National Republican., 1882-12-27
OUR NAVY YARDS.
An Era of Prosperity Ahead for Mare
Islnnd-DisposinE OF WORTHLESS HullSs-
Iron and Steel Vessels TO be Built.
San Francisco Chronicle.

Is1nnd-DlsposinE OF Worthless Hullss-
Iron and Steel Vessels TO be Built.
San Francisco Chronicle
The commission created by congress for the
purpose of examining the various navy yards
are making rapid progress in their inspection
of the Mare Island yard, and will conclude
their labors by the middle of the week. In
70 conversation with the members of the COM
mission-C Commodore S. b. Luce, president
Chief Engineer Charles H. Loring and A. b.
Mullett-n Chronicle reporter was given an
insight into their work, both us TO what has
been accomplished, and what yet remains,
and was furnished with statement as to the
probable result of their labors.
"The problem before the secretary of the
navy" said one of the commissioners. " is the
reorganization of the navy-a matter so es-
scntial to tho welfare of our country, that it
has become one of the mOmcntous questions
of the day. The battle between the Morrimac
and the Monitor demonstrated to the world
the need of u new kind of war vessel Yet,
strange rs ii may appear, we arc the last of
the great naval powers TO take advantage of
the lesson taught by that battle. All the
other powers have built ships on the new
plan, while VIC still cling with u sort of dcspe-
ration to that supcrannuatcd style of naval
architecture abandoned by all save U.S. and
though the primary object of our tour is to do
away with some of the navy yards II Is, TO
come down to the bottom facts to equip those
TO he retained with the advantages necessary
for the building Of modern ships of war. That
this is an absolute necessity nobody, l think,
will gainsay.
OUR APOLOGY FOR 4 NAVY.
"At the close of the war the government
found itself the possessor of an enormous fleet,
a small portion of which were the old navy
built ships of war, the remainder being COM
posed of three classes, viz: First, ships that
were built during the war, that were con-
struCtGd of the regular and suitable material,
or of seasoned live oak second, those the
frames of which were built Of live oak and
seasoned white oak or of white oak entirely.
The supply of live oak aud seasoned white
oak-a product of the south-beng limited,
tho government was compelled to use white
oak improperly seasoned or seasoned by arti-
fetal means. This latter class of vessels is
represented by those ships that are actually
rotting away on the stocks, even though under
shelter, and comprises some of the finest speCl-
mems of naval architecture that have ever
been designed anywhere so far as strength
and fighting qualities are concerned.
"Third, that class of vessels which were
purchased and converted. These were dis
posed Of and it would have proved wise
plan to have disposed of the vessels then on
the dock that were built of unfit material.
Instead of doing this the department at
tempted to repair and to complete these hulls.
Meanwhile the experience of Europe has dem:
onStratcd the great superiority of iron and
steel vessels over those of wood, and events
have forced the same conclusion on the de-
partment and on congress, and it is not prob
able that any more wooden vessels will be
constructed unless for some special purpose.
NEEDED REFORM.
"The last appropriation bill authorized and
instructed the secretary of the navy to eX-
anime into our fleet and to dispose of all
worthless ships and material, and to close or
sell such of the navy yards as could not be
conducted with the reduced appropriations
provided for in that bill, restricting its au-
thority to repair ships to such only as could
be thoroughly repaired and placed in effective
condition for a sum not to exceed one-third of
the cost of a similar ship at present prices. a
board especially charged with the perform
ance of this duty is now engaged III exam
| lining every vessel on the list and is making
good progress, large part having been for
mally condemned. second board is also
taking stock of all material on hand in the
different yards, condemning such us they find
| to be of inferior quality or worthless, and ap-
praising the remainder at current rates i'll
stead of the war rates, at which it was pur-
chased, and had been carried on the books
| from year to year to the present time. The
| labors of this last mentioned board when COM
| pleted will result in u practical taking
] y
and also practically close the account current
| of the late war, SO far as the navy is con-
! cerned, which should have been done years
ago. Congress at the same time directed the
secretary of the navy to create commission
| to consist of one line and one staff officer and
one from civil life. This commission is now
on duty at the Mare island navy yard. Thei
duties are to examine each navy yard, aScer'
tain the value of the land, the improvements
| machinery, &C., and report i'll detail upon the
capacity, the cost, and the comparative i'm
portance of each, with II view to determining
whether it would be to the advantage of the
government TO close, sell or retain any oi
them. The object of this.i to determine
how many navy yards are needed for the
maintenance of Il suitable and necessary navy
ON peace footing, u question which was con
sidercd by the advisory board appointed dur
ing the last session Of congress, and is still
under consideration by new board recently
appointed for the same purpose"
CONCLUSION OF THE COMMISSIONS.
The commission have determined to make
no decisions until they have examined every
yard, which will be nearly concluded when
The inspection of the Mare island yard is fin.
ished, as Pensacola, the naval station at Key
West, is the only remaining station to be in
spected. The commission are therefore un-
able to give any definite information as to
their ultimate decisions or the recommends
tions they will make. The Indications so fan
as the different members have expressed any
opinion, point decidedly to the conclusion
that, while it is improbable that they will
recommend the sale of anything, they will
recommend the closing of a number of the
yards and placing them in charge of an officer
and a small guard, storing in the buildings all
tho perishable property. As TO Mare island
as it is the only navy yard on the Pacific
coast il is therefore conceded to be indispen
sable. 1t is also probable that Mare island
will be made in effect n great naval arsena
and provided with ample material and store'
for the maintenance and supply of the largest
fleet that can possibly be required on the Pa
Ciiic coast in case of war. The commission
do not hesitate to say that the government
has mt present no navy yard that III any sensC
of the word comes up to the requirements o
modern warfare, or can compare with the
best European yards. Some are nearly per
feet in some branches but equally imperfect
in Others as for instance, the Mare lsanC
yard. There is no dry dock, though one is il
process of construction. At Brooklyn an(
Boston there is but one in each, while theil
steam machinery is of the highest grade anC
competent to do the repairing of any reason
able number of ships yet they have not dock
enough to put up more than one ship at
time. The trouble has been that congress ha
always been lavish with appropriations TO
minor objects but when work Of more THAI
ordinary magnitude has been brought up 10
consideration it has been literally talked Il
death.
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The CIal,ns Bn,
Judge Richardson of the court of claim
L.,