Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-30
NEW OFFICE BUILDING.

NNNoiy WIFI TIE iedTn9u.
NEW OFFICE BUILDING.
a Movement on Foot to Secure a New
One for Construction Department.
Editor Virginian-Pilot:
The administrative center of the de-
partinent of construction and repair at
the Norfolk Navy Yard was, until re-
Gently. located ih building No. 81, oc-
cupying about two hundred feet in
length of the upper floor of that build
ing. together with portion of the
lower floor. On the upper floor were
situated the offices OF the naval con-
structor and his assistants. a room for
correspondence and records, another
for the clerical force engaged in keep
ing the fiancial accounts of the depart
ment, the reQuisition office and sample
rooms, in which acquisitions for ma
chinery and material were prepared
and where samples of the various kinds
OF hardware, fittings and other articles
were kept; the office of the chief
craftsman, the general drafting room,
the filing cases for about 10000 plans,
two blue print rooms, and rooms for
the preservation of records and for
general storage purposes. On the low
er floor We're situated the testing labo-
ratory, established and used for the
purpose of determining the quality of
many of the materials furnished under
contracts; a Photographic room and a
large store room for the machinery
and other articles requiring special
care and attention.
l;y the fire of December 16th 1900 all
these Offices were destroyed, together
with about 1000 plans, and practically
all the records of the Office. Some of
these it is possible, at considerable eX-
pense, to replace, but the large ma jori-
~ can never be replaced; and for years
TO come the work of the construction
department will be more or less ham
pered by this unfortunate occurrence.
Temporary Offices have been fitted in
the adjoining building ono. 32) in the
space previously used as the mold loft
OF the departmenT, UUU ThfS work has
been done in n crude and merely tenn
porary manner. for it would manifestly
have been ineXpedient to incur any
great expense in fitting up such offices
and rooms in that building. which is
as completely subject TO damage by fire
as building No. 81 proved to be. be-
sides which the mold loft itsef is an
Indispensable adjunct to the work OF
the construction department. so that
it's use for Office purposes can be but
temporary.
With the steady increase in the navy,
and the rapidly increasing Importance
OF the Norfolk Yard as n factor in the
work OF maintaining our ships in prop
er and efficient condition for immediate
service 1t would be Il very short-sight-
cd policy to take any step short of
providing the construction department
with Il suitable fircproof building de-
voted exclusively to the various uses
enumerated above. The attention of
Congress will he at once invited to the
importance OF speedily providing and
properly equipping II suitable two
CT r- Ern lN,,tIA Go, 1t.
pose; and, in order that that depart
ment may as soon as possible be again
placed in condition for the proper
transaction of its business. II Is hoped
that Congress will promptly make the
necessary appropriation of eighty-fiVe
thousand dollars for that purpose, and
will at the same time make such ap-
preparation Immediately available,' so
that work on the new building may be
begun at once.
AS the department of construction
and repair at the Norfolk Yard en-
ploys more men than all the other de-
partmcnts of the yard put together dts
monthly payroll averaging $50. 000), and
as the number of men 1t can efficiently
employ and the material it can eff
GENTLY purchase and use are largely de-
pendent on its possession of the com
plete facilities intended to be furnished
by the erection of the proposed build
ing. ii will be seen that the proposition
TO have such a building authorized and
erected at the earliest possible moment
is one in which the cities of Norfolk
and Portsmouth and in fact the whole
State of Virginia. are directly inter
ested.
-An-effnrt- Miu be made to secure the
active aid and cooperation of the
Chamber OF Commerce and Business
Mems Association of Norfolk and the
getting the appropriation through Con
gTpSS.