The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-02

The chief Of the bureau OF yarss and
docks, in his annual report. has raised
question fer congressional solution which
not only interests the people of the state.
Of Washington. but OF the entire United
States. He says taas:
If Il BE important that this country
equip q ftrst-cass naval station or yard In
this vicinity, near the limit OF its bound-
ary, which the bureau believes. then an
other site should be sought. which com-
bines the essential requirements OF such
yard In nearby population. supplying
enough skilled labor. q market with sup
plies conveniently and quickly available.
and direct railroad connection with trunk
line for quick and economical transporta-
ton of material"
The logic Of events during the
last seven months hRs demOu-
strated that more than half Of
the United States navy will al
ways be kept In the Pacifc. Ex-
pansion has come 10 stay-not
only in territory. hut I'm conn
merce.
Read any OF the speeches of men Of ma
tionai reputation during the past four
months. and they all refer In terms OF an
thusiasrn to the rapid Increase OF imports
and exports on the Pacific coast. The open
door must be maintained 10 Caina for our
exports OF manufactures and food preductS,
and TO secure that end the annexation OF
the Philippines and a cordial understanding
with Great Britain and Japan In necessary.
The Philippines may cost us much In
blood ard trasure, and II the commercial
results Of that archipelago alone were TO DO
considered. the expans.onists would be
much fewer In number But owning Of
these islands makes Us a factor In the
luton of the China problem. not only rs To
the open door" for trade, but when the
inevitable breakup comes Uncle Sam also
Will take his slice Of Chinese territory.
II. then. the future scene of our
naval activity II to he In the Pa
eific, more than one navy yard
ON this coast In an absolute me-
cesstty. especially when the only
ON In existence. as Comm odore
Endfcott says, cannot be ap-
preached by = battleshtp or
heavy cruiser
Our readers will remember several ar
ticles in the Post-Inteilsg gencar last year
on this subject, which showed the manifest
advantage Of Puget sound for a large con-
struction navy yard as compared with San
Francisco bay, and deprecating the con-
tlnuosis enormous appropriations for Mare
Island when II could not be reached by
deep draught vessels And. unfortunately.
the proposed expenditure OF Hundreds Of
thousands Of dollars ia dredging "A deep
water channel 20 that yard. II accomplish
ed. would s,s only a temporary expedient
as the Napa creek ana sacramento river
would soon bring down enough aInysal
matter in spring freshets TO III IL up
again. We can therefore agree with Com
moiore Endlcott that ''it remains to bs
de demonstrated that this precious location
as a navy yard was a fortunate one"
However. this should be TO reflection on
this grandest figure IN our naval history,
the selsctor and first commandaut Of the
Mar. Island navy yard. Admiral Farraga,
for At the time Of its location. nothing
was known OF tho tremendous results OF
hydraulic mining which have n,led up
miles Of San Francisco bay.
The advantage. of Puget sound
~ compared tn any point in Cal
ffornin, for u nrst class naval
establishment, are an many and
with the Pacific coast n. to make
II almost superBuous to enan,-
ernte them. Coal and lumber
arc all produced here, and car.
rf~d 500 miles to Mare lsIand.
That Puget sound IL TO be one Of
the great centers OF steel pro-
duction I'm the United States IL as
certain as any future event can
he. We have iron ore of finest
quality, the limestone and tho
ceking coal An unlimited guam.
tity.
The awakening Of the ORIENT VIII furnish
our market Capital only to necessary. ami
that does not i0ng neglect opportunity.
CaHs 5rnla has nothing for ship building
except the mechanics 80 seeiingly referred
10 a,y Commodore Eadicott IL ne lives
ten years lorIger he viii ses two workers
In steel on Puget sound - every enc In
California vheth@r the navy yard Up hero
ts buflt or not.
Tns commodore, unfortunately. il not ac-
quasnted with tee pa=iae coast. If ha viii
make an excursion here next summer and
carefully ac4uain. himself with the de-
veloprnan; q this regton during tne last
two years as compared with California
he might conclude that mechanics vii scon
- found here n sufficient numbers for all
naval purposes A visit 70 Moran's yard
las. spring. when she Rowan was CT shs
stocks and four miles % Yukon r.y.P
steamers building on the fats. be would
have ~1aned his eyss rsgaritnS mschsuioA