The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-26

Visit TO the Port orchard dryCock
just at the present time does more than
many columns of statistics to make plain
the magnitude of the ship repairing plant
the government has installed at that quiet
harbor on Puget sound, and to justify the
expenditure of the millions of dollars that
have gone to make 1t one of the foremost
navy yards of the country.
No better proof of the capacity and
modern character and equipment Of the
Port Orchard drydock Is needed than the
great battleship Iowa, one OF the largest
In the white navy, which now lies at an
Choir In the stream completing the repairs
for which she was brought to Puget sound.
1t is now ten days since she left the dry
dock, and within few days more she
will leave Port Orchard and make her
proposed official visit to the principal
cities of the Sound. The workmen are
now engaged in caulking her upper decks,
the repairs to her hull and the cleaning
of her bottom having been done while she
was out of water. 1t is stated by the
officials In charge of the naval station
that the work done on the Iowa will have
cost when completed not less than $780,
COO For several weeks 175 men have been
regularly employed at the naval station,
and the payroll has not been far from $500
day during most of that time. The
cities of the Northwest, the naval Off
Gals say have reason to be proud of the
fact that the docking of the Iowa this
time was accomplished and the extensive
and costly repairs made without the i'm
portation of skilled labor from abroad
Seattle, Tacoma and the smaller cities
all furnished their quotas of workmen,
and Portland machine shops also were
called upon, but none of the governments
regular force at the Mare island navy
yard was brought up from California.
Heretofore when a battleship has been
locked many men have been imported
from Mare island, causing the newspapers
of San Francisco and many Eastern cities
as well to declare that the Port Orchard
dock was worthless to the government for
the reason that skilled labor could not be
obtained from the nearby cities in case of
emergency.
The officials in charge of the dock are
unanimous in saying that a more compe-
tent force of men could not be desired
than that now employed at Port Orchard
Their only regret is that the government
cannot furnish enough work to keep the
present force employed constantly obvi-
ating the necessity Of recruiting a new
force when the next big warship comes to
the Sound for repairs. There is no work
for the workmen however, and before
many days the great majority of them
will be discharged and return to their
homes.
Nowhere in the United States could tbis
work have been done more quickly, more
satisfactorily and with less risk TO the
government than at Port Orchard" re-
marked naval officer yesterday as he
stood on the deck of the Iowa. And no.
where else on the Pacific coast could II
have been done at less expense. But
there is every prospect that until the hat
tleship Iowa comes this summer the great
machine shops. costly drydock and other
property of the government here will lie
ployed here In making repairs to the rev
enue cutters and coast survey vessels now
on the Sound. but II is not at all likely
mat any or the big transports now he
ing returned from the Philippines or any
OF the smaller warshps now I'm Asiatic
waters Will be ordered here for refitting
or repairs.
They will all go to Mare island know
personally that many OF them have al
ready received such orders For Some
reason the politicians of San Francisco are
Of their own drydock than the people ~
this state in favor of Port Orchard ard
Tor that reason they are needed bv the
government at Washington while the citi-
zehS OF this state are ignored and the
Mare island dock is crowded with work
While here at Port Orchard everything is
idle. '''"s -
AS things are now the only work tina.
Is done here is that which cannot be done
at Mare island. For several years an Mt
tempt was made by politicians who we're
age for California to hlacken the ren,Ita
ton OF the Puget sound naval station ia.
the attempt has failed Within the past thre,
years. two OF the LARGEST and most cos-i>,
vessels in the United States nav hlvs
been successfully locked and repaired here.
This is the second time the Iowa has be- en-
here. Thus the claim that the Port or
chard dock is failure has been exploded
The fact remains, however. that II Il had
been physical possibility for the Oregon
and the Iowa to enter the Mare island DOCK
neither would ever have been ordered
here.
Port orchard merely gets the crumbs
from Mare island feast Vessels that drs.v.
too much water To approach the Mare
island dock must Verforce come here. bu.
this dock IS absolutely shut out from A
share IN the work Of reftiine. oversp.ii-
ing and repairing the governments Pacific
fleet o. transports ana until the people ~
the Northwest unite In demanding tacir
rights from the navy department there viii