National Republican., 1883-12-31
Tho Needs Of Navy as Set Forth by the
Commission.
Condition Of the Government Yards and
Workshops.
@Eone Of Them Completed or in Satisfactory State
\ Of Efficiency"
what Is Needed TO Put Them in Proper
Shape for Business.

VI
,nd valuo Of the navy yards, and whether II
4 is advisable to sell them, have made their re-
port. They state that the radical changes in
the art of naval warfare have materially
affected the value of our navy yards. The
introduction of armored ships, high powered
guns, torpedoes and steamers instead Of
ships have changed the value Of sites for
yards.
And there Is 3 another reason" says the
report, "for SOLE modification of our naval
peace establishment. The decadonce Of our
!. merchant marine has naturally led to the
N depreciation of our military marine. The
Sreciprocal relations of the two services render
hem in n measure interdepondent. The
avy affords protection to ships engaged in
4 reign trade, and in time of war finds its
st reserves in the seamen of the merchant
et. In 1860 the tonnage of the United
\ ties engaged in foreign trade was 2,5i6,237
4 rs, placing us second in the list of mari
g,me countries. We bid fair to monopolize
4 he carrying trade of the ocean, and our
Fighting ships commanded universal admira-
\ Ition. In the twenty years just passed, while
the tonnage Of our great commercial rival
A has increased so per cent, our tonnage has
dropped to 1,352,S10, or nearly one-half,
II placing us third on the list of maritime coun-
tries; our own carrying trade has been
4 wrested from us, and we have not single
\ fighting ship to bear our flag upon the seas
n missioners hope and believe, but temporary
\ in its character, does not justify reduction
in the number of works that are essentially
permanent"
The primary use of q navy yard is for the
buildingand repairing of ships of war. There
must be shops for all the various trades which
are employed upon ships store houses for all
the articles used, and barracks guard houses,
stables, and other buildings. In time of war
the requ rements are greatly increased. The
~ III
yard is that IL shall be secure from attack
by land or sea. 1t must be we'll
within the lines Of defense; its
4 interior lines Of communication to tho prin-
4 Ncipal sources of supplies must be fully secured
4 fin time of war; it should be near safe and
commodious harbor; it should be easy of ac-
cess, and admit at mean low water ships of
H tho heaviest draught; it should be near
4 community able to furnish skilled labor and
materials; its grounds should be of q charac-
A | ter that dry docks and wet basins can be con-
structed at moderate cost, and its area sufii-
kcient for all necessary buildings; it should
khave ample supplies of good portable water;
lit should be difficult to blockade, and it should
\ Abe in salubrious climate.
MI Before reporting upon the value of the
4 avy yards. in accordance with these require
1 nents, the commissioners say that navy yards
hare not defensive works, but that naval sta
Ntons on the coast, where vessels OF war pre-
Npared for immediate service are held in re-
Aserve for emergencies, are Of great value for
i IA defensive purposes. The United States would
Nbn anticipation of war, require five such sta
! -tjons-on Narragansett bay, Chesapeake bay
Key West, San Francisco bay, and the lakes
The following principles are also laid down
in the report:
/. That large and wealthy cities such as Boston,
i n New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, &C.,
must be defended at any cost by permanent forti
d cations, so that the, locating Of navy yard
within the deenses of such cities does not add to
the expense of system OF defensive works.
2 That the placing OF navy yard near har-
Dor or city of minor Importance necessitates forti
fcations for its defense where otherwise there
might be none.
g. That sheet of water Offering great natural
advantages as rendezvous Tor a fleet must be de-
funded at any cost, although there may be no
emy take possessioS DC and make Il he base of hos.
tile operations.
The commission report upon the advan-
tages, disadvantages, and condition of the
navy yards at length, and make recommends
tions They recommend that the Mare
Island navy yard be retained. and as it is the
only one on the Pacific coast, and fulflls most
of the requirements of a perfect site, they do
not consider the question Of its sale open to
discussion. They do not recommend the
sale of the Portsmouth yard, as it
will always be useful as a sanitary
station, and no price commensurate with its
value could be obtained for it. 1t is unten-
able in time of war, and could not, therefore,
be changed into an iron shipbuilding yard
Iuey uuu uutb INC DOSUOu navy yaru, on aC-
count of its geographical position, excellent
plant, fine dry dock and buildings, and adapt
ability to further improvements, is too valu-
able to be relinquished. Defensive works for
the protection of Boston must some time be
constructed, when the yard will be safe from
= lack
THE sale is recommended Of the whole or
ne larger part of the naval hospital grounds
at Chelsea, Mass. AS at present occupied
they impose barrier to ready communica-
tion between the Charleston district of Bos-
ton and portion of the city of Chelsea, and
are thus a serious detriment to tho interests
of the latter. The area ia much larger than
is necessary for the demands of the hospital
and has become too valuable to lie unim.
proved, 1t was impossible to obtain a relia-
BILE estimate of the value of this property
The naval station near New London is
found to be unsuitable for a navy yard and
it is recommended that q naval asylum be es-
tablished there.
The New York navy yard is found to be, on
account of its geographical position and the
advantages of its site, the most valuable and
I gAportant in the possession Of the country.
n rhe committee does not recommend its sale,
ls't thinks fifty-eight acres lying to the east
n n rd Of the marine barracks should be dis
y Sed Of
n The sale of the League Island navy yard,
II s the government needs it for tine purpose of
Il uilding its own iron and steel ships is op-
a osed 1t should be used for that purpose.
The Washington navy yard is found to be
/ 10 remote from the sea and with shallow
4 ater approaches. and not suited for a ship
Z hiding or repairing yard, but it is valu-
II BILE plant, adapted for the manufacture of
n \ ,cial articles under the special bureaus, or
VI work of naval or experimental charac-
Y I;er on account Of its proximity to tho OK
. fecutive' departments and the largo number of
Il resident artisans.
n The Norfolk yard is found to be deficient
4 in many important particulars, but it has
q M ny advantages and its proximity to
n II npton Roads makes it indispensable.
The Pensacola navy yard is wholly unten-
able against naval attack because of its
4 nearness TO the sea, yet circumstance might
arise which would give it great military
lue. 1t could not be sold for what it is
Ii 5rth and it is the only navy yard ON the
IT, The commissioners do not, therefore,
ommend its sale, but recommend the ap.
ntment of commission TO select site
hin the lines of defense of Pensacola
iI or in some other locality,
rhe commissioners do not recommend tho
sale of tho Key West naval station be-
III wing that in any maritime war Key West
lst be retained in our possession Rt what
or cost.
The sackett's harbor (Now York; naval
tion must not, in the opinion of the com
ttee, be abandoned as IL ia the only naval
n lioh on the exposed frontier of the lakes.