Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-14
GovEENMENT sHIPBUILDING.
Uncle sam Can Build Better and
Cheaper Than Private Parties

Uncle sam Can Build Better and
Cheaper Than Private Parties.
WASHINGTON, Oct. l3,-[Special to The
BEE, Tho secretary of the navy is very
much impressed with the plan of the govern
ment in building as many Of Its new war
vessels at the navy yards as they can handle.
He has only just recently given out orders
for the building oil the new 5000 ton cruisers
to be built respectively at the Brooklyn and
Norfolk navy yards. He has had several
long consultations with the different bureau
chiefs, aud he is convinced that not only can
the vessels be built as well but that the work
can be done cheaper by the government than
by contract. 1t is believed that the building
of these two vessels is in the nature of an
experiment, and that il successful the gov
ernmcnt itself will become the principal
builder of the new navy. For this purpose
the navy yards at Brooklyn, Portsmouth,
Va, and League Island are being rapidly put
in condition to build the new cruisers.
In addition TO increased ship building
facilities, it is the purpose of the secretary
of the navy to enlarge the capacity of the
navy yards for repairing vessels IN order
that the delay so frequently complained of
IN connection with the refitting and repair
ing of war ships shall be avoided. One of
his first steps in this direction is his policy
Ol ehldTEluS JlS ury uOCh laClllUleS aJ Ill inc
navy yards. The League Island navy yard
at Philadelphia is now being fitted up with q
new dry dock, which 1t is expected will be
ready next July. The dry dock at Brooklyn
will be finished within few months, and
the Norfolk dry dock has Just been COM
pleted, the Simpson Dry Dock company, of
New York, being the builder in each case.
The dry dock at Norfolk, which was turned
over to the government last week,
marks new departure in the gov
A,,t.t ,n,,t' Ath hAl, 60 A,a
ent time. Hitherto all the gov
eminent docks have been massive structures
of stone costing millions of dollars These
new dry docks are all wood and are worthy
of description. The claim is made that it
is practically mperishable. The timber
used is principally Georgia heart pine 1t is
built upon foundation of piles and Portland
cement. In the plan of construction it is
much more convenient than the stone docks,
as the fixed timbers all around are so ar
ranged as TO form a succession of steps by
which worknen can ascend and descend at
any point, and tlmbers and tools can be
raised and lowered without the need of
special machinery.
But the chief point of interest is not so
much in the details of construction as in the
utility and durability of the wooden dry
dock. 1t is conceded that stone dry dock
Of the dimensions of the one just completed
at the Virginia yards would cost at least
S3.50O,0OO, whereas the entire cost of the
wooden dock was S5O0,000. This difference
III cost will enable the government, without
any loss of time, to supply the navy yards
with all the dry docks needed.
AS TO durability, the Simpsons guarantee
that. The head of the firm built the first
wooden dry-dock in East Boston In 1852
1t is stlll in excellent working condition, and
it is said that the cost of repairs has not eX.
ceeded $1,000. The Simpsons are now COM
pletng wooden dry.doCk at the Brooklyn
navy yard and have another under way at
the League Island navy ward,
Another strong point in favor or the
wooden dock is, that it can be completed in
very short space of time compared with
the stone dock. For instance, the stone dry
dock at Mare Island, which is only 500 feet
long, shorter by forty feet than the Ports
mouth dock has been under way eight years,
while the Simpson dock at Portsmouth was
completed in twenty-one months, despite the
damage and delay caused by last springs
unprecedented floods. The immense pumps
used have capacity of 105, 600 gallons of
water per minute, though the contract re-
quired bat $4,000, so that the dock can be
emptied in about AN hour, The entire cost
of the new dry dock is $500, 600, including
everything necessary for its operation.
At such figures the Portsmouth navy yard
could be supplied with docking capacity
ready for any and all emergencies at about
81, ,00000O and within less than two years.
time, whereas under the old system it would
require $4,000, 900 or 81 900 and eight or
ten years time to provide the same capacity
of stone docking. There is stone dock con-
structed prior to the war at the Portsmouth
yard, but the Simpson is in every respect
so far its superior that the stone dock will
not be used save when absolutely necessary.
In fact the officers in charge of the yard all
agree that IN time, labor and results, it would
be measure of economy for the government
TO construct another wooden dock there 700
feet long, and leave the stone dock to "inoou-
Gus desuetuden save and except in rare
instances.
AT the opening of the new dock recently
there were present two old gentlemen, who,
as naval officers, were connected with the
Portsmouth yard prior to the war. They are
Messrs. POndeXter ami Spottswood, who, as
naval lieutenants, were stationed at the yard
years ago. Both of them resigned their COM
missions and cast their lots with the south.
Lieutenant SpOttswood, now nearly seventy
years of age, told how he saved the Ports
mouth yard from destruction. After the fed
eral forces had taken possession of the yard
General Wright and Admiral Rogers, COM
manding detachments of troops and marines,
went there to destroy it. They burned the
wooden buildings and prepared to blow up
the stone dock and large buildings, They
placed quantities of powder and laid fuses so
as to reach the powder and do the work of
destruction. Lieutenant Spottswood who
had joined the confederacy watched their
proceedings from place of concealment be-
hind an old building. When the fuse had
been tireu the federal officers withdrew.
General SpottsWood then sneaked out oil MS
place of concealment and destroyed the fuse,
thereby saving the dock, as he had hoped,
for the use of the confederacy. In this, how
ever, he was foi!ed for the confederate forces
never found an opportunity TO avail them
selves OF the dock.
South Dakota's Senatorial Fight.
PIERRE, S. D., Oct. 13. The city is crowded
with politicians. The majority of the mem
bers of the lepislntnra have alreadY arrived