New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-06
MORE DOCKS PLANNED.
MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS OUT
LINED FOR THE NAVY YARD.
PROPOSED EXPENDITURE OF ABOUT 100000
FOR NEW pRYDocKs PIERS AND BUILD
1NGs-rwo PLANS SUGGESTED.


FOR NEW pRYDocKs PIERS AND BUILD
1NGs-rwo PLANS SUGGESTED
The report made TO the President on November TO-
1895 by John D. Long Secretary OF the Navy IN
cuded report made by Chief Civil Engineer MOT
deca T Endcott. in which were set forth the heeus
OF the Navy Yard in Brooklyn and the danger OF
keepne the drydock facilities OF the Government on
such a small margin OF safety. The recent partlal
collapse OF Drydock No In the Brooklyn YARD ana
the filing OF Drydock No with water as a measure
intended TO prevent rottng OF the tmbers OF when
Il Is built have again called attention 70 TINS I'M
portant part OF the naval equipment OF the Nation
and much interest naturally attaches TO the pro-
posed improvements outlined In a recent report
made TO the Department by Captain french 4"
Chadwick after consultation with Naval Construc-
tor Bowles and those In more recent report mace
to the Department by Chief Civil Engineer Peter T.
Asserson in charge OF the local Department OF
Yards and Docks The former report provides Tor
the entire removal OF the Cob DOCK. the forHatloh
OF a large basin where the land now Is. and the
building OF piers from the main sea wall OF the
ward out into the East River. toward the Haroor
Commissioners line. The latter provides for the
utilization OF the extensive water front OF the COP
Dock property by the building OF piers from It's East
River front TO the line mentioned, the construction
Of two piers within the Whitney Basin ana the ad-
dltlon OF two drydocks to the present equipment OF
| the yard In speaking OF the two plans. which were
partly under consideration at that time Chief Endl-
colt said after speaking OF petitions from various
| mercantile bodies In Manhattan and Brooklyn for
| the removal OF the Cob Dock:
| THE bureau took no action these petitions
| further than to give them some careful examina-
ton deferring any final expression OF its Views on
the subject until Il should have time to study me
natter mora carefully and conclude what. under all
| circumstances would be the advantages or disad-
| van,ages to the Government In such work FROM
such study as the bureau has been able to give 70
the matter II has not seen It's way clear TO favor
any project materially reducing the land area OF
the Cob Dock In view OF the limited area OF the
NAVY Yard proper the bureau believes that no
norton OF the land above water at this station
should be aienated destroyed except tor the very
strongest reasons. and unless sich raocai changes
should be attended with manifestiy greater advan-
tages the Navy than nave Deen presented III i's
favor or apparent.
'The Government has al a large expense con-
| structed n causeway across the WallaDout Chahhel.
connecting the Cob Dock with the Navy 1ard
proper near the boundary line between the Gov
eminent and the city property This causeway mas
resulted In making the Cob Dock much more avail
able for the work OF the yard than was formerly the
case and II has been In contemplation to render II
stu more available for the ordinary Work or the
yard by the construction OF bridge at some other
point OF the channel. These improvements with
newly established pier and wharf line on the Eas.
River front OF the Cob Dock. one Of which could
be laid down adding largely to its area and great
IS improving the East River at this point, would
very much modify the relation OF the COB DOCK 70
ON one the East River front Would Improve the navi.
cation this point and render less diicuIi, u no.
IFS western mouth where from the contour OF the
shore; the currents are Irregua esseis or With the
wharves.
EXTREME CAUTION URGED.
The bureau has reason TO believe that the ques-
ton OF the removal Of the Cob DOCK by oredging
and the addition OF It's landed area to the river or
WalIabout Bay will be pressed upon the attention
OF Congress at its next session. IL cannot 100
strongly urge that any project OF this kind be APP
preached with the greatest caution ana 'nat no
modification reducing materially the area OF the
Cob Dock be assented unless 1t can be shown
without question that 1t is 10 the interest Oh 'he
Navy that such change be made
That the warning conveyed In the last auo'eo
paragraph OF the Chief Civil Engineers report was
based on clear knowledge OF the cohoi,io , OF OK
affairs Is shoTI by the t fact s nat the S"e ching Mr. Ed
colt cautioned the Goy t and the addi-
Sn Of Of hs sn SeS ofea toy he
Bay This in Involve the e, sae Gh SoS St
IS about seven and one-haf acres. ana II mas
water eI.r. ron ans G rom go to SO feet in length one
which would be available for use as ara rar coa
a noee SGa The Mnaf Whitney Basin has for
long piers making total s OF essn wa and wh
out taking away more space than Is now aiiotted
10 three ships at the rear or the vermont ana
Two between her bows and the northeast corner OF
the sea wall The net gain in wharf room H. APP
parent AS to values. the land area OF the COB DOCK
has been said 10 be worth anywhere from Sov,VU
10 81 600 OOO there have been expended on II WITHIN
the last few years another half million dollars.
mart OF which Is represented by the causeway, by
loo feet OF concrete wall and l2o feet OF stone
wall TO say nothing OF crbwork and spiling. All
this will be an utter loss TO the Government under
the pIan TO sacrifice the Cob Dock, and the gain In
return will be few hundred feet OF additional
space 10 the yard proper which in itself would be
Offset by the impossbility OF increasing the dry
dock facilities owing TO the need OF the room for
entrances to be used for wharf purposes.
on the other hand the plan outlined by Captain
philip provides for the construction Of eight new
n,ers two new drydocks and a combination pier
and hascue bridge the latter spanning the Wall
about Channel near the present ferry to the Cob
Dock AS II Is provided that the ships which would
bridge and the causeway would be those laid up, or
candidates for one OF the four docks within that
area the interruption 10 traffic by the bridge
would not be 80 great TO reduce materially the
advantages TO be gained from having quick and
certain passage between the big shops in the yard
proper and the ships which might be at the piers
OF the Cob Dock and this Is more important mat
ter than appears the first glance. a large
amount OF working time being at present lost IN |
transit, owing TO unavoidable delays
THE EFFECT OF THE TIDES.
Another point which has apparently escaped the
close attention OF the advocates OF doing away