Evening star., 1898-11-18
YARDS AND DOCKS
Annual Report Of Chief Endicott on
the Subject.
ASKS FOR MILLIONS TO Be SPENT
Importance Of Having Docking Fa-
ciIities Near Key West.
LES SONS OF THE AR


tary of the Navy He gives a detailed
statement of the condition and needs of all
the navy yards and stations, and submits
estimates for their maintenance and i'm
provements. The total expenditures for
the year were 81 ,172 155, and the total esti-
mates for the next fiscal year are ST, 347 ,421
of which S., 800 are for improvements
shown to be demanded by experience in the
Spanish war.
Chief Endicott reports the steps for the
construction of the four timber dry docks
and the steel floating dock authorized by
the last Congress. He refers to the pro-
posed steel dock at Algiers, La, and the
floating dock of the greatest capacity to
be established at New Orleans, one hun
dred miles above the mouth of the Missis-
sippi river.
Key to the Gulf.
He pleads for better docking facilities on
the gulf coast in the following words:
THE experiences of the last war have
shown the Importance of having docking
facilities, not only for small vessels, but for
the battle ships, upon waters near Key
West, which was then, and may be in the
future, an important base of naval opera
tions and adequate docking facilities
should be provided somewhere in the vicin-
ity of Key West and Dry Tortugas, which
points have been pronounced by able STRAIT
egists to be the key to the Gulf of Mexico.
The naval establishment upon the gulf
coast will be deficient in this most essen
tial particular until the best docking facili-
ties are so provided, and it is considered
of the highest Importance that careful
study be given to the subject to determine
some point p. which they shall be perma-
nentiy established.
Had the war with Spain continued many
months absence l.
ties in these waters would have been most
seriously felt. and the failure to possess
such might. in more prolonged war, Sc
riousy affect its fortunes
The docking facilities of our navy. not
withstanding those recently provided for by
Congress, will be only moderate in eXent
and with a very extensive coast line it
should be the policy to establish at sew
eral of the most important waters ample
provisions for handling a large fleet for
repairs with great expedition.
A Liberal Policy.
1.-The expenditures for dry docks will be
large in the next two years, but the bu-
reau cannot fail to ask a continuation of q
liberal policy in this particular until the
country is well fitted for handling its fleets
in the docks yards without vessels being
compelled to perform long sea voyages to
reach the docking ports. To effect this
will involve the construction of many more
dry docks, but there is no alternative in an
efficient and strong navy.
The present estimates carry only one
new dry dock, that for the Norfolk navy
yard, and it is requested that it be appro-
priated for, the cost of which will extend
over a period of three years and not add
greatly to the yearly expenses.
These public works are large in first
cost. but when designed Of permanent ma
terials and well built they become lasting
improvements of the highest value to the
service and entail very moderate percent
age for maintenance"
The report contains an account of the
steps taken for the establishment of coal
ing stations at Dry Tortugas, Fla, at Pago
Pago, Samoa, and a t San Juan, Porto Rico,
and for plant for housing torpedo boats
at the Boston navy yard. Provision will
also be made for the housing of torpedo
boats at another point yet to be selected
strong argument is made for additional
naval facilities on the Pacific coast. There
is but one navy yard and one naval station
on this coast from San Diego on the south
to Puget sound on the north, a distance of
1850 miles.
COuntry's Growing interests.
while it may be in the distant future
when large q naval force is maintained
on the Pacific coast as on the Atlantic
says Chief Endicott, 'it must be evident
that the growing interests of the country
upon the Pacific in Alaska, Hawaii, Samoa
and our own territory, and trade and other
relations with the Pacific Central and
South American countries will be attended
with more of a naval establishment upon
it's shores than we have ever before pos
sessed, and in the event Of complications
requiring a demonstration of force the
dock yard establishment must be equal to
the situation.
waterway across the American isthmus, the
necessity for the maintenance of stronger
naval force permanently assigned to these
waters, to be ready for use at once, rather
than depend upon the tardy transit of war
vessels around Cape Horn, seems to me to
exist.
Il recommend that the subject of the es-
tab.4shment of a naval coaling and repair
station upon or near the southern limit of
our Pacific coast, and it's definite location,
be committed to a board of experienced and
able officers competent to properly weigh
all the conditions that affect and enter into
so important problem
Better COaIing Facilities.
In advocacy of additional ooaling facli-
ties the chief of the bureau says in part:
THE assembly of large numbers of the
vessels belonging to the navy at vari-
Gus points before and during the war with
Spain emphasized the Importance of havin.
large supplies of coal available for quics
delivery to them. These stations should be
not only ample IN the matter of storage
capacity needed at various points, but the
provisions for handling the coal should be
of such design and character that 1t can
be effected with the smallest cost and most
expedition.
The coaling facilities at the navy yards
and stations, as they now exist, are meage1
in capacity and crude, expensive and SLOW
in the methods of handling. The bureau
ha submitted estimates for enlarging ia.
cilties at some Of the yards and establish.
ing practically new ones at others and II
is believed that the appropriations recon.
mended should be made at the next session
of Congress- in order that the service NAV
at an early day be we'll supplied with these
necessary provisions.
Very much more ample and better coal.
Ing facilities than now exist upon the Pa.
cifc coast ought to be established soon
and when site for the works in San Fra n.
cisco harbor has been determined upon the
department should receive the authority OF
Congress for constructing very large
plant there, upon the scale recommended
by the coal board for those waters because
OF the remoteness of this base from the
sources of good coal for naval use"
His Recomme ndatfons.
A recommendation is made that the pres
ent watch force at ths navy yards and sta
| uops be abolished, and that such polio,
duty be hereafter devolved on the marine
corps. The expenditures for the civil watct