them.
The gentleman from Connecticut seems to
suppose that rocky point Is the best place for
past. Look at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, most
Of which is made ground. We do not want to
carry vessels up a steep hill or to cut deep
basins through solid rock. 1t is not necessary,
when we have other places which do not require
this enormous expenditure of money. Go to the
Cbarlestown Navy Yard, in the district of the
Chairman Of the Committee on Naval Affairs
and you will find that a great portion of II is
q navy for water and not Tor land.
AT the outset my remarks / alluded TO the
fact that the gentleman from Connecticut made
no argument of the delensIbility of New Lon.
don against foreign navy. He could not make
any such argument The history of the country
points out some facts in reference TO the de, .
feasibility of that location. 1t could not resist
a foreign navy during the war of 1872 which
blockaded it, any more than during the revolu.
tionary war, when 1t was burnt to ashes by the
British, whose fleet and transports reached It
in nj oh / lie net of
now as it was then.
One word about the expense. Why, sir,
100000 was expended in repairing and fitting
out one ship OF our Navy. | refer to the Van
deTbW. Yet you talk about the cost of CON
structing a navy yard at League Island such as
no other nation IN the world will or can have.
1t is SO clear that do not think it needs argu.
ment. l do not think this House would hesi-
tate for one moment in reference to the expense
when the city OF Philadelphia offers to give TO
the Government six hundred acres OF land. L.
certainly would not If the land were adjoining
the present navy yard. I.Hlr ..l
We do Lot ask for new navy yard We ex-
pect the present one to be transferred to League
Island when completed. The present yard s
now surrounded by the city. It's almost IN the
centre of the CITY, TIE Government can sell II
for probably $2,OO00OO, although 1t contains
but fifteen or sixteen acres, and IN its stead yoa
will have navy yard oil some six hundred acres
| in much better location. We are not asking
| for new navy yard but only desire that you
| will locate one, in fact, but as an extension Of
| offered as q gift will be worth in few years
| millions of dollars to the Government. Com
| meIce is pressing down the river towards League
| Island. Wharyes for the accommodation OF
private business are being built along the banks
| OF the Delaware I.L
| Sir, would you select for naval station New
| London harbor, which is famous for nothing but
| its nearness TO the ocean? We do not want
| new navy yard, much less do we want one
| located among rocks and salt marshes. 1t may
have the proximity to the sea to recommend it
| as regards health, but consump ptive could not
live there, and men working hard from morning
| until night in the shops would suffer from the
| climate, whereas in the neigh borhood of Phila
delphia they would be living where health
One word as 10 the defensibllity of League
Island in comparison with New London. / tell
| you there is but one way of deciding this ques-
| ton, and that is upon the facts. With the Datu-
| raj and artificial deienses in the Delaware river
in the Revolutionary struggle, it took the British
fleet eight long weeks to get up to Philadelphia.
! And will appeal to my friend from Delaware if
it is not true that IN the war Of 1912 time and
again the British cruisers were driven off the
Capes by our batteries, and yet Commodore De-
catur was shut up by blockade of the enemy in
| the ha1bor OF New London for weeks upon
weeks with his ship after he had captured the
| Macedonian.
Sir, we need such navy, as the lesson of the
late Rebellion has taught us, navy built of iron,
| aud we need naval station at point where we
| cannot only build, but equip our iron,clad YES
sells. Does this House know that during the late
rebellion not one ship was fully equipped IN the
navy yards OF the country? Now, sir, let rs nave
yard where we can have foundry, where we
can makeEour ordnance, and everything great or
small which enters into the completion OF
man.of-war. Look at the losses we have suf-
tered; millions of dollars claimed by contractors
| for extra work on vessels and their machinery.
| In the midst OF the speech OF nv friend from
Connecticut bill for the relief of contractor
Tor loss upon the Idaho is messaged from the
Senate to the House. We will find claims
amounting to twenty or thirty million dollars
of this character, all occasioned by want of
| proper legislation on this subject.
l. In 1862 the Secretary OF the Navy suggested
| In report and has made the same suggestion
in every succeeding report the necessity of
| locating navy yard for iron-clads and vet
here alter nearly i've years, with half a-dozen
this purpose. We ought to have navy worthy
| OF such heroes as Farragut, Dupont, Wiuslow
| Gushing, and others; but we can never have it
until we select the place at which to build the
| vessels.
Mr.. Speaker, one word and am done. As
said before, started out to state facts, and have
! endeavored TO contine my self to such. / wish
| to say, sir, for my colleagues of the Pennsylva-
| MIA delegation and for my own more immediate
colleagues of Philadelphia, that we are not
| urged to the support OF this measure by any
| local interests or Considerations. We endeavor
| to do our duty without the prejudice OF locality.
| If better site can be found for this purp ise
your naval station there. But let us, for the
sake OF those who have honored our fac in the
| naval service take such measures as will place
| the navy upon proper footing ior all time to
| come. For this we ask you to pass the bill lust
as II was reported from the Committee on Naval
| Affairs.