The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-29
TOTAL COST Sl1,OOO,OCO
NORFOLK AND NEWPORT NEWS
INCLUDED IN THE LIST.
sTRATeGlCAI CONSIDERATIONS URGED
Aniy One Dock Can Now Receive Battle Ships
--engiand Has More in One Navy Yard
Than Our Proposed Number -Japan's
RAND Growth,
Rapid Growth.

Washington, d. c., Sept. 2S-The spc-
cial board appointed by the Navy De-
partment to consider the needs of 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 Chad
wick and Constructor Dashiell with Civil
Engineer Parks as recorder. The board
finds that FIVE new docks are urgently
necessary, while one (the Port Royal S.
G., dock )should be enlarged immediate
Is. The total cost of these docks with
the Port Royal Improvement IS esti-
mated Mt $5,115,000. Four of the docks.
the board says. should be Of concrete.
namely, at Boston, 700 feet long, cost
$1.3OO,O00; at New York. 500 feet long,
cost $1,200,000: at Norfolk, 500 feet
long. cost S1.100,000, Qengthening STEM,
dock, S250,000): at Mare Island. 500
feet long. S1,100.000. 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 $780,
600. and could be completed in ten
months
In addition to these. the board rec
ommends docks at the following named
points, which, though not in the nature
of emergency 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, 81 100000
IN two years time; Newport News, steel
floating dock and moorings alternate
to Norfolk concrete Dock. S650.000. in
ten months; Totugas. steel floating dock
and moor.ngs, $650000. in ten months;
San Francisco, concrete dock on Yerba
Buena Island. 700 feet long. S1500.000
two years: San Pedro. concrete dock
zoo feet long, S1.500.000. in two years
making the total cost of this estimated
supplementary work $5.300,000.
Some of the improvements recommend
ed are contingent upon compliance with
certain conditions, for instance, at Nor
folk, upon channel improvements: at San
Francisco, upon survey of Yerba Buena
Island; at Mare Island upon channel
improvements: at San Francisco, upon
harbor improvements. As to Newport
News, the board reports that the ship
building company there contemplates
building second large dry dock and is
willing to enter into any fair agreement
with the government as to its use, be-
ing governed also by the wishes Of the
department as to dimensions and ma
terial.
The work outlined above seems to be
very extensive. hut the board says that
with all the additions it 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 it's Navy
Yards, Portsmouth. England. At pres
emit 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 battle
ships.
In support of its recommendations the
board speaks as follows of the strategic
nj considerations which have Influenced
ID:
"We are, from a naval point Of view.
weak in comparison with the great naval
MOWERS Of Europe, and the naval
arr, ~yth Of Japan is growing so rapidly
fbat wi, SIN year or two she will over
match us in available strength in the
Pacific. Every effort Is then necessary
on our part to retain command OF the
aea at least on our own coasts and to
supplement- eur naval strength by pro-
viding accessible places for repair ana
docking and by Notifications so located
that when our squadrons are pressed Dy
n surer:or force. they may use them as
supports in holding the approaches to our
coasts. So long as an enemy is compeli-
Ill 80 Il,
home stations. his operations must be
he limited by the necessity of holding his
communications clear and the quantity
of supplies he can transport in his ships
under the protection Of his fleets. If he
must be prepared to meet upon arrival
on our coasts even a much weaker naval
force, held compactly in hand, with re-
pair and supply facilities near. we can
Yetain the command of the sea on our
coasts and render impossible it's occupa-
ton near our commercial centers."
In regard to the relative cost of con
sfruction Of docks made in various ma
serials. the board says that it would APP
pear from information at hand that the
cost Of steel floating dock and tim
Der craving deck of equal capacities
would he nearly equal but that the time
of construction is in favor of the steel
dock in the ratio of about seven to
Awelve. The concrete dock, under the
same conditions as the timber docl
would cost from so to rs per cent more
and the time of construction would bt
50 per cent greater. In the opinion d
rhe board the cost Of granite docl
would he about double that Of a con
crete dock. For all the docks a dept
of thirty feet over the sill is suggested
as being in all prohab ility the maximum
draft Of any vessel. even in the out-of
trim condition rroduced by collision, acc
dent or explosion.
In conclusion the hoard expresses tn
conviction that all government dock
xhould he Of permanent character an
sheir readiness or use at all times
assured Mt any cost.
Respecting the recommendations Of TIL
board as to another dock at Mare L
The fac-simile signature Of tE
ba ever wrapper of CASTORIA