The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-28

c5--TTz. 81 --I-Ty
such part thereof: as s In their opin-
Ion, may be necessary for tie use oe
the public, taking care to lay OF
said land into lots so as to make then,
uniform with the town OF Ports
mouth gs
The Board OF Commissioners never
held q NEE ting and the law was amend
ed SO as to Anow~ the Governor to ap-
point now commission. The second
commission consisted OF William Ron
aid. Edward Darlington and Benjamin
Temple. The lands adjoining the yarl
were sold In 1885. No use was made
of the yard until 1904, when Presl-s
uent Washington, under authority OF
Congress, directed the construction Of
four ships of forty-four guns each, aand
two ships OF thirty six guns each, to
be built I'M these I'd lfferent. ports. One
of these vessels 4 was laid down at
the Portsmouth yard. Sho was OF
forty-four guns. sS
Loaned by Virginia.
It should be remembered that this
yard was owned by Virginia. who lent
It to the national government The
ill-fated Chesapeake was completed In
this yard In 1899. Commodore Barron
was superintendent OF the yard at the
time.
During the previous year citizens OF
Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond and
other Virginia cities presented to ths
government the Richmond. a brig de-
signed for use against. the French, who
were at that time giving US trouble and
threatening to give us much more.
In 1900 Secretary Stoddert, OF the
new Navy Department, which had been
created only two years be fore, wrote
to Governor James Monroe, OF Vir-
ginta, that the national government
would like to buy the Gosport Navy
Yard. The Virginia Les lslnture acted
with the greatest promptness, and on
tse 25th of the same month authorized
the government to convey the land to
the United States. Thomas Newton,
44sq., was the commissioners on the
part OF Virginia, and William Pennocls
tho commissioner on the part OF the
United States appointed to make the
transfer.
Secretary Stoddert urged Pennock to
get the land rs cheaply as possible,
intimating that 500 per acre would be
about the proper price. He probably
had a severe chill when the commits
sioners fixed the price q I 81 20 per acre,
but on January "a. 1901, the depart
ment RENTED to John Hopkins. OF
Richmond. to be paid 4 to 81 Virginia,
$4,000, as the price OF the Gosport
yard. The deed Of transfer was signed
by Governor Monroe June 15, I SO1.5s
Isl EARLY Expenditures.
The following year the House CONS
mtttee on Naval Affairs reported that
the $4,000 expended for the pur-
chase of the yard and the $4,000 for
repairs had been used without warrant
of law. Secretary stoddert said In a
letter to Pennock, urging him to ac-
quire the land as cheaply a s possible,
that the only funds available for its
purchase We're those appropriated for
the seventy four ships, But Con-
gress did not pursue tho question Of
propriation OF 100000 at that session
for the Improvement OF the yard, s55
But In 1906 Thomas Turner, account
antgof the navy, reported that SAG, 74S.7s
had heon spent an improyements,s'rh There
! Is no record to show what became OF
1.-THE balance OF that $4,000 appropri-
ated four years before. s ii S.
The first officer to have charge Of the
yard. with tho title Of commandment
was Commodore BARRON. APPOINT ted July
z, $40, and placed In full control, The
department appears \ % have become
tired OF irresponsible civil admlnistra-
ltion.
Norfolk was bloclsaded for. the great
er portion Of tho time during the WAR
OF 1919, 80 that the Gosport yard was
Of little value to the United States, M
III 1916 al board. :ol,slstt n g. o ( the
three most distinguished officers Of the
nayy, was appointed to detarnll ne the
lmost geous site for o naval sta
tlon and depot In the waters g S1hes'