The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1897-10-01
Needs OF the Navy.

Department TO consider the needs Ol
the Navy in the matter of new dry
docks submitted its report to acting
Secretary Roosevelt today. The board
is composed of Commodore Bunce
Commander Chadwick and Construc.
tor Dashiell, with Civil Engineer Parks
as recorder. The board finds that five
new docks are urgently necessary,
while one (the Port Royal, S, c., dock
should he enlarged Immediately. The
total cost of these docks with the Port
Royal improvement is estimated at
IS, 900. Four of the docks, the board
says should be of concrete, namely, at
! Boston, 100 feet long, cost 81 300. .0O0, at
New York, 500 feet long, cost Il ,200, 600;
at Norfolk 500 feet long, cost 81 100000,
(enghthening stone dock $250,O0U; at
Mare Island, 800 feet long, cost 81 ,00O,-
O00 Each of these concrete docks is to
be completed in two years.
At Algiers, near New Orleans with
Galveston or Pensacola as alternatives,
it is proposed to place steel floating
| dock and wharf. This would cost
$750,000, and could be completed in
ten months.
IN addition to these, the board re-
of f,11 m
named points which, though not in the
nature ofemergency docks are required
to place the docking facilities of the
country on an adequate footing; New
London, fresh water basin and dock
connecting with river, 100000, in
two years time; Newport News, steel
floating dock moorings alternate to
Norfolk concrete dock), $65O,00 in
ten months; Tortugas, steel floating
dock and moorings, S650,000, in ten
months; San Francisco, concrete dock
on Yerba Buena island, 700 feet long,
$500, 900, two years; San Pedro, con
crete, 700 feet long. $l,500,000, in two
years; maxi g the total cost of this
estimated sul iemeltary work ;35, 800,
000 Some OF the Improvements recom-
mended are contingent upon compli-
ance with certain conditions, for in
stance, at Norfolk, upon channel i'm
provements; at San Francisco, upon
survey of Yerba Buena Island; at More
Island, upon channel Improvements;
at San Pedro, upon harbor improve
ments. As to Newport News, the board
reports that the shipbuilding company
there contemplates building second
large dry dock, and is willing to enter
into any fair agreement with the
Government as to its use, being govern
ed also by the wishes Of the Depart
ment as to dimensions and material
The work outlined above seems to be
very extensive, but the board says that
with All the additions il proposes to
the number of our dry docks, we still
would have for naval purposes on our
entire coast line only one more dry
dock than has Great Britain at one of
its navy yards. Portsmouth, Eng. at
present the United States has a total of
eleven naval dry docks, only one of
which at this time, that at Puget
sound, Washington, can take in our
batteships.
In support of its recommendations,
the board speaks as follows of the
strategetical conditions which have
influenced it.: 1--WE are, from II naval
point of view, weak in comparison
with the great naval powers of Europe,
and the naval strength of Japan is |
growing so rapidly that within a year
or two she will overmatch us in avail
able strength in the Pacific. Every
effort is then necessary on our part to
retain command of the sea at least on
our coasts and to supplement our naval
strength by providing accessible places
for repair and docking, and by fortii-
cations so located that when our
squadrons are pressed by a superior
force they may use them as supports in
holding the approaches to our coasts
So long as an enemy is compelled to
draw all of his supplies from his home
stations his operations must be limited
by the necessity of holding his com
munications clear and the quantity Of
supplies he can. transport in his ships
under the protection of hi. fr"., |
he must be prepared to meet |. ua ~
rival Oh our coasts even much '-aker
naval force, held compactly Ia na d,
with repair and supply facilities near,
we can retain the command of the
sea OH our coasts and render impossible
its occupation near our commercial CEN
tres"