New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-16
VESSELS WITHOUT DOCKS.
. .1.r,.Es,lrps THAT CANNOT BE RE-
PAIRED IN THIS COUNTRY.

m CONSTRUCT DRyDocKs IN
r>,r CONTRACTORS AND THEIR roL'rI-
CAY. prr.r-HALr-rINIsHHD WORK ADAS-
.xD MONEY wAsTED-NEGII-
orscE AND MIsMANAGEMENT.
Ian Is (speciaD.--While there is
Washins'o elor,fcation the building
Sra'uau. United States Navy. the means
up % .,n, proper care OF the magnificent
il" ,non which millions upon millions nave
.,.nt and are to be spent seems 10
been 'p last sight Of. The great battleship
have tnr over 81 $4,000 is nearly ready for de-
in''~ a. the Government. and Il Will be followed
h'e.y r,t distant future by three other ships OF
IN Wv class and cost-the Massachusetts. Iowa
w oregon It will doubtless astonsh the Ameri-
-. nsonle who have paid for these floating mon
49,. "a b, told that there s not in the whole coun-
NV /. drydock that will receive them Three dry
Sock, sufficiently large TO take them IN are in
sou-.s Of construction but they are useless be-
go they are not completed. The history Of these
docks does not fall short Of National scandal.
70, ANYTHING happen to the bottom OF the Indi-
an. and she must be beached tied up 10 rust
and gather barnacles until in the slow lapse Of
time a receptacle be prepared for her where her
mates can be mended or other worK upon her peio"
the waterline be done.
The docks which will take her in when they are
I, shane are those at the Brooklyn Navy Yard at
p,r, Royal s. c.. and at Port Orchard. Wash, on
puget Sound. These are all timber docks. which In
days are considered preferable to stone docks
,o- the reason that they not dlsjointed by the
action OF the frost. the stone structures and
,oc,usa they can be erected at a minimum cost.
Under present conditions il is thought the Brook
Ivn dock cannot be made ready before 1885, the Port
Roval dock before June, 1895. and the Puget Sound
dock before the lapse Of one year. The Govern
,nent Will have possession Of the Indiana very
q, she IL awaiting her armor. The Massachusetts
and Oregon are equally far advanced. and the Iowa
will be launched In the near future. 1t may be
said here that the Indiana. Massachusetts and
Iowa are the production OF the Cramps shipyard at
Philadelphia. and the Oregon OF the Union Iron
Works. OF San Francisco.
The proposal OF John Glllles for the construction
OF the Brooklyn drydock was dated July Is, 1892
and the contract awarded TO him November II
following The dock 10 be 600 feet long. and
the consideration was to be $4,000. The time al
lowed for the completion Of the dock wac twenty
seven months and the work was 10 begin TWEEN
~ DAYS after the tender OF the site. The site
rendered by the Governm ent January /. 1898. and
the contract time in effect from that date.
An agreement for frightening the dock from COO
TO $40 feet was dated June ls, 1898. and the con-
alteration for the additional seventy feet was 10 be
SIS. The time allowance was Increased three
months making thirty months In all. subsequently
there was a change in the location Of the site sixty
four feet !nshore. for which there was allowed an
extra compensation OF $5.063 l6 The time was also
extended two months. Thus the total time allow
ance was, brought up to thirty-two months from
January /. 1898. and the total contract price be-
came 1853 SIG is. Under the contract there remain
less than eight months In which 10 complete the
dock.
The contract was let by Benjamin F. Tracy. when
ne was Secretary Of the Navy. in the administration
Tba oh IN
sions OF the dock In the Site were decided upon
by boards appointed by him. The bondsmen Of Mr.
Gies neither notified nor made parties 10 the
agreements for the change In the dimensions and
Site and II Is claimed their behalf that they
are released from their obligations on this account
II may be added that General Tracy is now coun-
sci for Edward Freel, of Brooklyn. one OF Mr.
Gilliess bondsmen. and ne Is reported to have said
that the bondsmen freed from their obligations
The other bondsmen Henry Hamilton. of Brook
Iyn and Hugh McRoberts. OF Staten Island The
bondsmen justified in Vhe sum OF $4,000 each
Mr. Gillies began work ostensiby. after the
site was rendered, but he made little progress
that in February. 1894 Commander p F. Harring
ton Of the Navy. ordered by the Secretary OF
the Navy Hilary A. Herbert. TO Investigate the
matter. After an investigation covering period OF
four weeks Commander Harringtons report was
forwarded to Secretary OF the Navy In f. the
opinion was expressed that the contract should be
annulled.
Al the same time Captain f. o. Matthews. the
present Chief Of the Bureau OF Yards and Docks,
also recommended the annulment OF the contract.
II should be said for Captain Matthews that when
ne made his recommendation ne had just succeeded
Captain Farquhar who had held the position OF
the Chief OF the Bureau OF Yards and Docks from
March, 1880. until March. 1894 so that captain
Matthews did not have earlier opportunity 10
lput himself on record in regard TO the Brooklyn
dock. Some time elapsed before the Secretary an
ced lie
Intervention Of Alfred ]. Murray. who is Mr. Gill
LESS hacker. and leading Tammany man. the
President directed that Mr.. Gies should be allowed
to continue the work In May Secretary Herbert
90 decided, upon the promise Of Mr.. Gilhes TO
prosecute tho work more vigorously.
1t appears that there was no improvement In the
state Of things and In August Mr.. Gillies was
again cited to chow cause why his contract should
not forfeited Nevertheless the Secretary decided
In favor Of Mr.. Gillies. upon the assurance that
more dispatch would be shown In the Navy De-
partment, where the circumstances were known, the
idea prevailed that Mr. Gilless political pull was
standing him in good stead. Since then Mr.. Giliies
had been called upon once more TO say why the
contract should not be taken from him FOR failure
TO make reasonable progress Through political In
fuence. supposed. he has been allowed to con-
tinue as in the past although there does not APP
pear to be any hope that ne will do any better
In fact It Is said that at .he rate the work Is now
going on the dock could not be finished In four
years.
It Is stated that the average force Of men en-
ployed by Nr. G,llies since February last has not
exceeded eighty. whereas go might be en-
ployed to advantage. Experts state that the Brook
Ign dock could not be completed within twenty
months II pushed 10 me utmost. and II the best
engineering experience ana skill were utilized
Mr Ctll.es never had any experience IN building
docks before he secured the contract for the Brook
lyn dock He did rot so much SO construct Golfer
dam to protec. his excavation.
Last year Mr.. Freel. OF Mr. Gillless bonds
men. sued him In Tho City Court OF Brooklyn to
recover f2s 900 received by him account OF his
contract. General Tracy appeared as counsel for
Freel who testified that his share Of the profits from
he contract 70 be 6s 20 per cent ard per cent
interest advances. Under Section 3.722. OF the