The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-09-27
THE NEW NAVY YARD.
Advantages Of the Port Or
chard Site Summed Up.
FIFTEEN MILES FROM SEATTLE.
n VIII Dr.w TIE Supplies snd Labor
Frsm the Hesropsiis-Ths Issd
Eond~f-

w,sp.-e-ox. sers 1s-The eornIssso1
RAT reo<u,iv visited TIE Paclfc eoast 20
srd a good r!aee for navy yard hsve
rssa1e q very exhaustive report, most ct
vkseh a dsrcsss. 70 description Of points
,ths- ,haa Por. Orchard examined. snd
stat<rress; ~ the resson which irnpellsd the
-zrn rs!ssson 20 refuse their claims Sam
ming rp the advantages at Port Orchard.
- posut Turner. as il II called, she repsert
SAYS the situation Il upon g good harhor.
wita snpie extent ard depth o. water for
ships Of the largest sixe and heaviest
5rsught. and IT. accessible % them a. al
.imes. The principal lines OF De-
fease have not ret been lad
1owp, bat the opinion gwen by
the con mission a. 20 their probable hcea-
son COMEDIES with the conclusion Of the
chief Of engineers u the intel States
army. The site chosen - sell within arr
probable lire Of defense In,eaded 10 cover
he principal cities Of Puget sound. and II
may he aided that il j. also fzyorADly slsr-
stea 20 support that line q defense. while
tssll remaining secure. Its position ana
natural surroundings are such az 10 afford
0eal security frotn attsck By naval force.
whether by dash or bomosrdnlent. with
aneeual!ed small expense in the prepaFa-
ton of defenses
The water front on Sinclair haTbor is Il
nile and half long. whieh, afte- al de
auctions for dry dock. building ships. etc.
sill allow at least dozen OF the heaviest
ships known To be ~ the docks IN n single
inc The site il fifteen miles from Seattle
and thirty from Tacoma, the principal cen
.eys Of labor and supplies on Puget sound
Both labor ard supplies can be obtained
rom those cities.
All accounts agree IN the natural health
n the region generally. and that outdoor
aboF can he carried on throughout the
rear with the loss Of a very few DAYS.
Touching the cost Of the proposed site.
he commission refers 20 the active specft-
alton in land. aud says Il was obliged. IN
order Ia prevent inorsiinate advance in
values consequent upon the selection Of
ute, 10 obtain from land owners in advance
propositions 20 sell To- the government at an
appraised value that will give fair com
pensation for the owners ia case the gov
srnment should accept the property within
he year ending March 81. i-po These
values include Improvements and prospec-
I've improvements TO date above the given
appraised estimate.
The entire site recommended comprises
$50 acres. AT price of So ,ia9, the owners
valuation for the same aggregating SJ7 ,a5l.
A lot of So IS acres included in the above
. situated on Lake kitsap. in order TO
,acilitate the use OF the waters Of the lake
~ the government il desired.
THE NV CRUISERS.
In his forthcoming report Secretary
Tracy will recommend 10 congress the al
disability Of constructing ten additional
lteel cruisers. IL is proposed that matters
II tonnage. horse power. etc. he left to the
savy department instead of being fixed by
congress.
II Ii stated at the navy department that
10 order has been issued by the secretary
o have the keels of the new 31rston
,ruisers laid NJ the navy yards at New
fork and Norfolk. All that has been done
to call for preliminary estimates from the
thief of the bureau Of construction and re.
,airs. a. tn the cost Of building these vessels
II either the New York, Norfolk or Mare
Island yard. The engineer-in. chief has
ilso been asked for an estimate of the cost
ar additional machinery to increase the
ABILITIES Of the III ant AZ the yards named.