Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-29

I III,
coal shed and coal handling appliances
sfo,0op fire protection system, $4,000: mis-
celidheouS shop for ordnance, $500; tool
| Shop lor ordnance, SS63uo; gunners' work
| SHop' So",Soo; seamen gunHers machine
| Shop $4,000; extension of forge shop and
| new roof, $500; charging boiler house
| ana new roof. So, 400; new quarters for sI,-
| perlntendent, $4,000.
Need OF improvements
III explaining the necessity for these i'm
proNements Admiral Endicott says:
The bureau or ordnance desires the erec-
tioh or It building for its purposes on the
| ste now occupied by buildings used by the
| H"dI" or labor employment, yards ana
| COCKS, plumbers and tin shop, furniture
repair room. etc. That bureau also nee Is
| the entire building called the pattern shun
| OF which the department OF yards and
| COCKS now occupies the greater portion. in
oider mat these accommodations may lac
| aiprdcd 10 the bureau Of ordnance il will
| be necessary to prUvIde a building for the
! general purposes of yards and docks AT
| appropriation for this work is requested
| which shall be large enough to make the
| building fireproof in construction
IL IS desirable that store No. ] be ex-
,gIutI d Instance pf SlNty-thrcc feet, %
OF SeaInen gunnerS at the yard
The overhead wires IN the ward have
multiplied to great extent. and il is cx-
pec-ed That they viii he still further in
creased when electric driving in shops Will
desirable that these wires De placed under
ground, and it is proposed to construct uq-
foreground condmtS TO receive all existing
circuits. As extensions to the existing r.
cults are being made constantly it is de-
sired TO Inaugurate This system at once.
An increase in he area Of this nayYzyard
mas frequently been recommended. as it
was seen that Its growth in the way of pub
he improvements was bringing near the
time when, as at present bounded it would
be too small for the work of the service
mere: The time has arrived when it is eX-
ceedingly desirable that additional area be
added to the yard, and the need of more
room is constantly realized. 1t is hoped
that Congress will authorize the purchase
Of the land in blocks Nos. S26 S27 SOB and
a3i, containing an aggregate of 334, 80
square feet lying to the west of the yard.
The purchase of these lots should be ac-
cOmpanied with a cesson of the land in the
streets belonging to the United States. The
estimate of the cost Of the land in the
blocks is based upon a price of forty cents
per square foot, but it is recommended that
authority be given to institute condemna-
ton proceedings in the event that purchase
can not be made directly at reasonable
cost"
An appropriation was made for new
roof for the pattern shop. and other repairs
We're contemplated under the same apprO-
priation, but not including fireproof floors.
1t is thought better, In the reconstruction
of this building, to make it meaSurably fire
proof and construct the floors more sub
stantially than those originally contemplate
cd and less liable to damage from fire.
The present heating plant is Of an old and
obsolete pattern, and inefficient, and it Is
considered more economical to establish
new plant than to make extensive repairs
to the present one. Besides, the proposed
extension of store No. l would necessitate
taking down the present boiler house. 1t is
proposed to erect a new building in a por-
ton of the yard better adapted TO the sue
cessful operation of the system.
There are no provisions at the navy yard
for storing the large amount of coal used
so as to be protected from the Weat her,
and there are no appliances for handling
coal with dispatch and economy. 1t is i'm
portant for various reasons that the coal
should be received and properly stored and
so kept that it can be readily distributed
Water for Fire Service.
The water for fire service at this navy
yard is not satisfactory, and on more than
one occasion when fires have occurred the
supply has not been sufficient. This IS due
partly to the fact that the water pressure
In this part Of the District is low, and to
the further fact that the yard has a sys-
TEN of small pipes only four inches in Ii-
amcter. 1t would be a great advantage to
lay down a system taking the water for
fire purposes from the river, but on ac-
count of its filthiness, much of the sew
age of the city floating in it, il will he
many years before this can be made a fit
source of supply for any purpose With the
funds hereby asked it is proposed to Law
down in the yard a system of mains nv
drantS, etc. which shall be ample for SIM
plying water to steam fire engines in case
of fire. Some further equipment in the wav
of hose carriages and hose, fire eXtjnguish-
ers, automatic sprinklers inside the build
ings ard a proper fire alarm system is nro-
posed. When the tunnel to the Howard nj
Versty reservoir shall be completed and n
20-inch main laid from East Capitol street
to the yard, for which provision should be
made there will be an ample sypply of
water and the system of protection inside
the yard will be sufficiently large for all
present purposes and any that NAV he
necessary with a further extension of the
yard to the westward.
To Improve the Gun Factory.
The bureau of ordnance has requested
that several buildings he erected to enlarge
the capacity of the naval gun factory and
facilitate its work there. They are as fol-
lows:
A miscellaneous workshop is wanted TO
accommodate the large amount of miscel-
laneous work which the gun factory is
called upon to do, and which seriously in
terferes with the routine work of the gun
carriage shop. and renders it necessary to
keep 1t working at night.
The bureau of ordnance is practically
without tool shop, and the inconvenience
has caused its portion of the work to be
far behind, although working day and
night.
It is desired to erect a fireproof building
for the work done by the gunners' force
in the preparation of ships outfits and
the general shipping of all the outputs of
the gun factory.