Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-04
why Not ut Richmond?
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:

10 the tQtt0F Of me IfSDdtcH'
1 rejoice with you that "the Rich
mond Locomotive Works have secured
the contract for building the engines ana
boilers for the battleship- Texas now I'M
der construction at the Gosport navy
yard.
But in justice TO Richmond, [ cannot
permit this sentence to pass unchal-
lenged: "What with the completion of
the Nenports mot NcwporO News dry
dock, said to be the largest in the world
the Gosport hayward dry-dock, which,
it is claimed, will be when finished the
next largest. and Richmond's railroad
and water connections with these points,
may it not be that our city is destined
TO become the great American centre for
the building of marine machinery
Now, why shouldnot Tour city become
the great American centre for the build
ing of ships of war-and any other
ships, for that matter-and for the manu-
facture of ordnance OF every deScrip-
ton?
A short time ago Admiral Porter,
in letter or interview published in the
Baltimore SIN, said there was no place
IN the United States like League Island,
in the Delaware near Philadelphia. for
building ships of war-none so safe,
none so convenient to all the appliances
of such an enterprise. But an IN
spection in any tolerable atlas Of
the country from the mouth OF the
Delaware to Philadelphia, forty miIesup
the river, on the one hand and from the
mouth Of James river TO Richmond.
ninety-six miles mp the river, on the
other, will show that the Commodore Is
mistaken. For it is OF the first i'm
portance that the site OF such works
shall admit Of easy defence, and one OF
the most difficult places to defend against
invasion is Philadelphis-as was proven
in the Revolutionary war-whereas there
is not single place on the Atlantic slope
that is so easy 10 defend as Richmond,
because OF the natural advantages at the
head of tide on both sides OF the river
two and half miles to three miles be-
low the city.
Commencing at Fort Powhatan, forty
five miles below, every few miles above
offers a point of defence overhanging
the river. AtCurrs Neck, twenty miles
from Richmond, and thence up to the
city itself, both sides afford elevations,
like Chahin's and Drewry's Bluffs and
Dutch Gap. which will enable very
small force to sink an invading fleet
whilst the line of the Chickabominy on
the north and of the Appomattox on the
south Will protect, as they have protect
ed, against any hanking movement; and
everything would be perfectly safe.
Thus guarded, any naval force of the
United States might be sheltered in per-
feet security in that part OF the harbor,
which will extend thirty-two miles from
City Point to Richmond.
The history of the late war proves the
correctness of these statements. Every
soldier knows that to the last Richmond
was impregnable. to assault, and only
yielded when famine fell upon the Army
of Northern Virginia. If such was the
strength of the place IN the late war
what would il be with the whole Union
united to defend it?
OF course where such natural strength
OF site is found the cost of fortitying It
! is a minimum, which, other things being
equal, ought to turn the scale in Its
favor 1t is sale to say that il the Gov
/ eminent should determine to select such
a site for building ships and manufactu-
ring ordnance. and should expend the
money to get the requisite depth IN the
river par paSsu with the expenditure
necessary for plant and materials, the
river could loo put in condition long be-
fore the works could be finished, and
that the cost OF deepening the emanuel
can be saved many times over in the
much smaller expenditure that wonld be
required for the other enterprise.
The great Importance of these con-
siderations is derived from the fact that
"ksere Is not a single troactad dUaita-
Die for service IN the United States
I Macy. liz fact IL wiA be gears before
Ue shall hare an drmored ship IN con-
oitioa for odtttc. Yet ii is everywhere
acknowledged that a coast cannot be
dcfended l1ith0W Grmored ships"
These seem 10 me to be important
matters, and to involve great possibili-
ties. VIII they attract the attention OF
our businessmen Z or are they only in
tent on catching minnows in "boom"
nets on our western suburbs? '*~
! s~-ss@zzssxs@~-z~rs~s<---