Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-02
ON YARDS AND DOCKS
ANNUAL REPORT OF REAR AD-
MIRAL ENDIcoTT.
Difficulty in Obtaining Structural Steel
and Engaging Competent
Craftsmen.

Craftsmen.
Rear Admiral Endicott. chief of the naval
| bureau of yards and docks. in his annual
report says that seventy-one contracts were
made by the bureau during the past year,
| involving obligations amounting to SILL
5s3. He says the efficiency of the navy
yards and stations has been materially in
creased by the improvements added during
the year. although the increase has hardly
kept pace with the rapid growth of the
navy af1oat, and 1t is hoped more liberal
appropriations may be secured, both for
the construction of new works and the
maintenance and repair of existing i'm
provements
Delay in Building Docks.
The new dry docks at Portsmouth, Bos-
ton and League Island have not progressed
in an entirely satisfactory manner, while
| the one at Mare Island has hardly gone for
ward at all. The new dock at Charleston
8. c., has been delayed somewhat, owing
| to lack of transportation facilities to the
yard and other causes, but the bureau
hopes to secure the completion of this dock
within the contract time. The floating
steel dock transferred from Havana TO
Pensacola has been extensively repaired
and will soon be put in commission. The
construction of the steel floating dry dock
for the naval station, Cavite, +. l., has
commenced under contract, and there is
every indication that the progress will be
satisfactory.
At Washington Key West and New Or
leans additional land has been purchased
for extending the yards at those points.
Several of the yards, especially New York
and Norfolk, are becoming congested, ow-
Ing to their limited area, and Admiral En-
dicott says some action looking to their re-
lief must soon be taken or their efficiency
will be restricted.
At the outlying island stations but little
has been done by way of permanent i'm
provements pending determination OF the
location of the various permanent stations.
Had to Obtain Craftsmen.
The bureaus work was delayed to con-
siderable extent by the extreme difficulty
in obtaining structural steel, the condition
of the market having been such that the
mills would not accept orders for quick de-
livery. Delay in the preparation of plans
and specifications has also been caused by
difficulty in securing the services of a suffi-
cient number of competent craftsmen, the
general prosperity of the country and the
extensive private building operations pro-
viding such inducements that the salaries
offered by the government proved no at
traction to first-clasS men.
Estimates for Yards and Stations.
tons are as follows: Public works. of i'm
provement, s7,479,S74; repairs and preserva-
ton, $500, coo; maintenance yards and
docks, $6G5,0O0; pay of men on leave, $780,
600; contingent, yards and DOCKS 10000
civil establishment, $15T, SS4: plans and esti-
mates required by section 1868, Revised
Statutes, $4,000; plans and specifications
for public works, $50, 600 Total, 9,OS7, 1853
Pacific Naval Stations.
The bureau again renews it's recommended
ton that board of officers be appointed to
consider site for the location of naval
station on the south Pacific coast, and also
its recommendation that the matter of the
Improvement of the naval station at Pearl
harbor, Hawaii, receive attention The To-
cation and establishment of stations in the
other islands of the United States should
also be determined at an early date, as i'm
proVementS are now restricted on account
of the uncertainty, and the efficiency of the
stations consequently diminished and re-
pair work made more expensive.
The recommendation of last year that
Communication of quarters be allowed the
corps or civil engineers is renewed
1t is recommended that Congress be asked
10 grant to the technical shore duty CORDS
including the civil engineer corps. the nav
ana allowances established by law for naval
constructors and assistant naval construct
orS- Such enactment Admiral Erndicott
says, would be in the direction of euualizing
the pay of officers and remove a serious dis
elimination which has long existed
Washington Navy Yard Estimates.
+ The estimates for the Washington navy
yard aggregate 1851, IA, made up as fol-
lows: Building for power plant extern
sion. to complete s135 964; coal storage and
hahdnng plant for new power plant $40 OS4:
machinery for-power plant, extension s2O5
2oo; f1re and telephone station $14 1852; steel
timber shed, $40 900: sewer system to ay
teId, $13, 40; walls about extension of ward
s5Zooo; grading, to continue, s., 600; paving
T.. 70 extend, $4,000; drainage. to extend,
5000; underground conduit system. extern
SIGN, $4,000; dredging, $S,346; electric light
plant. extension, 5000: telephone and time
system, extensions. $1,000; pipe filters shop
1Jc-ton platform scale, 1868; building for
electric power plant, extension s97 9S3
In explanation of these estimates Admiral
Endicott says, in part:
The increased demands made upon the
electric power plant of the yard require the
installation of considerable additional ma
chinery. which, while expensive at first
VII! prove an economical investment
The construction of building to be used
as fire and telephone station is urgently
recommended. The building will also an
swer as central mail station or post office
and watch box
AT present large quantities of lumbar are
piled about the yard at different places and
exposed to the weather. 1t is proposed 10
erect a freproof shed for the storage of
this lumber where it can be held the re-
quired time for proper seasoning
1t is necessary that the yard wall be ax-
tended to inclose the land recently pur-
chased, In order that the government prop
erty may be properly policed and protected
The new land recently acquired for ex-
tending the yard is of made ground and
very uneven, and considerable grading will
be required to bring all parts of it to the
proper level.
Upon the construction Of new buildings on
the land recently acquired it will be neces-
sary to extend the drainage system 1t is
desirable that this be done before the paw
Ing In order that it will not be necessary to
tear up the streets at later date
At present the slips at the yard have a
depth of only ten feet of water. They
should be dredged to depth of eighteen
feet to permit loaded barges and Golfers to
discharge their cargoes.
Extending Electric Light Plant.
An appropriation is asked for an extern
sion of the electric light plant to provide
the new portion of the yard with the nee
essary light and also to provide a few
additional ones in the old yard