Panama City pilot., 1908-12-10
PANAMA CITY. FLA. DEC. 10. 1908.
Naval Base.

The subject-of naval; base upon
the Gulf Coast is just now attracting
more attention than ever before, and
it is a proposition that has received
much thought by Navy officials for
the past century. The annual re-
ports of these officers are filled with
statements of existing conditions de-
manding attention and suggestions
for remedies, but as yet nothing has
been done except to strengthen the old
Notifications at Pensacola and add
little to the navy yard there, and to
make a few improvements at Key
West.
This subject was very near to the
heart of the late Senator Mallory,
who after careful inspection of st
Andrews Bay, stated that though he
was not then in position to say SO
publicly yet it was his opinion, based
upon a thorough knowledge of the
entire Gulf Coast, that this Bay offer
ed the only solution of the question
as to locating Naval base; one that
would be easily protected, out of
range of an enemies guns, within
reasonable distance from the interior
by rail, and affording aIharbor that
was of sufficient size to accommodate
our entire navy.
The Boston Transcript in speaking
of this subject says:
zone of the most important matters
pending in the Navy Department is
the establishment of a new navy yard
on the gulf coast. This is in anticipa
ton of the completion of the Panama
Canal, and it is a problem whether
the naval base and dock yard, to be
one of the largest in the country, will
be formed by the enlargement of one
of the existing naval stations or the
creation of a new yard at New Or
leans. Some of the naval officers be-
lieve that a great yard at Pensacola
or Key West, Fla, would be econom-
ical and efficient. At the former
place there is navy yard and at the
latter place there is a coaling plant.
If the choice is between the two,
probably the selection will be Key
West, which has deep water. Some
of the officers are inclined to favor
the development of the station at
Guantanamo, Cuba, as being best
situated for strategical purposes. 1t
is considered, however, that while
Guantanamo would be available for a
dock yard and supply station, there
would be every advantage in having
another larger yard on the gulf coast
so situated that it could be reached
by railway, which would render un
necessary the transportation over
seas of stores, ammunition and coal,
as would have to be the case in
maintaining a large supply depot at
Guantanamo.
With the completion of the Panama
Canal this port offers a direct route
from the centre of population of these
United States to Colon. 1t is the
only deep water port that offers suit
able locations for a Naval Base.
Here such an establishment can be
placed ten miles from the harbor en-
trance, out of reach of even the long
est range gun in use on any warship,
and with an entrance to the bay that
could easily be protected by torpe-
does and Notifications, against the
approach or passage of any fleet.
There are also many suitable places
for craving dock, and for a naval
establishment of the most approved
kind. Water of a depth of go to so
feet can be had close up to bold
shores, and a safe retreat from the
effects of any of the tropical storms
that frequent the Gulf. No other
point spoken of upon the Gulf in this
connection can in any way compare
with st. Andrews Bay in this respect.
No hurricane has ever damaged yes
sells lying at anchor in the western
portion of East bay, and none could.
Furthermore with the means of
rail communication already here, and
other roads projected, this point
could be reached more quickly from
any portion of the country than any
other, and stores shipped through
here from our great inland supply
depots days quicker than from any
other point.
st Andrews Bay has undeniable
claims over all other points as being