The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-12
PORT ROYAL NAVY YARD.
Some Interesting Questions In Re-
gard to 1t.


Port Royal S. c., May u.-Editor of
the Morning. News: In view of the fact
| that il appears that members of Con-
| gress, the Senate, Naval Appropriation
Committee, and the navy department in
general, charge that the Port Royal dry
dock is failure, charge that in the
full meaning of the word. we cannot for
| an instant agree to, or accept. I ask 10
present few words to such of your read
ers, in and out of Congress. who are fair
minded enough not to be hoodwinked by
| politics or any extraneous matters.
Where is the Port Royal dock a fall
ure? Is Vt in It's location? Certainly not
| for ii is located on the very best harbor
| south of New York, having all the deplh
| or water necessary for the deepest draft
| vessels in the navy. 1t is placed back
| less than fifteen miles from the bar, and
| is protected by two forts below 1t, with
mountings of the latest improved guns.
| so 1t cannot be its location as to harbor!
Is it the dock itself? When the dock WAS
contracted for nine years ago the govern
| ment sent Its officials here to supervise
| its construction. The government should
Know if they did their duty. Is the ma
terial poor? If so, who is al fault? If
1t is the manner of it's construction, who
is 90 blame? Somebody! Don't say the
contractor. He is dead, and the govern
ment supervised the work. If 1t is the
soil, then why were not extra precau-
tons taken to back fill the dock with
sufficient concrete to prevent the leak
age of water into the dock bringing with
1t the sand. and so causing the bulges
that have from time to time, occurred?
If any of the above are sufficient to CAUSE
the dock to be pronounced a failure, in
Of 10 do
BILE? Clearly the government. Let the
government accept the blame and place 1t
where it belongs, and not attempt at this
late day 10 crush out an eSta blished in
stitution TO the utter ruin of hundreds of
citizens, not only of the immediate coun-
try, but of others who have come here TO
make a living. Through the efforts of
our own congressman and senators, and
the help of fair minded congressman, and
senators all over the union, large sums
have been given to this navy yard. Yet
to-day, thousands of dollars of the many
appropriated lie Idle, why? Why have
those, charged with the expenditure of
these appropriations, not expended them?
Some of it appropriated as much as two
years ago? Again, when contractors have
accepted contracts, why is 1t that they
are allowed to overrun their limit placed
in the contract by months and months?
Has the government ever sued one of
his contract, within the time limit allow
ed? We have never heard of such. II
the charge is presented that the yard
is not fitted out to do the work necessary,
who's fault is that? The money is there
for both buildings and machinery, why
have they not been put up? Let him who
Is responsible answer. Let Congress and
the honora BILE Secretary of the Navy as
certain this.
Again; vessels have been sent to this
yard for repairs and orders given to re-
pair them, when, within few weeks of
completion, orders are received to send
such vessels 10 another yard to complete
repairs Why? Are not the officers of this
yard competent? If not, who's fault? If
they are, and the mechanics fitted for
their duty, why remove the vessels? If
it were to hurry on the work at some
other yard, why was 1t not done? AS
matter of fact, 1t was not, for, in one in
stance ii was over six months after the
vessel reached the other yard before she
was docked. What caused that vessel to
be removed? Incompetence of officers and
lack of facilities az the Port Royal yard?
or political pull? Again. it is the steady
piling on of the straws that breaks the
camePs back, the continued bounding
down that gives the dog a bad name with
a few exceptions, and they are pleasant
to think of, nearly every officer sent to
this yard has fought against being order
ed to duty here in one way or another, If
not dissatisfied themselves, their families
have been, and Immediately have they ex-
erted themselves to be removed with con-
tinued appeals to their congressman, and
to the navy department. In most instances
1t took a few months. In one instance,
couple of weeks. This continued harass-
ing of the department can only have one
effect, a growing disgust for the place.
Why can't the government ltt it's officers
understand that when they are ordered to
go there they go, and go to stay. They
have not been sent to the yard for a win
ter's rest in a temperate climate nor to
take a summer outing, but sent to fulfil
certain duties Make them carry them out,
then. and stop their childish complaints.
The effect of the late Spanish war, in
showing the patriotism of the citizens of
our country led us to believe and rejoice
in the belief that at last there was no
North or South. East or West, but one
grand republic and that our hands were
at last joined for the good of our common
country, but these continued slaps and
unspecified charges against our navy yard
leads one to believe that, after all, there
nests in the heart of some of those high
in authority a feeling of spite and jealousy
and hence the desire crops out not to con-
tinue the grand work which would result
in the building up of an important public
institution second to none in America.
S. H. Rodgers.