Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-19
Report on Enlargement Sub
mitted to Secretary Moody.
SCOPE OF THE PLANS
CONGRESS ASKED TO AUTHORIZE
INCREASE OF CAPACITY.
Facilities Of Washington Plant De-
clared to Be Inadequate for
Current Work.

Inc secretary or the navy mas recelVeo
the report of the board of naval officers APP
pointed to consider the enlargement of the
naval gun factory at the Washington navy
yard. The report will be submitted in ex-
tense to Congress, and to that body Will be
left the decision of whether the navy shall
| manufacture its own guns exclusively or
contract with private firms for the smaller
guns. In Its report the board, which con-
sisted of Capt. William NJ. Folger Com
mander j. M. Bowyer and Lieutenant Com
mander F. F. Fletcher. asserts that the pro-
| ductive capacity Of the gun factory, work
ing double time, Is from 81 per cent to 100
per cent short Of the demands made upon 1t
by the average yearly appropriation of
Congress.
The board recommends the enlargement
OF the plant to degree that will enable 1t
to produce all the guns of the main battery
and one-half the guns Of the secondary bat
terry OF the ships annually appropriated for.
According to the report the government
heretofore has constructed practically all
or Its naval ordnance. and the Washington
navy yard has been the only place Of man
ufacture.
Demands Of the "New Navy"
Beginning six years ago, Congress init
ated the building Of the new navy" Since
that time provision has been made for the
SoHSli VI fifteen DdIIl0 Sn1pS, TOUR
monitors, eight armored cruisers and nine
protected cruisers. these vessels being equiv
alent in battery power to an average Of
three battle ships year. In all this time.
however. nothing like an adequate increase
has been made in the plant which is ex-
pected to turn out the guns for these ships
Extra shifts Of mechanics have from time
to time been put to work-frst, one extra
shift, running the plant sixteen hours in
stead of eight, and finally by adding a
third shift and operating the works the full
twenty-four hours. The board says that
this addition of extra shifts of men has
not accomplished the result desired, and to-
day the government finds that while 1t
should have been turning out guns for
batteries adequate to supply at least three
battle ships a year, the actual output has
been sufficient to supply only one battle
ship and one gunboat.
To emphasize this belated condition. the
report says that the government now Is
building II battle ships, armored cruisers,
8 protected cruisers and gunboats. All
of these vessels should be delivered by 1907.
To equip them with ordnance will require
the construction of 4S 12-inch, 10-inch, 120
S-inch, so finch, 21S 6-inch, 30 5-inch, II
4-inch and 531 3-inch guns. Working the
factory sixteen hours a day. 1t would re-
quire five years to complete the 12-inch,
five years for the 10-inch. ten years for the
S-inch and six years for the 6-inch, finch
and 3-inch guns. The only guns being
| made by private concerns are "a S-inch and
The report discusses and the board agrees
on the advantages Of having naval ord
nance constructed in government shops,
which conclusion the chiefs of the bureaus
OF ordnance, yards and docks and supplies
and accounts indorse, joining in recon-
nendation that estimates be submitted to
Congress for amounts approXimains
S214S, 121 for new buildings, with the &C
QUESTION of at least twelve acres of addi-
tional land at the Washington navy yaSd
and an appropriation of s1316,2 37 for equip
ment These additions, 1t is estimated,
would render the efficiency Of the plant
about equal to the demands now made on
it were it run on an eight-hour day basis.
Endorsed by Rear Admiral O'Neil.
In indorsing the report Rear Admiral
O'Neil chief Of the bureau of ordnance,
said: TT is quite evident from this report
that the present facilities Of the naval gun
factory are quite Inadequate for carrying
on current work, and that in order to COM
plete the ornaments of vessels already au-
thorized by the time they will be required
and to provide for the probable future needs
of the navy considerable expansion of the
gun plant at the Washington navy yard will
be necessary. This bureau believes that in
general, 1t is preferable for the government
itself to manufacture the guns and their ac-
cessories for the navy, as not only is the
product more satisfactory than if procured
by contract, but the fact that the time OF
completion is under better control when the
work is performed in the government shops
Is matter of great Importance.
When work of such a character is given
out by contract there is no certainty as to
when 1T will be completed: nevertheless
the force Of circumstances has obliged the
| bureau to contract for sixty guns of me-
dunn caliber and the mounts therefore to
supplement the product Of the naval gun
factory. but this alone will not suffice to
procure within the proper limit of time the
armament for several of the vessels now
under construction. There are but few prf-
vate establishments in this country which
are properly equipped to execute the class
OF work that Is performed at the naval gun
factory. and the best. and. in fact, the only
practicable. means for supplying the vessels
now under construction with their arma-
ment. by the time it is needed. is to make
an immediate and substantial increase to
the facilities Of the naval gun factory.
Items Recommended.
The bureau approves in general the rec
concentrations contained in the report, and
is Of the opinion that the next annual esti-
mates to be submitted to Congress should
cover the most important items enumerated
in the report. These items. in the bureaus
opinion. are as follows:
Under the bureau of yards and docks
Building for power plant extension, 1885,
964: to complete coal storage and handling
plant $19,OS4; extension of electric power
plant. s91,9S3; machinery for electric plant.
$2O5,2OO; gunshop for medium and small
| caliber guns. $3.50, 500; extension of east and
west gun carriage and erecting shops,
1884. 448; new brass, iron and steel foundry,
$780, new forge shop. s134 .937; extern
sion of gas plant, $9.961; locomotive house.
Sol, TAT; fire and telephone station, sI4 752;
| freproof general storehouse, $2S9, 152; steel
| timber She'd 800; quay wall in front OF
old part Of yard, SIT ,S64 quay wall in front
of extension of yard, $49973; main sewer to
extend to water front, $13, 42O; north and
west walls to inclose extension of yard,
| $4,000: grading, 5000; paving, $4,000;
| drainage, $1,000; to extend fire protection.
| $4,000; to extend railroad system, $4,000;
| to extend underground conduit system So
| 600: dredging, sS,346; to extend electric
| lighting, $1,000; to extend telephone system,
| $1,000: making a total of S214S, 121.
Under bureau of Observation-Disclosures for
| new gun shor $36S $3.50; machinery for new
gun carriage shop. $3.50, 2'2; machinery for
| brass, iron and steel foundry, $121, O75;
| FORCES. hammers, etc, for new forge shop
! $14S,O00; machinery for locomotive house,
! SO 600; making a total of $1,316, 237 or a
grand total for both bureaus of So AGA 35S."
One Suggestion Disapproved.
| Rear Admiral ONeil says he does not ap-
prove the estimates submitted by the board