Evening star., 1896-10-30
ESTIM MATES CUT
Money Wanted for Navy Yards Re-
duced in Amount.
COMMODORE MATTHEW'S ACTION
ACTION
What He Says Of the Washington
Yard Improvements.
THOSE MOST NEED ED

A cut of two-thirds is made in the esti-
ma tes for the maintenance and improve
ment Of navy yards submitted by the vari-
Gus ccmmandants by Commodore Mat
thews. the chief of the bureau of yards
and docks, in his annual report to the Sec
retary of the Navy. They asked for $685.
60 and he reduced their estimates Nto
s. 45,043. Some of the principal items that
he indorses are the following: At Boston,
new swing gates for the dry dock, $4,000;
new flooding culverts, 81, 500. At Ne n York,
dredging the Wallabout near the new dock
entrance, $4,000; completing the wall OF
Whitney basin, $4,000; building for steel
storage, $20,OOO; grading and paving, $40.
600; new plumbing, $3sOOO: erecting shop
for machinery sG5, 600; flushing culverts for
the Wallabout causeway, S2J,tOO: new boiler
plant and house, s54,OOO AT League Island,
repairing the dry dock. $4,000; repairs to
the west wall of the causeway, S2o54I
dredging a basin for laying up ships out of
commission, to ALL s4950o0; s2o0,O0O to be
available this year; continuing sea wall,
10000; new cranes. $500.
At Norfolk, Va.-Quay walls, $4,000; ship
filters shop, 10000; dredging, $4,000; new
blacksmith shop, $4,000; fire service, s15.-
600; repairs to dry dock $4,000.
At Port Royal, S.C.-Grading. $500;
fresh water supply, $3.50.
At Key West-New machine shop, 10000.
At Mare Island. Cal-Quay wall, 10000;
dredging, 10000.
At Puget Sound station-Clearing work.
$1,000; wharf, 10000; officers quarters,
$12, 900.
The chief also submits an estimate of
$225,OOO for suitable ways and sheds for
laying up torpedo boats, but he does not
indicate the location.
During the year an effort has been made
to keep the buildings. dry docks. wharves,
etc, at the various navy yards and sta
In, o{r nd htrr
ing TO the constant rearranging and chang
ing necessi tated by new tools, and the de-
mandS of the construction departments at
the yards the report says, it is only by the
closest and, in most cases, an unwiSe econ
omy that the appropriation is made 10 hold
out.
Washington Navy Yard.
The total expenditures on account of the
Washington navy yard during the year
were s1O5. .339 of which So, ,545 was for i'm
provements. The estimates for this yard
for the fiscal year ending June go 1898, ag-
gregate $40, of which 1926 is for i'm
provements, $34 500 for repairs s23 900 for
general maintenance, and s5,743 for civil
establishment. The estimates for improve
ments include $4,000 for electric plant
S2,Std for dredging in front of sea wall,
81 .2I1 for scale house. and 81 103 for rais-
ing east wall of yard. An estimate was
also submitted of $4,000 for a store house
for guns and mounts.
Commodore Matthews summarizes the
work done at the Washington navy ward
during the year as follows: Quay wall
has been extended; roundhouse for yard
locomotive and wrecking crane has been
built; electric light plant has been extended
into the various buildings of the yard, new
poles erected, &c: fire hydrants have been
changed to conform to the city standard
the yard wall has been extended through
the marsh to within seventy feet of COM
pletion; in the north end of store No 9
rooms have been fitted up to accommodate
the examining and retiring boards for Off
GERS and for the steel board; doors and
windows have been renewed in the old
forge shop and east gun-carrage shop lib
crane in erecting shop repaired. boiler
house to breech-mechanism shop repaired ;
quarters repaired and sanitary conditions
improved: railroad tracks have been ex-
tended into store No. and much track re-
paired and new eighty-five-pound rails
placed to carry the heavy locomotives of
the Pennsylvania railroad"
Needs of the Yard.
In regard to the wants of this yard Com
modore Matthews says:
THE electric plant at this yard has
grown to Its present dimensions without
any system. and for economy should be re-
modelled. Dredging is needed at the west
end of the quay wall to give uniform
depth of sixteen feet. The present scale
house is an old steamer deck house. to-
tally unfit for use and beyond repair; it
should be replaced by brick building.
The eastern boundary wall is in bad con-
dition, and by reason of the filling in along
side the wall is easily scaled, being in many
places not over six feet high; it should be
raised.
"A storehouse is much needed at this
yard in which the very valuable guns and
their mounts may be stored pending dis
tribution to Ships