The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-01
THE NAVAL COMMISSION.
How Many Sites is the Government
Looking For2


The naval commission is not likely to
relch Savannah as early as has all along
been anticipated by those who are charged
with collecting data for it's considera ton
and preparing for its reception, and this
delay is due to the fact that the commits
sion has been instructed by Secretary Tracy
TO visit Biloxi and Pascagoula and exam
inc the claims presented by those places
as suitable sites for the location Of the
Gulf coast station.
The competition on the Gulf coast is thus
far confined to New Orleans, Pensacola,
Mobile, Pascagoula and Biloxi. On the
South Atlantic coasts TO Savannah, Bruins
wick, Sapelo and Port Royal, the two
ports last named having already been Wis
tied by the commission.
There are at present but three docks in
this country where vessels may be con-
structed aud repaired. The largest is at
Boston, which cost nearly three-quarters
Of a mill ION dollars. The docks are 80 feet
long, breadth, sixty feet; and depth of water
over the sill, TWENTY-FIVE feet. They will ac-
cOmmodate a snip 3j4 feet long. The
Brooklyn navy yard docks comes next
They arc $50 feet long, breadth, sixty-six
feet; water depth over SILL twenty-five feet !;
accommodating vessels 327 feet in length
and they cost over two million dollars.
The Norfolk docks cost nearly a million
dollars, are 500 feet long, breadth, sixty feet /;
sill depth Of sixty feet Ships of 300 feet in
lie 9Th can be accommodated there.
The government is constructing navy
yard on the Pacific coast at San Francisco,
which will probably be the most expensive
on the continent. The docks will be $50
feet in length, seveuty-nine feet in breadth
with sill depth of 2L6 feet and will ac-
commodate vessel nearly 500 feet in
length
There is also a navy yard at Pensacola,
but it is in a state of innocusus desuetuda
1t lies at Warrington, on Pensacola bay,
about nine miles below Pensacola. and
within easy range Of an enemys guns at
sea, as the distance is short from
the bar, not to exceed three
miles. Its only protection is Fort Pickens,
which could easily DO rendered untenable
by an eremv's shell as Fort Barrancas, just
across the channel, was by the federal forces
during the war. The navy yard is now
used only for storing naval supplies and re-
jected ordnance, which, with old and rusty
anchors, are an eye-sore. The place is gar
risoned by few troops, but there is an air
of lonesomeneSs about this expensive prog
erty, which has proved utterly useless for
the purposes for which it was intended.
There is, therefore, south of Norfolk no
naval establishment where vessels for the
navy can be constructed or repaired, and
Savannah, beyond the reach OF an enemy's
guns, with its natural advantages for de-
Tending its harbor, the fresh water and it's
present and prospective railroad facilities
to the stone, timber and mineral centers of
Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, will
present through its committees a strong
array Of data to impress the naval board
with the pre-eminence of this city as answer
ing the most rigid requirements as q
practical site for the navy yard.
The question as to how many navy wards
the government is going TO build in the
south seems not to be thoroughly under
stood. The Charleston NetUS and Courier
says that the original bill contemplated
navy yard for the Gulf coast ana for the
Pacific coast. Congressman Elliott, ths
Ne,Os and Courier says, introduced and
had passed an amendment placing the
South Atlantic coast in the bill, and there
will be two navy yards or more if neces-
SarY