The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-28
the PORr ROrAL DOCK
Report From Washington Rejecting on
lis Value in u Practical Way.

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. March 27.-Ncws
Of the successful docking of the Indiana
az Port Royal to-day was keen rel.ei
TO the naval administration. which had
| been 80 sCandalized for the nast ten
| days over the spectacle Of the finest shin
| ln the navy lying hclplessiy at the mouth
| OF "a new dock unable 10 got TO sea in an
| emergency. and 10 ali practical purposes
| worthless for naval Uses How serious
the affair really was has been carefuli
concealed during the pendency of the
| naval bill In Congress, which makes ap-
| preparations for four additional vessels
| OF the battleship type, but now that the
| danger has been luckily ayerted. thc
facts are apt 10 gradually come to The
surface
The only official mention Of tho In.
diana's cost that is made in the last
annual report OF the Navy Denasfm. 10
is S3.O2Ouoo. which was the contract
price for hull and machinery us- ;.n,or
cost about Sl.5OO.O10. her guns one- third
of that amount and the total esoen.it ne
OF the Government IN making her .s,ay
for sea was over $j.50O.gOO. lier main.e
nance IN commission. negleciins du ,ihcr
expenses than pay OF officers aad men
ana coal burned, is Dut az SOM. hing
over $1,000 a day. On ri.s ac,crut
alone, from her arrival AT the aosk ,n.
trance at $50 a. ". Mtrci 14th. u..tl
this morning. the expense incurred as
$1,000, which was prt,iH tir.vn
away.
There being no equipment o, workmen
and tools ar the Port Royal S,atias. they
had 10 be furnished from Norfolk Va
Material for any needed repairs 10 ma
chincry. with the skilled machinlsts. had
also 90 be dispatched from some dis
tant point. and altogether IL is conser.
yatively estimated that the present dock
ing OF the big vessel IS going 10 cost
SlOD. 1000.
This question of docking onr battle.
ships Is serious one for consideration
The only dock on the Pacific coast which
a battleship may enter has been located
at Port Orchard Puget Sound and Wi
be opened. II conditions are favorable.
by the Monterey M a few days No stock.
tools, or worlmen are nearer its site
than Mare Island, seven hundred miles
away. Not until the big dock az Brook
lyn is cOmplcted-pOssibly a year hence
will II be possible TO repair and care for
the big battleships on the eastern station.
Naval officers DO not hesitate to criticisc
the Port Royal dry dock. which they de-
clare can only be reached by a tortuous
channel, having a hard phosphate rock
bottom. calculated TO ruin "A heavy war
vessel which might touch it. such a
channel. with sand bottom. they declare
would not be so dangerous Grave
doubts are also expressed at the accuracy
OF measurements as 10 the docks en-
trance. The contract called for a depth
over the entrance sill of twenty.six Zee,
at mean high water Suspicion has now
been directed against the fundamental
marks and data upon which the mean
high tide was calculated. and doubt is
expressed whether a series OF observations
may not disclose mean depth ct high
tide, summer and winter, OF not over
twenty-five feet. All the battleshlps.
while having a mean design In the draft t!
OF fwenty-four feet. have an extreme