The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-14
LEAGUE ISLAND.


ANY opposition that may now exist in Con-
gress with regard to the transfer Of the Phila-
delphia Navy Yard to League Island and the
establishment there of q great naval depot
can scarcely arise from anything but the dis
content of the advocates for other sites, but
as Congress has accepted League Island from
the city of Philadelphia, and its fitness for
the purpose cannot be disputed, all further
controversy with regard to the proposed
transfer should be at an end. League Island
is the one place of all others upon the Allan
tic seaboard that is pre-eminently fitted for q
great naval establishment such as the Govern
ment must possess if the navy is
to be maintained at proper
state of efficiency. 1t is sufficiently
near the open sea to allow all the advantages
that are desired in that particular, while it
is far enough away from the water to be pro-
tected from any sudden attack of an enemy.
1t is surrounded upon all sides by fresh water
which is deep enough to float the largest ves-
sells, and that will furnish for the iron-clads
all the protection they need 1t is large
enough to accommodate all the machine
shops, store houses, ship houses, and other
structures required for great naval esta-
blishment, and, perhaps more important than
all, it has advantages for obtaining coal and
iron in any quantity direct from the mines
such as no other place in the country pos
sesses. 1t is not creditable that sectional
jealousies should have thus far prevented the
work of preparing League Island for the pur-
pose to which it has been devoted from being
commenced by the Government, especially as
the proceeds from the sale of the old Navy
Yard site will certainly cover large portion
if not the whole of the expense. The navy
never can be kept in that state of eff
cheney that is absolutely necessary if we are
to be prepared for the emergencies that are
constantly arising, SO long as the present
system of small yards, with their necessarily
incomplete appliances for doing work, is
maintained. One such establishment as is
proposed at League Island will be worth all
the navy yards in the country, and it will
enable the Government to have its work per-
formed, under the direction of its own off,
GERS, better and cheaper than it can in any
other manner.
The establishment of a school Of naval
engineering, which is highly essential to
the efficiency of the navy in the future, is
another important consideration that ought
to influence the speedy improvement of
League Island. Such school as this cannot
be carried on properly in connection with the
Academy at Annapolis, but it must be situ-
ated in the midst of large machine shops.
where the young engineers can have all the
requisite facilities for learning in
the most perfect manner possible
fha of
their profession. This is subject that has
not as yet attracted the attention it deserv es,
but it needs but moment s reflection to de-
monstrate its vast Importance, and the Phila-
delphia delegation in Congress ought to in
troduce it and urge it with the utmost per-
sistence as soon as the session opens. With
proper management on the part of our repre-
sentatives in Congress-, the opposition to
League Island ought to be queted
during the coming winter, and a bill
authorizing the improvement of the
site should be pushed through both houses as
rapidly as possible, so that there may be no
further delay. The citizens of Philadelphia
are, of course, deeply interested in having
the League Island Navy Yard in active opera
tion at as early day as possible, but it is of
much more Importance to the nation at large
than it is to us, and there ought to
be enough members of both
houses who are not specially interested
in other sites to overcome all opposition. If
we should suddenly become involved in a
foreign war, the people of the country will
suddenly discover that a great naval depot
ought to have been established long ago; and
| as there is no telling what day may bring
forth, should to be no further delay in
putting the only frst-class site for the purpose
in proper condition for the performance of all
kinds of naval work.