The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-02-04
money to keep the channel dredged. If
the navy yard had been located at Alex

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twenty to thirty-five feet of water clear
up to the wharves of Alexandria, only
five miles below us on the main channel
OF the Potomac. The original selection
OF the site was blunder. But, despite
OF oil the neglect, and when the other
works were permitted to cease opera
tions, the gun construction was contin-
ued. The plant for this class of work
mas been for many years in superior
condition, but it is to-day the most ex-
tensive in the country. and the work
uone surpasses anything ever before at
tempted on this side Of the ocean.
This work has gone on, quietly and un-
obtrusively, 50. that those engaged in
the business alone knew of what was
being done, until recently.
1t was not my intention to enter upon
detailed description of the work of
this great national gun factory, but
rather to speak of it as part of the de-
velopment of this rapidly developing
city. The section southeast of the cap
itol was formerly known as the Sixth
ward, in the days of local politics. 1t
is an ancient part of the city, many
OF the houses having been built in
1915, taking the place of others which
had been destroyed by the British
soldiers when they came here and
burned the capital. They came over
the navy yard bridge, entered from that
point, and spread devastation in their
pathway. The neighborhood has of
late years been settled almost entirely
by employees of the yard who have
erected handsome, neat and commodi-
Gus houses, mostly of frame. There are
pretty little flower gardens in front or
back OF almost every house, and occa-
sionally little patch of garden may be
seen where onions, radishes and pota-
toes are cultivated by the sturdy work
men who toll all day in Uncle Sans
great shops, oiling, trimming, boring,
rifling and mounting hundred ton guns;
and who handle their little spades, hoes
and rakes for recreation in the evening.
These workmen are mostly religious
and moral people, the major portion of
them being Methodists and Baptists,
while there are also few Episcopalians
and Roman Catholics. They constitute
separate village, practically, although
they are part of the great city; and
their temperate lives, Industrious ef-
forts, steady habits, would make them
desirable in the population of any COM
munity. There are fewer saloons in
this section than anywhere else in
Washington, and nearly all of them arc
supported by sailors from men-o'-war
which come to this point, and by the
marines, who are located in the marine
barracks, right in. the center of the old
Sixth ward.
The average number now employed
in the navy yard is about two thousand,
and about one million and half dol
lars are disbursed annually to these
people. Not less than million of those
dollars are spent right here in this CITY,
and the major portion Of it is expended
in the vicinity where it is earned. This
means prosperity, as any business mind
can plainly see. Year by year the num-
Der of employees will be increased;,year
by year the amount of money to be ex.
pended will be augmented; year by year
prosperity will become more notice
able, and ultimately the long neglected
section of the city will become more
beautiful and inviting. More school
houses will be built, more churches
erected and dedicated. The old navy
yard is practically to-day the national
gun foundry. 1t will never again be
used for the construction of vessels.
Tremendous guns will be made with
all modern appliances for effectiveness
and long-distance firing, skilled work.
men must always be employed, and
that suburb known as Anacostia, across
the eastern branch, will blossom as the
rose. Whole squares of ground, which
are up to this day unfenced and left to
the tender lnercies of dog fennel, smart
weed and low cactus, will be converted
into homes for the yoemanry who build
up our naval bulwarks in times of peace.
There is now before the house a bill
for the reclamation of the eastern
branch, but it will not become law
during this congress. The proposition
is to wall in the lower part of the
stream, near its juncture with the Po-
tomac, and cover the other portion as a
great culvert or sewer, thus preventing
overfiows in food times, and
preventing the continuance of marshv,
flats for several miles
along the eastern border of the cit,
Over this culvert is to be built a beauti.
full driveway, clear out to Bladens-
burgh, and geological garden is to be
located there. This work will some
day be done, and the nucleus for it is to
be found in the navy yard. 1t is also in
contemplation to start new navy yard
at Alexandria, for the purpose of build
ing warships, cruisers and other naval
vessels. This is as it should be. There
is where the original navy yard should
have been located, and the Inaugural
ton OF new plant there will prove
beneficial to the entire capital city. 1t
is the policy of the statesmen of this
latter day to build up the national cap
ital by concentrating government works
here as rapidly as possible. With the
gun foundry at the old navy
yard, and new plant at Alexandria,
there would be a business boom at each