The evening times., 1899-08-23

The extensive improvements which have
been in progress down in the navy yard
all summer are nearing completion. The
southern addition to the great gun shop
has been completed, and the work which
commenced about ten days ago on the
northern addition is advancing. Comman-
der Edwin C. Pendleton, under whose per-
sonal supervision it is being done. inform
ed The Times reporter this morning that
the bricklaying on the big shop would
be finished about the 1st of September, and
the new and old structures placed under
new steel and iron roof during the fall.
The original section of this great gun
shop. it is said. has been for many years
a menace to the lives of the people work.
ing under its wooden roof, which has done
over fifty years service and whose wood
en- scantlings had rotted almost through.
This fact was evidenced by the great sup
porting joists just taken down, and ex-
hibited to the reporter by Commander
$40 by so feet originally-will when COM
pleted measure 1000 feet.
Commander Pendleton has experienced
some trouble with the brickwork, which
was let out by contract. This obstacle
was said to be due to the fact that the
contractor had failed TO put on sufficient
number of bricklayers to rapidly push the
work along. 1t was desirable to get the
new portion under roof so that the reroof-
ing of the old section could proceed with
more speed and the machinery and hun
dreds of guns Hereunder protected from
protracted exposure to the weather and
rust This trouble, it is said. has result
ed from the scarcity of bTicklayers there
being only eleven OF them engaged today
on this work. The completed southern ad-
dition, however, is now occupied by ma
chinery, guns, and gunmakers, and the
work of relieving the old overstocked
building of its freight preparatory to its
modernization is now progressing These
improvements will cost SIZE. coo.
In addition to this most important i'm
proyement to Uncle Sans great gun fac
tory, il will be interesting to note the
progress of the work in other sections OF
the yard. The gun-carriage shops have,
during the summer, received general
overhauling and have been provided with
a new brick structure covering 250 by 6o
feet and costing 100000.
There has also been erected a brick
foundry, which measures 22.500 square
feet; new storehouse for guns, $50 by 60
feet. and a large joiner shop for pattern
and model making. The forge shop has
been equipped with new and mcderl ma
chinery. and the old shop for making cart
ridge cases has also new plant costing
| $500, COO.
EnumeIating the extent and Importance
of these great improvements and those
| contemplated, Commander Pendleton said
that the yard would soon be capable of a
| working capacity of 80 per cent greater
| than formerly, and the value of this work
would be inestimable.
This great undertaking. he said, has
| only commenced. 1t should be continued
until the facilities are complete. We have
| been working two and three shifts of men,
| consuming the entire twenty-four hours of
the calendar day, in order to meet the de-
mands for the guns for the new ships on
| the stocks. With the new plant il is
| hoped all emergencies will be covered with
| out resort to overtime TO avoid blockade
| of work. Since their establishment the
| national gun factory for the navy, the
Washington shops have needed all and
more of the improvements which they are
now getting. We have already the finest
naval un-making plant on earth, but its
growth will not stop if the output of
American gunnery is to keep pace with
| the growth and improvement of the Ameri-
can navy"
With this end in view the next Congress
will be asked by the Secretary of the Navy
| for the necessary appropriation to continue
the work projected at the gun factory, SO
that the progress made this year can be
continued until a practically entirely new
and greatly enlarged plant is established.
Commander Pendleton says there are big
| orders ahead for the gun factory. which
grew out of the provision already made
fer the new battleships and cruisers. These
! are in addition to the gunnery now on
| lathe for the vessels on the stocks. Prom
inent amoLg the orders to be filled are
/ the great and small eUhs for the Ohio the
Missouri, the Maine the Florida, the Wyo-
ming, and the Connecticut and the sixteen
torpedo boat destroyers. and the twenty
six torpedo boats, ali ordered within the