Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-08-27
W ASTE OF MONEY
NAVAL OFFICER MAKES REPORT
on MARE ISLAND.
Under Present Conditions He Says
the Site Is Useless for Navy
Yard Channel Lacks
Depth and II Will Need Big APP
preparation ia Make 1t Right.

Seattle. Aug. :25.-A special TO the
Post lntelligencer from Washington
SAYS:
At last an officer Of the navy in an
official report has spoken in plain terms
about the Mare Island navy yard. Civil
Engineer H. n. Rousseau. who l. in
charge of the Off OF yards and docks
al Mare Island, declares the yard VIII
have to be abandoned in its present To-
cation unless the csanDel can be made
deep enough 10 adm large ships IN
satet,. His views are expressed III con-
nection with his regular annual recon-
incubation of appropriations needed for
the Improvement and maintenance OF
Yards. Last wear Senator Hale. chair
man OF the senate committee on naval
affairs. introduced resolution to aban-
don the present site OF the Mare Island
yard. and his action was. OF course, bit
terry denounced by Senator Perkins
ard other Californian-.
Senator Hale defended his action on
the ground that il. was waste OF mon
ey TO appropriate funds for the yard at
Vallejo inasmuch as the chanel leading
to the yard is inaccessible fer large
ships and constant menace for smaller
vessels Heretofore no officer OF the
navy in an official rep5r; has hai the
temeritv TO recon mend, even condition
ally, a similsrc curse.
The most necessary in provement,
says Mr.. Rousseanu in his report Of g.
Inmates. land the one which will de-
termine the future OF tie Mare Island
navy Yard. is the improvement Of the
channel in Mare Island strait. For
instance, over mile OF the channel Is
not OF sufficient depth TO enable larger
vessels OF the navy to reach the yard.
The depth al mean low water in some
places j. les than eighteen fee-. AMI
unless deep water can ne secured il will
be necessary at no distant day 10 re-
meve the ward 80 4 uey location anu
lea ve the buildings AMI other rxed i'm
p1oyements that represent millions OF
dollars. II would be very desirable. ii
practicable. TO make the appropriation
for hi: purpose Immediately available
. that no time will TX lost in carving
out tie necessary steps to secure
Natr
At the nraro.esr part Of The channel
il i said to oe possible to maintain a
depth OF thirty lee, ny the natural
securing OF The tide Nj Rousseau Dc.
leves that sheet pile oulkhead cost.
ny $35 per Inca loot would help keep
The channel secured out 10 the proper
depth. but II Is reCr enized that even
this enormous aggregate expenditure
would be in the nature OF an exp-r.-
Dlent.
M. Rousseau submits estimates Tor
improve men,s ~ Mare Island accre-
eating sl0+" 500. OF t5is amount
$50 goo ! Tor beginning ,ie II p-ove.
Ten- Of the channel. Other rejects
are paving ard grading extension OF
the rai road. freight shecs ,lx,.ia-y
machine shops extension d: sewerage
svs,em. extension al beating system.
extension Of Telephone system. erc
Il i doubtful II ne navy depzr,
men; will recouns % congress -
propriAtious ;or th's yard amounting %
more than 500 QQ0 TIE estimates
submitted ior The PCeet >tcri v&-G
FEW dsvs ago aeer-sate,i more than
na.; million i'iiars roc :rc.r;irc -ne
needed additional dry ! - SKI several
ether desired IN provs1leuts