The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-24
CHARLESTON NAVY YARD.
Bids for the Dry Dock to Be Opened
in October.


Washington, Aug. 23.-Bids for the
contract of constructing the new dry
dock at the Charleston Navy Yard
will be opened at the Navy Depart
ment on Oct. IL, next. The plans and
specifications are daily expected at the
department, from the government
printing office, and as soon as they
are received that will be supplied to
the army of anxious competitors for
the work. Although the advertisement
for bids has been published but a short
time, great number of bidders have
announced their intention to enter into
competition for the privilege of build
ing the largest and perhaps the best
dry dock in the world.
Rear Admiral Endicott has been
somewhat hampered in the work of
getting ready for the machine and sup
ply shops to be built at the Charleston
yard, by the lack of clerical assistance
and craftsmen. The Admiral is anx-
ious to put to work a large force of
craftsmen and field men at Charles
ton to make up for the delays which
have occurred from time to time in
other directions. The class of en-
ployes he needs must, according to
law, be supplied through the channels
of the Civil Service Commission. For
| instance, he now has work for several
ftrst-class craftsmen, but they must be
obtained from the Civil Service Com
mission. 1t frequently happens that
the men OH the eligible list may reside
way out in California, Oregon and
other far distant parts of the country.
They have to be notified by the COM
mission that an appointment awaits
them. Sometimes they decline to ac-
cept on the ground that they have
other employment. 1t sometimes hap
pens that there are no eligibles on a
certain list, and a new examination
has to be held. All this takes time and
delays important work.
Follow Mare Island Plans.
With view of expediting the work
at the Charleston yard, Admiral Endi-
cot has asked permission of the Sec
rotary of the Navy to employ a tenn
porary force to assist the civil engineer
in charge of the work. 1t is under
stood that the buildings and supply
shops at Charleston are to be built
upon plans similar to those to be con-
structed at the Mare Island Navy
Yard, in California. The plans and
specifications of the latter building
are nearly completed and they have
given 81 LIuCn SdllSLdCIlOn LTldC Jne
proposition to duplicate them at Char
lesion meets with general approval
Capt. Edwin Longnecker, who has
been assigned to duty as commandant
of the Charleston yard, in addition to
giving his attention to the naval sta
ton at Port Royal, is regarded as one
of the ablest and best executive Off
GERS in the navy. He is very anxious
to make progress in the work assigned
him at Charleston and he is displaying
his usual energy and efficiency in his
new station. 1t is quite likely that he
will be given full command of the
Charleston yard until it is time for him
to go to sea again. While he is in
charge of work there will be no hold
ing back or delays if he can prevent
them, for he is progressive, aggres-
sive, and at the same time courteous
officer. He was stationed at the Wash
ington> yard several years ago, and he
has a host of friends at the nations
capital, who will watch with interest
his administration of the Charleston
navy ward