The New York herald., 1870-04-04
Facts and Figures Showing the Cost Of
the Navy Yard Ground and lts I'M
provements, with Pleasing Re-
miniscences Of EARLY Times.
What It is Proposed 10 Pay for the Ground
and the Percentage Of Profit Looked
for in Its Transfer into City Lots.
a Big Job and why the Brooklyn
City Government Favor It.
Particular Reasons Of Approval by .
Prominent Congressional Advo-
cate OF the Scheme.

A"fucafar Reasons OF Appr0vat Dy
Prominent Congressional Advo-
cate OF the Scheme.
Among the multiplicity OF diversified schemes be-
Scre Congress there Ia that excites as little at
tenion, and none In which the United States gov
ernment ana the people al large have really great
and vital interest as the propagation for the sale
aud removai OF the Brooklyn Navy YARD and pur-
chase OF q site elsewhere. It Is alleged by those
elaiming TO be the best posted on the subject that
the originators Of this mammoth scheme are work.
ting to this end, that their wish Is to attract
as little attention to the measure as possible,
and that they purpose to push 1t through
Congress with that quiet and dgnined silence Of
calm and peaceful legislation characteristic OF Con-
gfess0nal 'j0Dbery," 30 that the public viii know
nothing Of 1t, or ut least so that this knowledge will
tie OF NO avail in opposition to the legislative action
Until the same shall have become lndsputaby and
incontr0vertibly "1xed." Al preparatory TO this
hna result 1t IS fuither alleged that the manpuator
o1 the project FIRST went to work and secured, upon
contingent purchase, the site on the Hudson river,
opposite Hastings aud that examinations for site
ANEW London and elsewhere only strategic TENTS
t0divers puDlc attention from the plan Of purchase
thus already fully agreed upon, and thus, when the
latter scheme IL carried into effect give 1t the ap-
pearance OF being the result OF careful, prolonged
and honest deliDcratlon and straightforward and
impartial legislation. Whether these allegations
arc true or otherwise matters but little. Everybody
knows how g2anuc projects Of this kind, In which
HAlli0ns OF money areInvolved, are frequently hur
Ned through Congress- and tna averments OF zeal for
the pubic goJd are to be taken at q large discount
1t Is the province OF Independent journalism state
facts, hard, rugged Gradgrlnd-lke facts, matter
then leave the public to form its own judg-
ment Some time since there was pub
xsned In the HERALD full ana minute
description OF the site on the Hudson
river 10 which reference has been made, as also
An equally detailed account OF the location at New
L0nd0n, showing alike the advantages and dis I'D.
vanta9es OF these respective sites for navy yard
20 take The place OF the Brooklyn yard. With view
u an impartial submission OF all the facts OF all
sides OF the case we give below q sketch OF the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, the cost Of che land and bud-
tngc Of every descripsIon aud the dry dock and
wharf improvements, and after computing the
present value OF the same and expense OF replacing
them IN new yard show what 1t is proposed to pay
for the yard ana how this compares with what VIA
be its vaue when The land AMI all s appurtsnanccs
are removed anu the aud aivided into city lots.
TIKI BROOKLYN NAVY YARD AS AN INCHoATE IDEA.
the BROOKLYN Navy Yard IN It's inchoa.e state takes
us back close on to the beginning 81 the present cen
dependence from Che sovereignty VI Great Britan it
was speedily l0reseen tnat tO matntnln our supre.
niacy ~ great ana powerful government ut homc
and Inc respect abroad OF The other great ruling
powers OF the world, and to show as well as to as.
EeIt. II need be, our maraiime strength and power,
cent ana brilliant yiclories achieved BY
our young aud untried navy in the war OF
early founders OF our government IN giving proper
attention 70 this most importan, branch OF national
defence. Amohg me earliest navy yards established
oy our government was one &C Brooklyn. The revO-
lulIonary maxim Not cent for tribute, but mil
hons ior defence" was well enough IN theory, but
lhe government Golfers were not thon inconyen.
icntly burdened with the precious metals wrought
into he CURRENT coin OF the realm, anu there were
not millions to throw
OLD TIME PATRIOTISM
away. Prudent men had then the control and dis
bursemenr Of Our national nnances. There was
patriotism In those days tiiat good, OdIHshtOneu
patrl0tsl0 allied Win sterling integrity ana con-
sciences VOID Of Onence, tnat sought and worked
JobDery was unknown Shoddy swindling and
theverY had net become part and parcel OF our
thus point Wniout eiaoorating upon the dlnerences
between government expenditures lheu and now,
ssns sua which, soh 4 was pertinent 70 our present
great and interesting length it is only simply anus.
Ing as evlncng the simplicity OF our forelathers to
alitde 10 tue special Cautions taken in the frst pur
chase OF land for government navy yard at BROOK
lyn. After setting the matter that navy yard
snould be esaDlisned near this city the great com
Mercal ceutre tine Il, it is still and must ever re-
MAN, OF this country the next thing was TO get The
best ocaon ano after this TO get at the cheapest
possible rate. General Samuel Smith, Secretary OF
WARRIOR IN ths Que government iunctionary
was tnen vested control OF all our means OF
h the right place. lie did not look out ior s.joD"
for himself or the members oil the prolific Smith
family his particular blood relations, but quietly
delegated to number of naval Oaicers the duty OF
making the necessary inquiries and examinations.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTING.
TWO at time and In PLAIN civilians Clothes for 1t
was part OF their INSTRUCTIONS not to advertise their
presence BY wearing uniforms, and on no account
TO any into the secret Of the object they mad
IN view. The commissioners to whom we have ie-
ferred looked about TIL they unanimously resolved
upon the present location everything considered. as
Durham, widow lady, owned tnirty-twO acres
fronting on Wailabcut channel and ABOUT the centre
Dunham was to be kept III ignorance or the TACT that
the government desired TO become the purchaser OF
sssrcn n ina te aer nas anu wos
nowadays multiplicity OF lawyers and multi
picty ol iearfuy accumuiative bills, two brothers,
John and EbeneZer watson were Instructed to nego-
tate tic purchase. There were some difficulties In
the way. In the nrst place there was a hour mill on
the ground, which was ss leading valuable feature,
as most Of the iuhabitants OF the "yiliage of
BROOKLYN obtained their lour here. Thia mil was
leased and the lcass mad sti several years TO run.
ana q barn on the place. Tie only DOCK improve.
FIRST PURCHASE CONCLUDED.
At length, alter good deal OF chafling with the
widow, WnQ seemed quite reluctant 10 part WITH the
irde Of land ie: per BY 1er departed husband about
tie price ana good deal OF correspondence be.
tween the v atson brothers and Daniel Ludlow, ono
OF the comnalss,oners ana Rsvseq sns LATER Ss9ts
were agreed upon, and $4,000 was paid
for the laud and the lease Of tho nour
mill. Some government officials thought this
8 high price and therefore the Watson brothers,
par noble Tia,run, TO preserve their regulations
from tho slightest taint OF suspicion oi pavlg made
more than their commissions III the transaction,
offered to become tRa purchasers taemselves-an
example in the real estate agency Inc that It is TO
be feared hnds In these degenerate days but few
imitat0rs. The correspondence On tho subject Of
this drst purchase which s now preserved IN the
archives OF the Navy Yard and through perusal OF
which were Cleaned the facts we ore now wcitnY,
u rs interesting as II Is voiuminous.