Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-02
DOCKS AND YARDS
ANNUAL REPORT OF REAR AID
MIRAL ENDICoTT.
Need of Better Facilities Shown
Naval Station on Southern
Pacific Coast Wanted.

dicott, chief OF the bureau OF yards and
docks, Navy Department. just made public.
contains a mass Of interesting details in re-
gard to the docking and berthing facilities
Of the navy
The expenditures during the year aggre-
gated $5.5SO.O6.37. Of which 1891 sol. ~
were for works Of Improvement for which
specific appropriation was made by Con-
gress The remainder, 81. 25S, 565 "a, was ap-
Piled to the maintenance and repair Of the
+ navy yards and stations. for the civil es-
Establishment. contingencies. etc. The esti-
mates for the next fiscal year aggregate
81, 500. 344.
Nearly all the yards have undergone very
material and important improvement in the
effort to keep pace with the constantly in
creasing tax upon them growing out of the
number of vessels being put afoat.
Further progress has been made in the
installation or enlargement of power plants
for the purpose Of the bureau at the most
important navy yards, notably at Ports
mouth and Norfolk. The duty upon these
plants Is increasing constantly, due to the
Improvement Of the yards and the greater
activity in all the operations relating to the
repairs and supplies for vessels.
Much progress has been made toward
providing better and additional berthing &C
commodations for vessels seeking the yards
for repairs and outfit.
The Cavite Station.
Admiral Endicott says that the Cavite
station has continued to perform most i'm
portant duty in the maintenance Of the off,
cheney of the force upon the Asiatic station.
despite the many drawbacks to its best serv-
Ice. He says the yard is Ill equipped. consid-
ering the fact that 1t Is the only one in the
Philippines of any Importance. THE value
Of the services" he adds, rendered by this
station, and which 1t must supply for a few
years without any doubt warrant the lib
eral consideration Of the department and
congress. 1t VIII always be station of
Importance, and the comparatively moder-
ate sums necessary to make 1t efficient for
the work 1t now does should be granted"
The work Of the bureau. the admiral says,
has been embarrassed by the lack Of civil
engineer officers and craftsmen. 1.-THE
progress upon the dry docks, "he says has
not been satisfactory in a single instance.
Some special causes have operated which
could not be very well avoided. but even
where these did not exist the advance in
the work has been slow and in some In
stances exceedingly dilatory.
The progress upon other works Of i'm
provement has not been satisfactory in all
instances. Contract work especially Is en-
barrassed by difficulty In procuring some
classes of materials and Of labor Supplies
are also very tardy in delivery. The con-
gest1on In the whole business field Of the
country affects in a considerable measure
the work Of the navy.
Inc public works at the navy yards will
still be far short Of the necessities of the
naval service when all those now in prog
reSs and projected are completed New and
better resources for the work of the navy
are continually being required, and it is the
Wlsest course to meet them as thew become
apparent. and not allow their absence to
become an embarrassment in the ordinary
condltlons and grievious deficiency in
times Of emergency"
Naval Station on Southern Pacific.
The bureau renews its recommendation,
that board Of experienced officers be an
pointed to consider the subject of the loca-
tloh OF naval station upon our southern
Pacific coast. Our ordinary interests In
that direction says Admiral Endicott,
are increasing, and the construction of the
interoceanic canal will greatly enhance the
Importance Of the naval establishment upon
the Pacific coast"
Attention is also called to the Importance
Of recognizing and increasing the CORPS
OF civil engineers. There are now twenty
seven civil engineers. Admiral Endicott is
OF the opinion that the grade of assistant
civil engineer should be added to the corps
IN order that young men may be appointed
to the lower grade and when uualified pro-
NOTED to the higher grade He recommends
that the number Of assistant civil engineers
be not fixed by law, but be variable, at the
discretion or the President, to suit the re-
qu1rements Of the service. The corps as 1t
now exists. he says. is not sufficiently large
for the prosecution of the work of design
ing. constructing and maintaining the pub
lie works in the navy at the yards and
stations.
1t is urgently requested that the corps
OF civil engineers be increased to forty at
once, to consist Of twenty-eight civil eng1-
neers and twelve assistant civil engineers,
This is the smallest number that Admiral
End1cott deems practicable to handle the
work with, having regard to it's proper dis
patch and economy as well quality.
New Dock Needed at Portsmouth.
The estimates submitted include con-
siderable sum for carrying on work upon
the dry docks now authorized. The report
says that a steel floating dry dock to lift
vessels weighing about 5000 tons should be
built to replace the wooden floating dry
dock at the Portsmouth navy yard, which
is still in service, though old and weak
Estimates are also submitted for various
new buildings, notifications and extensions
of old ones, increase in coaling facilities,
piers and quay walls, dredging, extensions
of the railroad, sewer, power and water
systems, etc, which are deemed Of the first
Importance.