New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-04
MARE ISLAND NAVY YARD.
NEGLECT OF THE ONLY NAVAL STATION ON
THE PACIFIC COAST.
IpLE SHOPS AND UNUSED MACHINERY - NO
MONEY TO REPAIR THE HARTFORD AND
SLOW PROGRESS OLE THE. MONADNOCK.


MONEY TO REPAIR THE HARTFORD AND
SLOW PROGRESS OF THE MoNADNocK.
COSTLY ECONOMY.
JFEoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT TIE TRIBUNE.)
San Francisco Feb. lo.-Mare Island Navy Yard
witch Is about twentyseven miles from San Francisco
and only reached after passing all the batteries
IN the harbor, this city, is Of the protest naval
stations the word-and Of the most useless. 1t
presents The spectacle Of an establishment fit TO do
almost any kind Of ship building and repairing work,
ristng In inactivity every seeing the ex-
tensve plant that cost millions become less valuable
For ten years no work verify OF the place or ifs
equipment has been done; but the lowest depth has
been reached during the present Administration. BY
neglect OF all ordinary precautions costly war vessels
and monitors have been so seriously impaired in value
that It is doubtful whether they be restored
TO their od-time efficiency, while uncompeted work has
been injured by exposure weather and neglect OF
all ordinary precautions. This Is the judgment OF
naval experts who have inspected the yard and given
their opinion With a climate in which openair work
may be carried the year round, ship building or
repairing IS being prosecuted at Mare Island. The
great shops and docks lying idle and every year
sees depreciation in ther value. 1t has also been
shown that the Government will lose the monitor
Nonadnock which, IN its uncompletcd state cost over
81 900 600 while san Francisco Is left deenceeSs with
q single ship fort that could p.rvent the
entrance her haIor of second vessel Of any
Of the European powers
FARRAGUTS OLD FLAGSHIP
Perhaps the feature Of Mara Island that most
forcibly impresses the visitor with the element of
decay that broods the place, is the dismanucd
hulk OF the old flagship Hartford This neglected
vessel, which is worthy of place by the sde OF the
Victory, the Fighting Tomerare," OF " Old Iron
sides7 will probably be allowed 10 rot This neglect
Ct vessel with record which should make 10
dear TO every patriotic American Is the painful
VII Quad that man hO CdFrpd
tho Hartford through the battle smoke of Vicksburg
Ncw-Oileans and Mobile Fay the first com
msndant of Marc Island Navy Yard.
SKETCH OF THE ISLAND.
The island which is called in Spanish, ISla de Ia
Yegua purchased by the Government on Jan
uay 4, 1873. for 1888, 900. II faces the strait
Carquincz, a familiar to ali readers Of Bret
Harte, this ingenious but lawless romancer has
placed here the of his story In the Careunez
Woods Darte the shore opposite Mare
Island with dense redwood forest whereas the
truth OF history cOmpels to state that nothing
larger than the low, gnarled live oak 1ourshed
in that vicinity. Just across the strait IS the
pretty town OF Vallejo, which the scene Of the
disastrous ferryboat explosion nearly one year ago
Nj about tho hnls are rounded with clumps of the
I've oak that bear the strongest resemblance to
GA New Ergland apple orchards Seen al this season.
when everything Is brilliant green, the spectacle
&, which is very pleasing later in the year, When
the dry Is fairly begun, everything taAes On
the tawny yellow that marks the California landscape
Tor six months of the year. But at any time tho
view from Mare Island is charming because Of the
graceful sweep of the shore lines and the beauty Of
Tie clear stretches of water
COMFORTABLE QUARTERS
Thee is Igto that is imposing about the first
Wow Of Mare Island because the land is low lying ana
even The huge dydock barely discernible from tho
steamers deck From the boat landing broad
ann md
right / LETT are machine-shops and ordnance build
inc, yrc-h0uscS, etc, while along the water
front side IS the receiving ship
Independence, and on the other the dsmanlcd Hart
ing Ut tho avenue, which Is broad, wellkepi, shaded
With acacia and other trees: one comes TO me
ooe has architectural features 10 call for mention
but The houses Of officers bear close rGseneanee to
p thirty ysars s 49, Thew Snt are Of a red
s a. T ~ 1Tsc eaaoas RSai With os and
Towering plants. On the opposite side Of ,h S
s HUnHt oS S Pes The effect Of this row Of
ma slye house: is that of IA suburban street Of some
annon iha s serve we for gate posts and by the son
Who paeeS IN front of the COMMANDMENTS house.
EARLY DAYS OF THE YARD.
1h, yard Is about two and ahalf miles long and
clc half mile wide. containing about 500
acres. II lies high and dry for tho most
part. aud has very eQuablo Innate In the old
log books kept in the Commandments Office may
le found some queer entries concerning earlier days,
when THnagut was annoyed with squatters. Here
p pe s i5 IN a Oh F arr S tuoE
chafGc Of the Island aud forthwith ordered all of The
iheir names. Weather clear" And so the record
goes On. giving in minute Diet all the heavy work
very methodical. for he never failed to note
he weather ta1 r3or served until July isS o.
yam are T. o. schtdSe, r. T. Craven, James Alden,
John Rodgers, John II. Russell and George f. Bel
KNAPP
A COSTLY DRY.DOCK.
Tho yard Is well furnished with buildings, having
twcniy-eght in all, built Of brick and stone. 1t
las al-o a sectional drvdocl. and a stone drydock,
tho later being capable of docking the largest man
Of Wal This drydOck + about good illustration
a. could b" afforded Of the wastefh and Illogical
method, Of tie Government in Navy affairs. 1t
VS. be gun in 1872. constructed on antique pat
tern subject 20 endless delays Of appropriations, and
IOw. sixteen years after The first blow was struck;
- complete The dock In this time nearly s3.OOV oV)
havc hc"n spent while II VIII require 5000 TO
feet long, $50 foct in width al ths top and II WI
ADMIT yee Si f icSt t eea@ sna s
doclang of the French mGn-of-wsr Daquos,e, IN
weighing 5000 tons Yet. despite is great cost If
cannot compare IN efficiency with The dock az Nor
folk which cost only s943676. The cassOn Of the
Mare island dock cost $4,000. 1t is of iron, ye'
il was allowed TO lie for two years without paint
Sc9 ci0 that It coverrd With rus an cish Of
an inch in thickness. Experts who have examined II
declare il VIII last only three or four years more.
DESERTED SHOPS.
Even a more mounfUl spectacle than that Of the
dock is furnished by the various machine shops and
tool houses near by The yard has capacity &c
kce1 1000 men employed. yet the average number
of workncn for the past ten wears IS only about
$50 men, while at present bcggary force Of sbou
200 IS at work. In the joiner shop. which used t'
live work to 40 men, there now none, th'
deserted work benches extending in long rows OF
each side Of the great room. In the iroO-plain'
shop which built sixteen years ago and whici
e. a building 2O0X7O feet, with wing 6eXoO feei
there IS not single tool Only an old " SoI
occupies the house. 1t IS estimated that 100000
expended for tools IN this and other shops ~OulC
have put the yard In condition for building M'