National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-01
THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD.

The following extract from the files of the
old National LptelligeHcer will be read with
interest just now as pertinent to the renewed
discussion of the project to abolish the Wash
ington navy yard:
This place has the same advantages as
League Island, together with others which
that does not possess-such as the greater
elevation of the ground, and the less liability
to be blockaded by heavy ice. 1t is situated
on the well-known Anacostia or Eastern
Branch of the Potomac, on a deep fresh-water
channel, at a safe distance from the open
ocean, for the river is easily defensible by
land, as we had reason to know during the
earlier part of the rebellion. 1t is within the
limits Of the National Capital, directly under
the control of the General Government, and
hence would not be liable to the contingencies
that caused the destruction of those at Nor
folk and Pensacola. The Chesapeake and
Ohio canal and the proposed Metropolitan
railroad connect 1t with the bituminous coal
and iron mines of the West; and the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, and the ship-canal, soon,
we trust, to connect the Eastern Branch with
the Severn at Annapolis, together with the
Chesapeake bay and the Susquehanna canals,
afford a ready communication with the anthra-
cite and iron of Pennsylvania.
One important consideration, applicable to
no other place, is that no new establishment
will be required. The present yard is already
one of the most important in the country, and
there is q great amount of heavy work done
here, such as the forging of large anchors and
the construction of the largest class of marine
engines. With the extension proposed by the
Secretary of the Navy, from Tenth to Second
street east, (the outlet Of the resuscitated city
canal it will afford ample room for executing
the most massive works, and still more ground
could be obtained If needed, in the direction of
the United States Arsenal.
On the plateau above the river may be built
far more attractive homes for the iaborers and
others employed at the yard than is possible
for quite a distance from League Island, and
under these circumstances there will be no lack
of the requisite skilled labor.
This yard being on the Eastern Branch, a
sheltered and placid stream, and not on the
Potomac proper, vessels anchored there are
not exposed to the full force of drift ice, as at
League Island; also, the ice In the Potomac is
never as thick as in the Delaware, nor does it
last so long; and even in case of emergency
| any iron-clad vessel similar in form to the ram
Stonewall may be used as an efficient ice
breaker, since from the peculiar shape of her
bows she would plough up the ice and turn 1t
| over as neatly as a locomotive snow-plough
| will clear a railroad track of a moderate fall
| of snow. River ice, which Tesists great pres
sure acting horizontally, is easily broken from
beneath; hence the form given to the upstream
| edges of the piers of any bridge is usually that
of ploughshare. A fine example of this is
seen in the Victoria Bridge, at Montreal.
In these remarks we by no means desire to
confine the construction and repair of the iron
clads to one yard; there should be several OF
the kind, as many as the wants Of the Govern.
ment require, and the iron-clads distributed
among them. We have simply endeaynred to
show that the Washington yard has claims to
consideration of no mean order, and is GER
tainly superior in some points to all the otheI
projected sites. JERSEY.