The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-12
More Provincial Ignorance.


One Of the little provincial newspapers
OF New York. the Utica Press. In a re-
cent issue took a fancy to show what
II aid not know about the naval dry
docks of the country. and very solemn
ly proceeded to arraign congress for its
mistakes in locating them, referring to
the one at Bremerton as a particularly
fragrant instance of congressional mis-
management, and CHASING it with the
one at Port Royal. The article Is re-
n,arkable and unique in one respect,
that in no particular does It any time
come within hailing distance OF a fact,
and its conclusions are only triie less
eccentric. 1t is amusing as an example
of an editorial written on a subject OF
which the writer is profoundly ignorant,
apparently addressed to a community
with the same lack Of information. 1t
is only worthy of serious notice as
showing how the prejudice Of a bureau
of the navy against this dry dock has
resulted in conveying an absolutely
false impression Of 1t to people who
have never taken the trouble to inquire
into the facts.
At the outset the Utica paper assumes
that the dry dock was located at Brem-
erton in pursuance of a log-rolling
scheme. It says: Sound sense pointed
to Mare island as the place for one
on the Pacific coast. But politics took
precedence. and to secure votes TO pass
the dock-creating bill the Northwest
had to be piacated. so instead OF plac-
ing a dock at Mare island. Puget Sound.
hundreds of miles away from the great
Pacific naval station. was selected on
the Pacific"
II the Press had gone to the record
instead OF relying on its Imagination
for its facts. II could have learned that
the selection OF the site for the dry
dock at Bremerton. was not made by
congress directly. but by commission
made up in part OF line officers Of the
navy. created in pursuance OF an act OF
congress. for the purpose OF selecting
suitable site for dry dock on the
Pacific coast. and that no political pull
was exerted in favor OF the
selection. so far as the people
OF this state we're concerned. for
their political pull was nil. Poll
tics did interfere. however, to this
extent; that the influence OF the CALI
fornla delegation was such that no ac-
ton was taken upon the first recon-
incubation. and that another commits
sion was appointed. which unanimously
confirmed the selection. and revised and
amplined the first report by additional
reasons showing why the particular site
was the best that the Pacific coast
afforded. II may interest the Press 70
know that Capt. Mahan, the naval his
torian and the recognized authority all
over the world on naval matters, was
member OF the commission that Sc
lecied the Puget Sound site and the
principal author OF the report
II the Utica paper wished to speak
intellsently on the subject a little in
CURRY. or glance at chart OF the
coast survey. would have informed Il
that the reason why Mare island was
not selected FOR the site OF the great
Paeiae coast dry dock. was that, as the
dock was intended for the use Of naval
vessels, and not fat -bottomed barEes,
II could not be built at Mare island.
The reason why Mare island could mo-,
be used Is precisely the same as that
which led 10 the abandonment OF the
Port Royal dry dock. There Is not SUI
ficient depth 81 water at Mare island
or anywhere In its immediate vicinity
20 fioat a hattleshlp or a heavy arrnored
cruiser. ana such depth as the channel
has Is maintained only by constant and
unremittlns dredging. IN. conditions
at Port Royal, TO which this provincial
newspaper aliudes. are duplicated pre-
/ c!sely al Mare island
The Press winds up its exhibition q.
ignorance by saying that when the
docks in process ot construction are
completed, the one on Puge; Sound. go
miles from san Francisco. and situated
\ twenty miles inland, On q channel oas