The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-29
RECOMMEND NEW DRY DOCKS
Extensive Improvements Urgently Need
cd Says the Board.
NORFOLK DOCK SHOULD BE CONCRETE
five Hundred Feet Long autl Cost 81, ,ioo.-
Ooo-Newport News Ship Building Cons
pany willing to Enter Into ANY Fair
Agrcemcnt-The Boards Views.

WASHINGTON, Sept. &.-Ihe specldi
board appointed by the Navy Department
to consider the matter Of new dry-docks
submitted its report to Acting Secretary
Roosevelt to-day.
The board Is composed OF Commodore
Bruce, Commander Chadwick and Con-
siructor Dashicli. with Civil Engineer
Parks as recorder They urge that now
docks are urgently necessary. while the
Port Royal dock should be enlarged I'M
mediatcly. The total cost OF these docks
with tho Port Royal Improvement Is es-
timated at s7.7O0OOO.
-Four of.the docks should be Of concrete.
namely. AZ Boston. 81 10000 100 rect lpnB,
at New York, $l.l0O0co. 100 feet long AT az
Norfolk 800 feet long GO cost odo s"ypyy, Viars
Island, 500 feet long. $4,000 Each or tnese
concrete docks is 10 be completed IN TWO
years.
AT Alsiers, near New Orleans with
Galveston or Pensacola as alternative Il
is proposed to place g steel floating dock
and wharf. This would cost SJevJO ana
could be completed in ten months.
OTHER NEW DOCKS.
IN addition to these the board recon-
mends docks at the following named
points. which, though not ~ the nature
of emergency docks, are required 10 place
the docking facilities OF tho country OH
New London, fresh water basin and
dock connecting with river, $l.O09OO0; IN
two years time. Newport News, stccl
floating dock and moorings (alternate 10
Norfolk concrete dOck) S650000, in ten
months. Tortugas, steel floating dock and
moorings,, S650'OOo. in ten months: Coi,o 1do
feet long, 81 500,000 two years. San Pedro,
concrete dock. 200 feet long. SLJO0.VO. IN
two years; making the total cost OF this
estimated supplementary work $500 COO.
{ hfA i'm, r,ro
are contingent upon compliance with GER
tain conditions, for instance at Norfolk
upon channel improvements; at San Fran
cisco, upon survey or 1erba Buena ISL
and at Mare Island upon channel I'm
pr0vements; at san PEDRO, upon harbor
improvements.
that the ship building company there
contemplates erecting a second large dry
dock and is willing 10 enter into any fair
agreement with the government as 10 IT'S
use, being governed also By the wishes or
the Department as TO dimensions and
| material.
The work outlined above seems TO be
very extensive. but the board says that
with all the additions II proposes 10 tho
number of our dry-dOcks. we still would
have for naval purposes on our entire
coast only one dry-dOck more extensive
tnan has Great Britain at one OF It's naval
- REASONS GIVEN.
The board speaks as follows on its rec
concentrations:
1--WE are in a naval point Of view weak
in comparison with the naval powers of
Europe. The strength of Japan Is
growing so rapidly that she will in a year
or two overmatch Us in avail
able strength in the Pacific. Every ef-
fort is therefore necessary 10 supplement
our naval strength by providing acces-
sible places for repair and docking and
by fOrtifcatiOns so located that when our
squadrons are pressed by "A superior force
they may use them as supports in hold
ing the approaches to our coasts.
so long as an enemy is compelled 10
draw all Of her supplies from her home
stations, his operations must he limited
by the necessity OF holding his communi-
cations clear and the quantity OF the sup
plies he can transport I'm his ships under
the protection OF us I,Cets. lf he must
be prepared to meet upon arrival on our
coasts even a much weaker naval force
held compactly in hand, with repair and
supply facilities near. we can retain the
combined fleets on our coasts and prevent
its coming near our cOmmer.i1l centres
In regard TO the ''clative cost of con-
struction Of the docks, the board says that
it would appear from information AT hand
that the cost Of a steel floating dock and
q timber craving uock Of equal capacities
would be nearly equal but that the time
oc construction Is in favor Of the dry
dock in the ratio Of about 70 u.
The concrete dock. under the same con-
diti0ns as the timber dock. would cost
from . TO 7J per cent. more. and the time
OF construction would be 80 per cent
greater. In tho opinion of the board. the
cost of granite dock would be about
double that Of "a concrete dock.
SHOULD BE PERMANENT.
In conclusion the board expresses the
conviction that all government docks
should be Of a permanent character and
their readiness for use at all times be as
sured at any cost.
Respecting the recommendations or the
board as to another dock at Mare Island.
il is known TO be the intention OF the
Navy Department To reject the sugges-
tion unless il can be assured that more
battleships are to bc built on the Pacific
coast.
AT present there is only one such ves-
sci, the Oregon. in the Pacific. and while
the Navy Department feels keenly the
need for more ships OF this formidable
style Of craft IL Is not deemed economical
policy TO build another dock in addition
TO that at Puget Sound for one ship.
The report of the board abOunds in care
ful reasoning to support all OF its recon-
mendations and the advantages and draw
backs of each of the ports on the At
lantic and Pacific coasts are put In detail.
The board Itself would DE kept together
for more work I'm the same line.
CAPTAIN Chadwick is going TO Europe,
so he has been relieved and his place on
the hoard will be taken by Civil Engineer
a. g. Menocal The board then, under
the instructions of Acting Secretary
Roosevelt. VIII proceed at once TO ex-
anime tho condition of the existing tim
4 into the condition OF the timber dock at
New York with view TO STRENGTHENING
H il by adding an entrance of concrete.
81 MUNICIPAL GOgERNMEST.