The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-04
More Drydocks Not Needed.

More DfyooCks MOI Neeoeo.
The naval appropriation bill as 1t
passed the senate provides for COM
mission TO examine the question OF
building a drydock at some point on the
Columbia. II the public interest is the
consideration TO be observed in build
ing new drydocks for the navy. surely
the time has not come for such an in
stitution as this. There are two dry
docks on the Pacific coast and another
one building, and two navy yards at
which repair work of all kinds can be
done. Millions have been spent on these
two institutions, and the work for them
to do is not anywhere up to their pres
ent capacity.
OF the drydocks, but one, that at
Bremerton. can take in battleship.
The present drydock at Mara Island is
too small to permit the entry of bat
tleship. or Of the largest OF the armore1
cruisers: and while the new drydock
authorized will he large enough. the
depth of water in the approaches Is
such that by no possibility can battle-
ship ever reach u, unless the govern
ment elects to spend a few millions in
dredging channel and makes an
annual appropriation of few hundred
thousand dollars to keep the approaches
and the channel which f1lls in every
year. open for vessels OF the largest
class
Between Bremerton and Mare Island
the government is amply supplied with
drydocks. the former TO accommodate
the larger ships and the latter the
smaller ones. AS a business proposition.
sound economy would. In fact. dictate
the abandonment OF the California yard.
and the concentration Of the entire bus-
ness Of repairing wsrships at Bremen
ton. but political considerations will al
ways take a certain precedence over the
interests of the service. As It liz. the
Bremerton yard gets only such vessels
as cannot, by any possibility. be han
died at Mare Island. With fair divis-
| ion Of the necessary work between the
| two existing plants. the government
| would be enabled at all times to keep
| good working force employed at
| Bremerton. and the necessary work
| could be accomplished with greater dis
| patch and economy.
| No vessels now come north except the
| big battteships which cannot reach the
Mare Island yard When they arr
| locked for repairs, II is necessary to
scour the country for mechanics who
can leave their other employment for
the few weeks work offered them By
| the government and when the repairs
are completed, the force assembled with
so much trouble la forthwith scattered.
| During the docking and repairing Of the
Iowa flne force OF competent mechan-
les war secured and the work was ac-
complshed with u skll and dispatch
which excited the unqualified approval
o. the naval officers In charge ~ the
work. That force was necessarily dis-
charged when the lowa's repairs were
completed. and for many months O.
come the magnificent drydock. the I'm.
est in the United states. and the ouly
one In the country In W ich IL Is both
safe and easy e. dock battleshlp
must lie idle No business man no ma
val officer. aud no person wh5 has tn.
Interests ~ the country and y The nav,
a, heart can and any excuse for suet
a policy As this.
The building Of drydo,k q; the 60.
mmb.a river would be. frankly speak
lug mere political graft ~ eNr.t~.
vr necessity can be founl for IL. Il
would simply mean the cxpendlturs o
50 m4ch government money for th,
hsn'at e one particular community
and 1Bc additional political factor So
trrIectsd luto the business matter ~ ra
ISiuns and docking q naval vessels
The time viii come. however x On.
navy IS buIt Mp te Dimension com
men~urate With the size u the cuuut-,
and the interests which II has On guard
when smother drS1iock may lssroSne
necessity. That time VIII be when ia,
present docks and repairing plants haI,
az east Sufficient to do 30 keep d perIna
nent force af mechanics at work Ion.
enough durins the year In insure thei
always being av aliahle II their service
should be required in an emergency.
] When that time comes the claims O