The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-27
MARE ISLAND
IS TO HAVE A
WOODEN DOCK
Why the California
Navy Yard Lost.
MR.HILBoRN'S STRANGE WORK
RECOMMENDATIONS OF DEPART
MENT ENGINEERS.
The Dock Will Be a Weak Structure
Incapable of Receiving Bat
tleship Without Endan-
gering Her.
MR.HILBoRN'S STRANGE WORK
RECOMMENDATIONS OF DEPART
MENT ENGINEERS.

In the naval appropriation bill approved
Nav 4 1888, a provision was MADE 1or
four docks any one of which might De
constructed of stone, the other three "
he built of wood. 1t was left with the
Secretary TO choose the location OF the
stone dock and accordingly Boston navy
ward was selected and the contract Tor
tbat dock has been awarded and work be-
gun. Mare Island. League Island Pa
and Portsmouth, n. H.. will get the wood
en- docks.
The plans of the wooden docks have
thus far been delayed in the hope OF IN
ducing Congress to alter the provision
specifying wood instead of stone Wood
as a material for drydock construction,
has been long discarded by all other ma
lions because of its perishable nature and
general unsuitability. The reasons why
the United States clings so tenaciously TO
it form an interesting story.
The advocates of timber docks, during
the past dozen years, have been backed
in Congress by a powerful paid lobby
who have been INSCRIPTIONS in their en-
deavors to defeat any attempt to change
from wood to stone.
This well organized body has labored in
cessantly in the interest of certain build
ers of timber docks who hold patents on
these structures and with whom all con-
tracts for such docks must of necessity
be placed. Another potent influence upon
which the lobby has counted with sue
cess has been the Endorsement OF the
chief of the Bureau of Construction and
Repairs, whose name has for years ap-
peared conspicuously in reports ana let
tiers favorable to timber dock builders
The Secretary of the Navy has long
since been convinced that it was but
waste of public money to build timber
drydocks. In this view he is sustained by
ali experts in this country and abroad.
These docks have within ten years cost
$500 900 in repairs and their average cost
of maintenance is over eight times that
of the stone drydocks- Inc present
wooden dock at League Island leaks at
the rate of 100 gallons per minute and
duplicate pumping plant has been in
was necessary to remove the battleship
Massachusetts hurriedly from timber
dock at New York, the structure imme-
| diately thereafter suffering partial col
lapse. Rupture and upheaval of the floor
have occurred with the dock at Port Roy
al. The battleshtp Indiana was locked
in foreign territory because our timber
docks were unfit to receive her. At
League Island when a ship is locked, it
is necessary to shore up the abutments
to prevent inward movement
The limit of cost of each wooden dock
was fixed at $500, 900 In the naval appro
priation act, which became a law on
March last, a provision was inserted by
the Senate increasing the limit of cost
to 81 100, 900 ard stipulating that all docks
should be constructed of masonry. When
the bill was in conference composed of
Senators Hale and German and Represen-
tatives Boutelle, Hilborn and Cummings
three of the conferees held out firmly for
stone, while Representatives Hilborn and
Cummings stood out Steadfastly for wood.
At first neither side would yield and for
time the entire bill was in great jeopardy.
Finally. as last resort, a compromise
was effected which resulted in two of the
three docks being constructed of wood at
the original estimated cost of $500 900 and
the other of stone a cost of 81 100 900.
It is remarkable that in the face of the
earnest advice, even in the face of the
strongest opposition of such able men as
the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of
the Bureau of Yards and Docks. the Chief
of the Bureau of Steam Engineering and
of the great American Society of Civil
Engineers of the United States, these
wooden docks were recommended. Even
Secretary Long and his bureau chiefs
time and again assured Congress that I'M
less stone was used in the construction of
the docks they might better be left I'M
built. 1t is also remarkable that Mr.. Hill
| born, then Representative from Califor-
MIA, should recommend the construction
of wooder dock at Mare Island, even
when Senator Perkins opposed that idea
it Is said both in the committee rooms
and on the floor of the Senate and finally
The next session of Congress will doubt
less be asked to reverse this action and
have stone substituted for wood with an
additional appropriation of $500, 900 for the
increased cost of proper material In the
meantime the excavation and pile-driying
which will be necessary for either wood
or stone can proceed so that no needless
delay may result by reason of the change.
1t is for lAr. Hilborn to explain why,
when California might have had a mag
nifcent structure costing 81 100000, she is
largely through his efforts to have an
$500 900 structure at Mare Island, where
the excuse will always be made by the
Navy Department that it is afraid, and
properly, toe, TO trust one of the great
battleships in a weak wooden dock for
fear of the collapse of the structure and
the probable destruction of the vessel
The bureau of Yards and Docks of the
Navy Department is now busily engaged
docks Much of the work of design has
already been accomplished, and it is ex-
pected that bids for their construction
will be invited in short time. Conse-