The evening times., 1902-07-09
IMPROVEMENTS At
LEAGUE ISLAND Yard
More Money Needed Before
Ships Can Be Built.
MODERN PLANT NECESSARY
Some Reasons, From d Philadelphia
Standpoint, Why the Construction of
New BattIeship Failed to Go to That
City-HOpes for the Future.

/ PHILADELPHIA, July 9.-Tbe decis-
ion ct the Navy Department that the
projected 16.OG0-ton batueship shall be
built in the New York yard, rather than
! in one Of the other naval establishments
On the atlantic aboard. did not greatly
surprise naval officers. One reason why
/ thc decision was so made is reported to
be that the New York yard is fully
/ equipped for such. work. and that mate
rial and labor are plentiful there. Ac-
corGIng TO one statement, the officials
+ CT the department resorted to a sort Of
elimination process. Norfolk. It was
said. hasn't the supply Of labor. and is
near Newport News and Richmond.
where ships are now in process of con
+ struction. Portsmouth. y H. has TOO
I rigorous a climate. while Phenadelphia
failed of selection because the workmen
/ here are now wei supplied With Gov
ernment work in private yards.
There is, however. a somewhat better
reason I'm the minds OF naval officers
generally. so far as Philadelphia is con
cerned. League Island navy yard is
not at the present time II shape 10
build warshfp CT any sort-certatnly
not TO build enc of 1900 tons dispIace-
ment While New York has steadily
gone ahead and now has q thoroughly
equipped plant for construction. League
Island is still putting up buildings
that would be absolutely needed If con
sJruction were TO be done there. Fur
thermore. the gard has not a building
slip on which q batJlcship might be
built slip alone, constructed in the
soft material Of the island. and capa-
bic Of sustaining the thousands Of tons
Of a vessel al launching weight, would
cost, at q rough estimate, 600 600. Plans
have been made for such q slip but. OF
course until the money is available aud
the slip constructed, building . EattIe-
ship at League Island would be cut OF
the question
Gradually Getting 4 New Plant.
Slowly. but surely. the yard is getting
together cluster OF frst-cIass build
ings Tor construction and repair. There
are naval officers who hold that Lrague
island would never have been reCOg-
nized, even srudsiagly. If It had not
been that the manifest advantages Of
the yard over all others on the Atlantic
coast enforced recognition These nat
g-raI advantages are: First. fresh water.
and an unusually large area that may be
used for The building Of q complete plant
for the building Of ships; second, the
back channel fer the storage Of ships,
and third, 80 river front and anchorage.
These adeautaggs. the Importance Of
which becanlc manifest during the Span
ish war. and which were freely admitted
by. Secretary Long. have been recognized
70 such an extent by Congress that
modern plant has been gradually spring
sdded to the cluster Of &C. and r.
buildings q foundry and ccP2eTsmith
shop. suitheTy. an angle slitheEy.
and spar. cooper and block shops. II is
proposed that q slip shall be built be
tween the Old dry dock and the new 100
loot dock, the excavations Tor which
have now been made. Tie Buildings
have been so located as 10 insure the
greatest possible facility IN handling
material Il is believed that in d years
tine League Island could be put in con-
dftioa fo= constructing ships. \ good
many naval officers fear 90 bring q deep
draft battlesEiP up the Delaware, but
with the completion Of the deep channel.
this fear VIII be set at rest
The Use Of Government Yards.
The main argument urged by those
who believe that the Government should
built AZ least a part or its navy in It's
own yards is that by so doing it would
maintain the organization OF the work
men in the yards. and thus insure great
CT efficiency in repair work. With con
struction going forward on a large ship.
it is urged, the yard would always be II
good working order, and should the time
arrive when the Government would want
TO rush work in It's own establishments.
as well as 10 keep private yards busy. il
would be IT condition TO do so. Il is
believed that Rear Admiral Bowles,
chic constructor OF the navy. favors
building q limited number CJ ships IN
Government yards, II such construction
can be kept free from political infiI-
eGce. Il IS pointed ont by naval officers
that IL . Government yard there are no
high salaries and no profits to be pro-
viGcd for, and that. consequently, the
work can be done at about as low cost
as in private yards 1t is not maintained
that the work can bc done as sz2e-
diti0usiy. but il is argued that il the
Government should adopt the policy Of
building some o. IT'S ships IN its own
yards. it would not only be independent
OF q possible squeeze Du- would Ec
well repaid in Improved general eff
cheney Of its yard forces
Before the days Of the iron shirs many
OF the Government warsaips were cen
structed at the CID PntIaEct2E.a yard
n the construction OF modern ships the
Government has experimental with the
Cincinnati and the Maine. at New York.
and the Texas and th1 Raleigh ut New
port
The fact that plant Of sufficient e.
tent for the construction OF ys2-shs-s.
ard thoroughly modern. is going up II.
the yard, is an Indication that sooner ~
later the Government viii try here. also.
the experiment OF building q warshiB.
Such plant can be utilized FOR repair
work, buj for that work alone the De
pGrtmC7t would not be likely % embark
on the construction OF so extensive and /
important group Of buildings.
PLEA TO PRESERVE THE
RUSSIAN LANDOWNERS