Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-20
Contemplated Improvement Will Put
Washington Navy Yard Ahead.
EXPENSE OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS
Four Hundred Mechanics Engaged
in Erecting Buildings.
THE ANNUAL PAY ROLL

Perhaps from the fact that the govern
ment does not advertise the increase in its
gunshops or perhaps because the exterior
appearance OF the Washington navy yard
has not changed in years, and Is still mark
ed by the same old cream brick structure
with it's arched and sentneled gateway,
the average citizen of the District Of Co
lumbia Is totally unaware of the great
changes that have taken place and that
are being made at the present time at this
the greatest gunshop in the world.
The Washington navy yard was never
more busy than at the present time, not
excepting the period of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war. At that time there were LOO
mechanics employed; now there are over
1000. and the annual pay roll has reached
in round numbers $2,OOO,OOO. Besides this
there are over 400 mechanics now employed
at the yard in the construction Of new
buildings which will aggregate in expendi-
ture another million dollars.
The lessons learned during the recent
conflict. both by the Navy Department and
by Congress, regarding the construction of
ordnance Is perhaps the greatest cause of
this activity and increase Of permanent ca
pacity for output. Ordnance experts say
1t was demonstrated during the Spanish
war that the guns constructed by the gov
eminent were not only the cheapest. but
the best. They cost less in the first place
and needed less repairing.
Overhauling Ordnancfie.
Since the recent war also the government
has been actively engaged in refltting and
overhauling the ordnance of every naval
craft as well as making the guns for the
new battle ships. cruisers and minor fight
ing craft that have been turned out and
are now in course Of construction in many
q r6 Of fha ,frHy E1rouo
this 1t Is pointed out that the present ac-
tivity is not temporary, but rather that it
Will continue to increase in the future. The
greater the number of ships the greater
will be the ordnance work, and the bulk Of
this work will be done at the Washington
navy yard.
The improvements being made In the ward
are all in accordance with one comprehen-
slVe pian and when completed the plant
will be not only the largest but in every
way the finest and most modern In the
world. Some of the new buildings now
under construction include miscellaneous
shop for ordnance, to cost $4,000; a sea-
man gunners shop $4,000; alterations and
charging the ordnance boiler house. $40,
60O; fireproof storage warehouse, $75 900;
new pattern shop and new forge shop
small but model dispensary is to be
built, where accident cases can receive i'm
mediate attention. The quarters Of the
seamen gunners are being enlarged by an
additional building, the chemical and
metal testing laboratories are to be COM
bined in one specially arranged building,
and the navy yard museum is being COM
pletely remodeled and redecorated A new
sea wall has just been completed, two feet
higher than the old and the grade of the
lower end Of the yard is being raised four
feet. There Is about seven miles of rail-
road track in the yard, and more contem-
plated while two locomotives and two
wreeking engines are constantly employed
in doing the work which not very long
ago was done by several OK teams.