Evening star., 1895-10-31
YARDS AND DOCKS
Commodore 1Matt64lalgss 64ls Reports Upon
the NasytssSn Shore.
RECOMMENDATIONS and SUGGESTIONS
Manv improvements Asked for the
81
Washington Plant.
EsTIM ATES HEAVILY CUT

ESTIM AT ES HE AVILY CUT
The annual report of Commodore Mat
| thews chief of the bureau of yards and
docks, has been made public. The estimates
received from the commandants of the va
| r;ous yards and stations for the next fiscal
year aggregate $9,296S91. Commodore Mat
| thews says that after a careful examina-
| ton these estimates have been reduced TO a
| total of s., 124, $50, made up as follows:
| Improvements. 81 ,295, 100; general maintc-
| nance, $262,O00; repairs and preservation,
| 500, 600; contingent, Sl5,OC0; naval home,
| $I9S93; civil establishment, s6i,4S6 support
| of bureau, s10,5S0.
| A detailed statement is made of the prin-
| cipal items of improvements needed at the
| various Yards and stations A workshop for
| the repair of ships in dock is needed at the
| New York yard, for which estimate of
| $50 2IO is made. Owing to the quick" nature
| Of the ground around the entrance to dry
| dock No. 3, an additional allotment of $4,000
| is recommended. The principal improvement
| desired at the Norfolk yard is new ship
| filters shop, for construction and repair,
| the estimated cost of which is $215,260.
| The Port Royal Dry Dock.
! Commodore Matthews reports the compile
| ton of the dry dock at Port Royal, S. c.
Its greatest length is 1876 feet inches; its
| greatest width, 126 feet, and its depth over
| sill at mean high water is 26 feet. To en-
| able the navy to use. this docks for battle
! ships, he says it is very important to have
an ample anchorage off the entrance and TO
| do this, he says, will require dredging about
| 1500G00 cubic yards, large portion of
| which should be put on shore to raise the
| level of the station. An estimate of $30U,0OO
is submitted for purchase of a dredger ard
| dredging.
The dock was tested in August last by hav-
| ing the Amphitrite docked twice, once at
| each end. The body was found to be all
right but with the caisson in the outer
| groove. and spring tide some weakness of
| the design was developed in that part of
the abutment between the inner. and outer
| grooves. Steps were taken to correct this.
| Repairs to the wharf have been contracted
| for. The dredging around entrance of he
| dock has progressed very slowly.
| One Is Needed at Mare Island.
| Commodore Matthews says that as the
! Mare Island, Cal, yard is S65 miles from
the Port Orchard dock, and as all the ves-
sells of the Pacific ard Asiatic stations are
repaired on the Pacific coast the necessity
of large dry dock at Mare Island equal
to receiving the largest of them for repairs
becomes apparent.
| During the year, Commodore Matthews
| says, effort has keeHImade to keep the
buildings dry dockst wharves, etc, at the
| and prevent decay tut lowing to the con-
stant re,rranging afdmchanging necess-
tated by new tools and the demands of the
construction departments at the yards, ii
is only by the closest and in most cases an
rnwise economy that the appropriation is
made to hold out. a
The Washington Navy Yard.
In regard to work op the Washington
navy yard during the past year Commo-
dore Matthews says r.
New iron timbersished has been about
completed. Reconstruction of old forge
shop was continued and nearly completed.
a locomotive wrecking, car, with l5-ton
| crane, has been purchased. The work of
converting the old mold loft into forge
shop has been completed. Extension of
yard wall through marsh on west bound
airy is progressing as fast as work on city
sewer alongside will permit. Retaining
wall and raising lower floor of store No. IL
nearly completed. Boiler house at copper
rolling mill has been extended to cover new
, boilers. Part of store No. has been fitted
up as quarters fer the seaman gunners.
, Part of store No. has been fitted up for
Offices for the examining. retiring and steel
boards and court-martial room. n new-tin
, | rocf has been put on the breech mecha':-
ism shop. New roof truSses We're fitted in
the carriage-erecting and secondary bat
5 terry mount shops.
l Estimates for improvements.
In explanation of estimates submitted for
, improvements at the Washington yard
| Commodore: Matthews says:
: THE roof of the quadrangle building now
rests on wooden trusses, which are gradual.
, ly rotting away and in the near future il
will be necessary to put on a new roof; as
. this Will be expensive it is considered that
true economy requires the substitution OF
steel trusses now and putting on new
slate roof; $52,4l1.
| I'm order TO comply with the needs oil
hp floor
erd of the, west side of the quadrangle
building should be removed, the lower ilool
/ relaid, foundation for travelling crane pu
in. and general repairs made to this par
of the building: $l5,657. This to be made
5 Immediately available. The lower part o.
this yard has been filled in with the ashes
etc. and 1T is desired to surface 1t will
gravel; $4,000.
"a pair of railroad scales, capable o.
weighing the heaviest gun, is needed
81 $50.
The commandant's office was built abou
siNty-five years ago. The woodwork i:
very rotten and should be renewed; 4.Slo:
The eastern boundary wall should b'
raised and a couple of sentry boxes built
the filling in alongside having. in SOM
places reduced the height of this wall II
| about six feet clear; $i,2O2
Dredging along the sea wall to secure :
| depth of sixteen feet is desired; $S,96l.
The paint shop at this yard Is small
wooden building and a source of DANCE
from fire particularly spontaneous com
| DuSuon). 1t Is desired TO erect SultaDl
Shop at the west end of the yard for thi
| purpose, in which to store highly infla NINA
bic material So as to minimize: the DANCE
| of this very valuable plant; $1,000.
Last year an estimate was submitted
FOR new iron roof and repairs to walls o
foundry. $4,000 The appropriation ac
as it passed March 9. 1885, read as follows
New iron roof for foundry, $4,000 upol
an informal reference to the controller, TIL
bureau was Informed that the $4,000 coul'
only be expended for the roof, but not TO
| repairs to the walls. AS the repairs to tn
walls were needed hefoRe putting on tn
iron roof, 1t has not been expended. 1t i
now requested that Congress may be aske
to pass joint resolution to enable thes
needed repairs to be made"