National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-12-28
NAVAL CONSTRUCTION.
Report-Important Reforms Urged
for the Local and other Navy Yards.

Chief constructor WILSON'S EXHAUSTIVE
Report-Important Reforms Urged
for the Local and other Navy Yards.
The annual report Of the bureau Of construc.
tion and repair submitted by Chief Constructor
Wilson argues strongly for an increase aud en-.
largement. The appropriation for last year
was much too small to permit carrying on the
repairs Of vessels at home ana abroad, and the
work in progress was consequently interrupted,
and It is more than probable that the same
Difficulty will occur this year. To obvlato this
and attain a condition crediiablo to some de.
gree an appropriation Is required primarily
for the completion Of the four doublc.turreted
monitors-tho Puritan, Terror, Monadnock,
and Amphitrite, for which 81, ,g13, $50 IS neccs
sary. he asks s1OCO,OOO for building the hulls
2iO0, 5000, 5000, and n 200 tons respectively
Descriptions of the proposed vessels arc given,
with recommendations as TO their armament.
The repair of the old sailing sloops.ol.war
Saratoga, jamestown, and Portsmouth is
urged for they arc approaching n condition
that will require larger expenditures of money
on the repair than the law allows. The loss OF
these would leave tho government without
training ships, and In order 10 meet this Mr.Wil.
son recommends the construction of two com
pGsite auxiliary steam.power 69rkrlgged ye2, ye2,
lght-sparred, designed for training boys for the
naval service. The estimated cost for the COM
pletion and statement of the condition Of the
cluding the wyandotte at sl7,2jj, Saugus,
100000, and Rescue, found to be unsafe at the
navy yard In this city,
The vessels owned by the government at the
navy yards are the Nandalia tho Boston, the
Constitution, the Wabash, the Tallapoosa, the
Richmond, the Essex, the Brooklyn, the Nam
tueket, the Intrepid, the e. GIhetis, the Mlant9no ,
ance, the Vermont, the Catalpa, the Saint
Louis. the Pilgrim, the Nahant, the Jason, the
Montauk, the Wyandottc, the saugus, the
hn hn q.
lanta, the Franklin, the Maynower, the Ajax,
the Cnnonicus, the Catskill, the Lehigh, the
iahopoc, the Manhattan, the Adams, the
lnokGw9nna, the Comanche the Cyane, the
Ounalaskn, the Monadnock. and the Inde-
pcndence.
made q receiving ship, and that the lndepen.
dencc be sold also the Cyane, which Is Of no
use. lie urges that Il would be useless to
spend money for the repair of the Catalpa or
the saugus, as the cost would exceed the
be sent to the Washington navy yard, to be
used for yard purposes.
"In my opinion, saws Mr.. Wilson, ut should
be the policy of the, government TO maintain
one large navy yard, combining in itself the
advantages and facilities of all the others"
and for this purpose the League island yard
sss selected rgpbd pbdHyy hieay mas ths
advanced in Europe that we have been LEFT far
in the rear for want of finances, by which other
nations have arrived, at such perfection in
naval architecture and ordnance. ono of the
greatest difficulties under which our navy has
labored, Is the want of n settled policy with
regard TO our navy yards. and the class Of vcs-
sells TO he constructed" With the exception
OF the need of few OF the improved
wooden boats. the League island, Bos
ton, Norfolk and Portsmouth navy
yards are well fitted, and no private establish
inent in the country has better facilities for
steel ship building. lie asks Sl50,00) osupply
these tools Better docking facilities arc
necessary The naval academy needs another
practice or school ship, and the importance of
dry docks Is pointed out with the opinions of
authorities.
The amount expended for civilians EN-.
ploycd on clerical duty at the navy yard was
sl5,53S,22. The estimates of appropriations re-
quired for the service of the present year end
ing June 80. 1887, Is as follows: Construction
and repair of vessels, s2,000,0OO; double tur.
I roted monitors, 29l3 CSC: building OF hulls of
two writers are asked for at the Washington
nayy ynrd