Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-30
NAVAL ACADEMY BUILDINGS
In the Last Stages Of Decay and Should Be
Replaced.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Details
tain Efficiency of the Service.

situation as follows:
THE Government Naval School at An
napolis, which has done such literally in
valuable service in turning out naval Off
GERS of as high a type as have ever been
in the navy of any nation has had to work
under difficulties in the way of material
which have steadily grown, until the time
mas come when something must be done in
the way of a remedy. The school was
founded under Secretary Bancroft and 1t
is monument to his memory such as few
men are privileged to leave; but he was
Obliged to begin it practically on his own
responsibility, and with hardly even the
grudSlng assent of the authorities. Since
then 1t has grown little by little in an al
most haphazard way, and the buildings of
which 1t was composed were not con-
structed in accordance with any general
plan and the only note of harmony among
them is i'll their condition of utter decay
and of unsutableness for the purposes for
which they are used If they were merely
unsuitable, If 1t were merely desirable thai
they be replaced by others, built in ac
coruance with general scheme to turr.
the Annapolis Academy into what it should
be as a training school for the nations ma
val officers. 1t might be advisable to wait
before seeking to reconstruct them. But
IT is not possible to wait, because the build.
inSs are not merely unsuitable, but are for
the most part in the last stages Of decay.
AS you know. we have just been Obliged to
tear down one of the main buildings be-
calse its condition was dangerous as
not only to forbid any one going inside of
it, but to jeopardize the buildings round
about AT the present moment in cunse-
quence. the students are rcciting in attics
and spare rooms in various out of the way
places. while the paymaster has formally
rotified the department that he cannot be
responsible for the stores when there is no
place in which they can properly be kept;
end we have asked Congress for an emer-
If yr,tfl hit
temporary shed until some permanent
building can be provided. The building
which has thus been torn down is merely
the worst among several, of which the rest
are nearly IS Lad. The walls are kept in
position only by being propped up from
without, this being especially true of the
armory and boat house, the two buildings
in which the cadets are to receive the
training upon the essential points of the
profession for which they are to be fitted
There is no proper facility in the way of
harbor for the torpedo boats and training
ship on which the cadets should, get their
first taste of real sea work, which is to be
the business of their lives.
Pressing Necessities.
Il deem it therefore of the utmost i'm
portance that Congress should be asked
not only to relieve the immediate and press
ing necessities of the academy, but to re-
lieve them in such manner as to prepare
the academy on coherent and we'll
thought-out plan. 1t would take a number
OF years to rebuild the academy on this
Plan and although it would be to the ad-
vantage of the service, and in the end also
economically advantageous to rebuild it in
three or four years, yet, if necessary dou-
Die or treble this time could be taken and
the expenses thus distributed over SO long
a term that after the first year it would ba
put slight When this plan mas at last
been carried out, therefore, the Naval
Academy will be a coherent whole of which
each part will be perfect both in itself and
IN relation to the other parts. We shall
then have Naval Academy not extrava-
gantiy built. made primarily for use and
not show, and yet one in which the nation
can take the heartiest pride because it will
In every way be a fit training school for
such naval service as ours
The immediate and pressing needs are
an armory boathouse and a power house
together with the grading thus made neces-
sary, the rebuilding of the officers quar-
tiers, rendered necessary by putting the
armory where it should be, and the dredg-
ing and building of sea wall so as 10 pro-
vide for the basin in which the training
ship and torpedo boats should lie.
Appropriations Desired.
Therefore, what we need at once is an
appropriation follows: First $4,000 to
construct the line of sea wall on the river
necessary. The use of the material dredg-
ed to fill in will provide the necessary ex-
tension of the parade ground. The basin
which will be made by this dredging is
needed for reasons set forth above We
hope eventually to have not only train
ing ship, but also torpedo boats launches
and the like; but we should first have n
suitable basin in which they can lie.
"A new armory and boat house are in
dispensible; 100000 apiece should be an
propriated for these. The present armory
and boat house are condemned, and may
tumble down at any time. They could be
replaced for a Slightly less sum than $780,
coo apiece, but in that case the buildings
would be merely makeshifts, whereas for
this sum they can be made to last perma-
nently. Each should be built as it ought to
be in case the general scheme is carried
out, SO THAI each will be part Of this gen
eral scheme; but even should it not be car
ried out for many years the armory and
boat house are indispensable and will have
to be built anyhow, and they can best be
put up in accordance with the accompany
ing plan. 1t is in these two buildings that
the cadets are drilled in the special and dis
tinctive duties of their profession and it is
in the highest degree unwise not to provide
at once for their erection in suitable FORM"
I'm order to place the armory where it
should be placed. four blocks of houses
for officers quarters will have to be
removed from where they are and placed
where they should ultimately be whenever
the new schcm is carried out. This would
cost some $50, 900.
Furthermore, we need flrst-class DOW
er house. The present buildings are make
shifts and Will have to be replaced When
replaced the work should be done thor
oughly and in permanent form. This will
cost 100000.
Finally. 10000 will be needed for grad
ing, the electric light wiring, removing old
buildings, etc. as rendered necessary in
carrying olt the above work.
IF this program is adopted it will permit
Of continuing the orderly conduct of the
academic routine. The buildings which can
best be spared will be removed first and
those which are to occupy the vacant sites
will be erected. precedence being given to
the erection of such indispensable struc-
lures as the armory. boat house and power
house. In these three cases the present
buildings are unsafe and have been con-
demned. We cannot continue to use them
very much longer. They must be replaced
When replaced, the work should certainly
be done in permanent form and in such
shape as ultimately to fit in with the gem
eral scheme presented by Capt Cooper
while 1t Is not necessary now definitely
to adopt this general scheme, yet very
urgently recommend that 1t be so adopted
by the department and that every EFFORT
be made to induce Congress in its wisdom
to consider 1t as the scheme which would