The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-03
Government Dry Docks.

The annual report of the Secretary OF
the Navy will set at rest the sensational
stories that have been so industriously
circulated and commented upon by the an
administration press lately, to the CT
feet that this government is without dock
ing facilities for it's big ships of war;
and that it must depend upon employing
foreign docks whenever a ship needs to
be taken out of the water for cleaning,
or repairs to her bottom. The secretary as
serts that the dock at Port Royal, and
dock No. at Brooklyn. both of which
will shortly be ready for service, will ac-
commodate the largest vessels now in com
mission and in course of construction.
The Port Royal dock, it appears. is not
yet in the possession of the govern
ment, and the No. dock at Brooklyn is
not completed, which facts go toward ac-
counting for the difficulty in the way of
putting the Texas into either OF them
a few weeks ago, when it was desired
to take her out of the water At the
rate OF progress that is being made on
the work at these docks, they will be
turned over to the government shortly,
the Port Royal dock within the presen.
calendar year, and the Brooklyn dock by
the middle of the coming summer. And
then there will be no necessity for send
ing the deep ships to Halifax, or else
where out of the jurisdiction of the United
States, for docking.
The two docks referred to, however,
are the only ones which the governments
Will have on the Atlantic coast capable
of taking in the battleships of which
there will shortly be nine not taking into
consideration any others which congress
may authorize. 1t usually takes ten days
to two weeks in dock for each ship to be
cleaned and painted. When repairs are
to be made, the time is necessarily longer.
1t can be seen. therefore, that the big
docks would be kept pretty busy with the
big ships. if the smaller craft We're never
put into them. The secretary says it
would be very good thing to have an
other large dock somewhere on or contig-
uous to the Gulf But he is not in favor of
the building of a half dozen more docks
all along the coast, as he has been. urgec
10 recommend. Inc present docking ca
pacity of the department, he says, can
be made to answer all purposes for some
time to come, and if the government has
money to put into the naval establish
ment, he thinks it could be best expend-
ed in the construction of new ships, in
the governments own ship yards-those
at present established; he does not want
any more. Fifteen years ago there had
been so many navy yards established I'M
der republican administrations that Sec
rotary Chandler, himself a republican.
1 found il necessary to shut up a lot or
them. The excessive number of yards
made too many managers, overseers and
other bosses to command big salaries
! BY keeping the number of yards down to
the actual needs of the department.. and
keeping the workmen constantly employ
ed, the very best results can be obtained
The workmen at the yards are now Sc
| lected without reference to their politics.
| they are well paid are satisfied ana
are turning out class of finished prod
ucts that are not surpassed by any in the
world.
/ Tho Arrnahfap aea{r t,,. .eez,, .