The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-19


.ppiations that have been made. paint 20
The same conclusion When Commander
Green, now Ia charge OF TIE station, sirtu-
ally had his choice between constructing a
temporary wooden pssr al thg wharf lead
Ing out from the shore. below the Central
office building. and waiting for an appro-
priation 10 put In u fer more costly granite
sea wall and rock pier. b. chose the latter
Al that time be xast In substance 10 the
Post-IntsiiIgsncer:
sOf cOarse We could go ahead
and build . ssooa~n spter with
the funds we now have. But we
.sre building for the future. not
for the present. All our calcutta
tl0ns are based ON having re-
ally great naval station here. IL
In with this In view that the APP
preparations for the machine
shops and boiler shops and other
improvements about the station
have been asked for and grant
ed.
One OF the most prominent ssipbuil<iers
OF the Pacific Northwest said yesterday,
after reading the dispatch 10 the Post-In-
telligencer:
tae government wi.l seriously contem-
yfate the abandonment Of the Puget
sound naval station. + say abandonment,
for IL goes without saying that II can not
b. removed. Take, for instance. the costly
dry dock and pumping plant both OF which
have given entire satisfaction. yhey could
not be removed. Too much other work has
,seer done there TO TANK OF a removal. even
If at this late dat. some new board should
condemn the formers choice ~ q location
at Port Orchard. Chief EBdeDtt recon
mends an appropriation Of Asi.5 s1 for Mare
island AMI only ss5.y0 for Port Orchard:
yet he himself eommsuts on the fast that
no hattieship or heavy draught cruiser ii8s
yet approached The wBarves at Mare island,
to say nothlng of getting into The dock
there. and says IL remains To be demon
strated whether tnis precious location, Mare
island was q fortunate Que. He also calls
attention 10 tiGe fast that the battesaip
Oregon was compelled ~ steam ~ niles
north from San Francisco IN order TO be
Gocked at The Puget sound naval station
or her successful, docking here, and Of the
other good work done al Port Orchard his
report seems to make no mention.
Dry Dock u Not Remote.
''The objection which he raises Oh account
OF resnoteDess OF situation IL being gradual
1y but surely overcome. and In mo ways
AT TIE HIST l.urE every aIafttDn H*ktis
government has made and Is making 10 the
station makes the station more. INDEPENDENT
Of the outside world There h no reason
Aby in the course OF time il should not
become a base Of government supplies with
an equipment complete enough for all nee
1ssary repairs 10 vessels Of any class.
whether Of the navy or OF the merchant
marine. II Will cost the government prac-
1t.aiiy sl.0VD.O0 10 dreige channel al Mare
Island SO that the largest vessels can APP
proaah the wharves and then they cannot
get Into the dock. Spend this amount at
Port Orchard In the way OF an additional
equipment and see what the result would
be.
"But there is another way In which the
isolation or Port Orchard Is being gradually
removed 1t Is getting better communica-
Atom with the outside world. The telephone
3hla will. OF course, place IL In closer con-
neetion with Seattle. Il h only a question
OF time when th0 railroad which Is 10 Dec
built down the other side of the Sound To
Port Townsend viii pass close by Port
Orchard aai short branch could he easiiy
and cheaply constructed.
Before We get scared about the removal
Of the naval station. l think we ought 10
wait and hear from some or the commits
sionefs who have heretofore made favora-
hle accommodating concerning IT