Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-01
FOR PAST FISCAL YEAR
Report Made Of Improve
ments at Navy Yard.
ESTIM ATES FILED
WORK NECESSARY TO MoDERNIZE
THE GUN PLANT:
An Itemized Statement Made by Com
mander Bowyer to Rear Admiral
Endicott.
ESTIM ATES FILED

Rear Admiral Endicott. chief OF the Du-
reau of yards and docks, has received
detailed report from Commander J. M
Bowyer in regard to the Improvements
made at the Washington navy yard during
| the last fiscal year. together with estimates
for necessary work to be undertaken during
the coming fiscal year to bring the plant of
the gun factory up to modern requirements
Estimates for new work are submitted as
follows:
To complete building for power plant,
$135, 1864; to complete cold storage and han
ding plant, $19,OS4: for building for electric
power plant, $137 1888; machinery for same,
sos, 200; gun shop No. 3, $3.50, 800; extension
of east and west gun carriage shops, 1884,
AS; new brass, iron and steel foundry and
foundry yard, $500, 10; new forge shop No.
2, $134.937; extension of gas plant, $9,961;
locomotive house. $61, TAT; fire and telephone
station. $14.f52; fireproof general store
house. $2S9, 152; steel timber shed, $4O32O;
sheet-piled quay wall In front of old part of
yard. 1884; quay wall in front of extern
sion of yard, $49,973; main sewer to extend
to new water front, $13, APO; north and west
walls to inclose extension Of yard, $4,000;
5000; to extend fire protection system, $20.-
600; to extend railroad system, $4,000; to
extend underground conduit system. $4,000;
dredging, $S,346; to extend electric lighting,
SCVO, 10 extend telephone ana uIno SyS-
TENS, $1,000; storage bins for building ma
terial and scrap metals, $12, 600; pipe filters
shop, $4,000; freproOf model storage build
ing for construction and repair, $4S, GOO;
locomotive crane, $4,000; one 15O-ton plat
form scale. $3.50; one 15ton platform
scale. 81 .O65, making a total Of $2,316,1 1877.
Additional Cost Explained.
|, It is explained that the additional cost of
the power plant building and the coal stor-
age and handling plant was due to the
unforeseen condition Of the soil at the sites.
The new gun shop Is said to be very much
needed to assist in manufacturing guns of
six-inch caliber and less. it being impossible
with the present plant to meet the demand
for these guns to outfit the vessels. In
creased demands on the gun foundry have
made necessary a general enlargement of
the plant and explain the various estimates
for extensions and new buildings and ma
chfnery. 1t is stated as an instance that
the gun carriage shop Is working up to its
full capacity, twenty-four hours day and
does not supply the demands. All the shops
are very much overcrowded and there is
no space to properly erect gun mounts A
new forge shop Is needed for the extension
of the plant. The present shop Is over
taxed. and many of the medium forgings
have to be purchased from outside, causing
loss of time. 1t is also stated that the
present method of making these forgings
the times. 1t is represented that much bet
ter results would be secured from the use
OF hydraulic forging machines.
Old Wall in Bad Condition
1.-THE old WALL 1.2S7 feet in length" says
Commander Bowyer. us in poor condition,
crooked and bullying in many places and
at present there is depth OF twenty-five
feet of mud in front of wharves In water
varying from eighteen feet at lower wharf
No. to eleven feet at wharves Nos 1 and
2, which will not allow ships of medium
draught to lie alongside. When this mud
is dredged the wall Is not sufficiently an
chored to prevent it from cavfng and falling
out. In addition to this about 10, 47O square
feet may be gained by building the desired
quay wall out ten feet, the space necessary
for the piling. A new wharf or quay wall
should be constructed with sheet or spur
piilng, with retaining wall supported by
pil1ng. By this means the wall would re-
main in position regardless of any weight
that could come behind it. and dredging
could be carried up to the face Of the piling
and TO sufhcient depth to accommodate
vessels of the largest draught without en-
dangering the stability of the quay wall
CELEBRITY and economy of construction will
be obtained by the use of a railway along
the present quay wall for transporting and
handling materials for the new one
Ihe north and west walls are necessary for
the protection of government property. The
acres, and 1t is desired to build a brick
wall on piles around this property on the
north and west sides, thereby protecting
government DrOnertv