The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-19
Congress Gives a Princely Sum
for the Naval Station.
BENEFIT WILL BE SEATTtE'S,
Many improvements ut the Govern
ment Drydock Across the sound
Will be Made During the Coming
Year-Among Them . Telephone
-Appr0prtatiOn 10 4is6, 49, 30.

No single item OF good fortune which
has 5eSaiien Seattle during more than a
year pas, is OF more real Importance and
value 20 the city than the section Of the
naval appropriation bill. which is Tow a
law, which contains an appropriation Of
$Iss 49,. ~ for the Puget sound naval sta
ton. which lies just across the sound
frofn this city and which. for all CON-
merc.ai purposes. is tributary 10 Seattle.
table giving list o. the appropriations
made for the station was published n yes
terdays Post-Inteliigencc- The estimates
forwarded last spring 10 the department
by Commandment Green aggregated slos, 900.
The total Of the appropriations for the
naval station made oy congress, however.
exceeds by $7sI31.yo the amount originally
asked for by the comma ndan;. the excess
being found in the items for the engineer
ing shop and boiler house and that for the
machine tools to FIX out the plant for the
repairs TO boilers and eng mes.
The princely sum set aside by congress
for the Puget Sound station is to be ex-
pended during the ensuing fiscal year for
Improvements to the property OF the gov
ernment at the station and the addition
OF several important features 10 the dock
Ing and repair plant Chief among these
is the engineering shop and boiler house.
Next comes the item for the furnishing
OF tools for the boiler repair house. To-
gethet these appropriations aggregate
sso.oo,.
The Improvement thus provided for is
OF a permanent character and 1t widens
the scope OF the station from simply a
dock 10 a plant where boilers can not only
be repaired but made. In this respect the
naval station may be said TO resemble the
great navy yard at Mare island The
equipment os the engineering shop ana
construction plant vii! be OF the very
best. comprising the latest forms Of ma
chinery for doing all kinds of work. not
merely making temporary repairs 10 boil
ers and engines. but for actual construc-
ton.
An item OF great advantage to the sta
ton as well as to the business men OF
Seattle is that which provides for the
laying OF telegraph and telephone cable
across the sound to Seattle. The amount
appropriated fo- this purpose is i0co The
cable Will place tho station into direct
connection with the business houses Of
Seattle and afford an outlet for the trans
mission OF messages TO the department at
Washington.
The engineering shop and boiler house
Far thu construction IF which S5S on ha
been appropriated will he located on the
west side OF the dry dock in a position
corresponding TO the construction shops on
the east side OF the dock and which are
now practically finished.
Next in size and Importance 10 the APP
preparation for the engineering shop Is
that for supplying the plant with machine
tools for repairing engines. boilers, etc.
Fer this purpose congress has set aside
s2o.o0o
Ono Of the most necessary and important
improvements at the nava, station for
which funds have been set side is the
quay wall. Commandant Green has al
ways opposed constructing a temporary
pile per. believing that It was better
aneat additions and improvements Ia the
station His estimate OF 81 go for a quay
wall was furnished 10 the department
along with the others and the bill includes
the stem jus, as Il was sent in by Com
mandant Green.
For the extension OF .he water system
the sum Of Hra7 has been set aside by
or for the present pant comes from sew
eral fire springs which were jus: outside
tia station and which were purchased
after the sI,o OF the station VAS secured
Two huge steel tanks each with q capacity
% Cocoa gallons receive the water. clear
aai cola, from these springs. from which
K Is carried by a four inch iron main
The plan; VII Ne extended to the buildings
recently erectN! ans. to the engine.rlnE
and boiler house fer tire construction OF
which provision has been made.
The estimate sons in 5y Commantant
Green FOR the extension OF the water plan;
Includes hylrsn:s FOR fire protection. Up
10 the greser; t.rne. the entire plant has
l.esn wlthou; means D, protection from
@E". but the Appropriation provides for
thls very necessare adjunct to The prop
cry.
A. elee;r;e High, rlan, costing sa.S,o IS
:, ~ crested during The ensuing year.
Ey :A!s means ne6ts vii ~ furnished Tor
al! ,Ac buildings an4 machine shops fheir
asa IN ne dayk days " the winter months
es.-e necessary.
One .: the large Items IN the section %
the h.u relating - ;ae naval station IS
that fov d-e4e1rE. The sum Of ssln,o 70
provided ~ IRIS purpose.
To-. consideration plant which IS p<ac-
'k-ai)v finished has cost So 90 TIE az
preparation FER re nava! station contains
80 t'esn . s. 10 f2r the Improvement ana
<aso sa.ux e., Us pant, The nail3lng q
- = = -: g-ouat Heasure1,e:t aaA
- ,arss stories aish wthia +: wlu be