New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-06
DRYDOCK COMEDY AND TRAGEDY.

II Is TO be hoped that Mr.. John Gillies. OF this
city, Is gifted with a fine sense Of humor. II
not be Is missing such an opportunity OF hav-
ing fun with himself as comes to man not
more than once in a lifetime. Mr.. Gillies Is the
contractor who first undertook to construct
Drydock No. in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
That Is the dock that has long been notorious,
first for the delay in building 1t; second, for
It's worthlessness when Finished, ana, tnlrd'
for the deliberate fraud in Its construction that
has been disclosed. In the lastnamed crcum-
stance Mr.. Giles is not concerned. No one
dreams that he had any hand in the bad work.
All that he did he did honestly enough. But he
did not fulfil his contract, and did not display
the ability to do so to the satisfaction OF the
Government He was to complete the dock IN
thirty-two months. At the end OF twenty
months or thereabouts the work was 30 far
from completion that It was perfectly evident
he could not get It done in time, he was un-
able to convince the Navy Department that he
could get It done, and so the Government abro-
gated the contract Other contractors wanted
nineteen months more In which to do the work,
and then did 1t 80 badly that the dock, when
finished" was worse than worthless, and Is
now being practically rebuilt at great expense
The idea has prevailed that the Government
might have collected a round sum from Mr..
Ges or his bondsmen for his failure to fulfil
the terms of his contract and that 1t has shown
generous forbearance in not doing So That Mr..
Ges should now present claim for 100000
for compensation for work which he did not
do Is deemed by the Government the one illumi-
mating joke in the history Of a bad job
Such humorous relief is grateful, because
otherwise the story Of that dock is little less
than tragic. The facts in the case are familiar
to the readers Of this paper, In the columns OF
which they were first made known to the pub
lie BY only the narrowest chance was the
wrecking of a great warship escaped. when the
miserable structure collapsed, and then it was
found that there had been frauds In the build
ing Of the dock compared with which the work
Of Buddensiek was concrete honesty. And to-
day. because of the unavailability Of that dock.
the Nations Navy is all but crippled. The great
warships are in urgent need Of docking, and
there is no dock for them. They should be
locked for cleansing every six months. They
have gone without it for a year. and may have
TO go without 1t for six months or year longer.
If in the mean time war should occur, their
usefulness in battle would be seriously impaired
The security Of the Nation is imperilled because
Of ncapacity and dishonesty in dock building
That is the condition which confronts the United
States to-day, and earnest consideration of it
is TO be commended to those who poohpoohed
the warnings made years ago. concerning this
identical Drydock No. 3, and who have disre
garded the arguments and appeals put forward
for immediate and adequate extension Of dock
ing facilities.
The United States Navy needs on the Pacific
Coast two and on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts
five or six drydocks capable Of accommodating
at any moment the largest battleships afoat
Such docks should be provided without an
hours unnecessary delay. They are needed
just as much as the Navy itself is needed. The
whole Of them could be constructed for little if
any. more than the cost of one first-class battle
ship; and for lack Of them all the battle ships
may in the hour Of need be found wenigh use
less There has been enough drydock comedy.
Let Congress take care lest there one day be
a drydock tragedy