The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-18

and ask permission of the senate to
make brief statement in connection
with 1t.
The Vice President. The resolution
will be read.
The resolution Is. Res. 1000 was
read, as follows:
| Resolved, That the secretary of the
navy be, and he is hereby, directed to
| inform the senate as promptly as pos
| sible what orders, If any, he has issued
respecting the navy yard at Pensa cola,
| Fla; what work incident to navy yards
has been done at said navy yard within
| the last two fiscal years; whether work
can be done at said navy yard as
economically as at other navy yards,
and If not, why not; whether specific
! appropriations for elevator of March g.
| 1905, amounting to $1,000 and for re-
| modelling building of March 8, 1909
amounting to $4,000. have been ex-
| pended as provided by said acts: and
| If not, why not; and that he further
report whether It is his intention to
| abandon work at said navy yard.
| Mr.. Fletcher. Mr.. President, this
resolution is prompted by some recent
| orders of the secretary Of the navy, the
| precise nature of which am not ad-
vised, but consider it of public interest
| to know. Certain consequences have
| followed which indicate quite clearly
| the general character of the orders and
1 y
| ment with respect to the navy yard at
| Pensacola, Fla.
This yard Is included in a govern
] ment reservation of some 1900 acres
| fronting on Pensacola Bay between the
| city of Pensacola and the entrance
channel from the gulf, off the end of
| Santa Rosa Island, which lies between
the bay and the gulf, and where is
established Fort Pickens, with it's sea
wall, protected fort, retreating guns,
and modern equipment.
There has been expended on this
navy yard by the government to June
| 80, 1910 (Rept., p. 81, for land, public
works and improvements, and ma
| chineyr installed, and maintenance, in
| Guiding repairs, total of $12, 217, abb.
| 1t has a walled-in area larger than
any naval reservation in the country.
| The commentaries residence is a hand
some structure. The hospital is a
quarters are commodious. A splendid
power plant is in fine condition. A
water and pumping system is quite eX-
tensive. There is a considerable set
| Element, called Warrington, on the res
| ervation, where the workmen are af-
| forded good houses and yard room, un-
der modern sanitary conditions. Elec-
| trio light plant, artesian water, sew
erage system, wharves, docks, hosting
and other machinery including a float
/ inc dock, which cost just after the
spanish war in Habana harbor, some
100000. make the yard quite complete
of it's class.
More important than all else is the
| fact that as the commandant Admiral
| Lucien Young, reports a war vessel
| drawing 80 to 35 feet of water can
| come limping alongside the wharf at
| this yard the darkest night. chal-
| lenge the department or anyone to
| u, rH0Y- Ai+ acf
Our largest battleships have maneu-
vered in that harbor without a mishap
| of any kind. Examine the charts and
! be convinced that nowhere have we
superior harbor, and l need not make
| further comparison.
! Work can be done in this yard every
day in the year. The climatic condi-
lions are most desirable. The coal and
| iron and timber and all needed supplies
are close at hand. Ample supply of
! labor under the most healthy and
| comfortable conditions Is obtainable
readily. Shipbuilding or repairing-all
kinds of work-can be done there with
maximum Of economy.
| The proximity of the Central Ameri'
can countries, the Panama canal, the
West Indies, the Caribbean Sea, en-
phasizes the Importance of the loca-
! ton.
The proposition is to close that yard
!
| the 5000 miles of gulf coast and the
South Atlantic coast without any yard
where a vessel, even an injured tor
| pedo boat, could be repaired. 1t is
proposed to have a station at Key
| West-a sort of subbase for coaling
| and supplies-but no yard.
1t is quite clear to most people that
| If we ever have any cause for engaging
/ our navy in actual service the seat OF
| trouble will likely be in the Caribbean
and Gulf of Mexico.
If navy yards are to be abandoned,
shall they be those nearest the zone of
| confict-within a few hundred miles
| at most-or should they be those sew
eral thousand miles distant from the
place Of need?
1t is admitted that this yard was
| established by act of congress. From
| time to time, and as late as June "a,
1910. congress has made specific ap-
propriations for it. Clearly congress
! has expressed no intention, not even an
| intimation of a purpose, to abandon
| this ward. The secretary of the navy
has recently discharged about 90 per
| cent of the employees, 13l In NUMBER,
and transferred the officers and packed
up the stores on hand for shipment to
some other point, and evidently IN
tends to make further reduction in the
| force at an early date, until there Will
| be left a chief carpenter, as the ofncer
| in charge. and half dozen watchmen
and caretakers to look after the prop
erty. The yard will be closed, Not
| hammer will be heard. The expensive
machinery will be gwen a coat Of white
lead and a farewell The docks and
wharves will be neglected and go fast
to destruction. Snakes will crawl
through the weeds which will cover
those now beautiful grounds. Bats and
| owls will make their homes in the I'M
occupied buildings. The men who have
lived in Warrington for half century
and performed we'll such work as
a discriminating department allowed
them to have must seek some other
abiding place. Desolation Will take
the place of what could and should be
a WELL ordered, busy. hustling, thor