The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-25
Work Now Begun on
Yerba Buena Island.
CAPTAIN GLASS C0MMANDAN7
THE GOVERNMENT TO EXPEND
$4,000 AT ONCE.
The Building of the Training Station
Has Very Significant Bearing
on the Future of San
Francisco.

The passing of Goat Island is thing OF
the near future. When the Government
recently decided to establish on this coast
| a Naval Training School the Bureau OF
| Navigation selected as site the island
| that rises from the waters of the bay mid
way between San Francisco and Oakland
and the bureau also decreed that hence
forth the island is to be officially known
by its original name of Yerba Buena. The
Government will expend in the erection of
this Naval Training School nearly S250, 900,
although of this amount only $1S0,0O0 has
at present been appropriated. For the
purpose of erecting the buildings and
wharf, making the roads and digging the
well which is to supply the water, $15o 900
is to be expended within the next year,
while the remaining $4,000 Of the first
appropriation is for the maintenance of
the school.
Captain Glass, who commanded the
Charleston when that vessel was sent to
Manila, and of whom it may be said there
is no more efficient officer in the navy, has
Navy to have charge of the new train
ing school. He is to supervise its erec-
ton and to have entire control, In the ad,
ministration of the training school he Will
be assisted by three other officers.
The preliminary work on Yerba Buena
Island has already been commenced. All
of the island with the exception OF that
portion on which is located the light
house and the torpedo station has been
turned over to s6t fDI months
from now will see the school pracucaily
completed and with a capacity for accom-
modating 800 boys who are to be trained
Captain Glass visited the island yes
terday morning for the purpose OF IN
speeding the progress of the work. He
Went over on the tug Vigilant, accom-
panied by engineers, who made the final
survey for the buildings. The work on
\ 31h &c 70
wharf, has already been commenced, and and
the well which is to supply the water VII
have been dug and finished oy the middie
portion of the island is to be given up
to the school, the buildings and wharf
are to be erected on the southeastern SIDE
of the island, between the lighthouse and
the torpedo station. The buildings VIII
comprise the residence of the command,
ant. quarters for three other oIncers ana
the steam power and electric plant. All
of these buildings will have a southern
exposure and will be protected from me
The specifications for the Naval Train
w Wgash sGn49a n and bids win be opened at
the Bureau of Navigation on March 10.
and as Captain Glass said YESTERDAY ne
buildings would be begun by the first OF
April In the meantime the work on the
road to the wharf VIII be faPlaig yi1 pesnf f
be commenced next week 1t is neces-
sary to complete the wharf so as to be
able to land the building material as it
is needed After the work on the school
is actively commenced it will, in the opin-
ion of Captain Glass, take about six
months to complete 1t. In the meantlme
trained will continue. Boys are being en-
listed at present, and even now there are
about 200 of them on the receiving ship
The Pensacola will soon be brought
down to Yerba Buena Island, and 1t is
possible. that Captain Glass may at once nee
the purpose of better experimenting the
work. He will also shortly have under
his command the United ed, states tug d Eig a-
to him Just as soon as he secures crew
for her In addition, Captain Glass, when
the school is completed, will have a
thirty-foot launch for the convenience. of
the officers and their wives In plying be-
tween the island and the city. Besides
the Adams as a cruising ship and posi-
The building of this Naval Training
School on Yerba Buena Island by the
Government has a very significant bear
ing on the future of San Francisco. It
is the plan of this Government to have all
go into the service. The, erection of the
school clearly indicates that the training
school at Newport, r. l., is not capable
indicates the intention of the Govern
ment to greatly increase the navy This
being the case. and the fact that the
school is to be here, points to the fact
that as a result of the newly acquired
possessions of the United States this city
is to become a great naval base. For
merly 1t was found necessary to send
East for trained sailors when they were
desired. but in the future this will not be
the case. The school means that the men
that go into the navy. will be of a higher
class in all ways, and the fact that San
Francisco is to be a naval base means
that. trade is expected by the Govern
This is strengthened by the fact that
the Government, through Commodore