The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-01

"a It's present ruinous state, We must
depend for repairs and supplies for
any squadron we may employ to guard
lne ocean QUILT of the great central
valley Of the Onion and of our whole
to bordering on the Gulf. To neglect
would bshat yard in proper condition
the states north, CT iowa liiir o,1i.5 ans
and Mississippi as DouiS-'--'o
In the event of foreign war witt
the great maritime powers, our coun-
Try would labor under serious disad-
Vantages were we without a navy yard
or naval station In the Gulf. A naval
force or steamers-and all fighting YES
sells must hereafter be steamers-could
not be maintained In the Gulf without
frequent repairs and supplies. With no
| navy yard in the Gulf the disabled YES
sells would necessarily be withdrawn
from their station and compelled te
| proceed to northern yard for refit-
| n1ent Besides the perfls incident to
voyage under these circumstances,
| with an enemy on the coast, the ser
vices Of the officers and crews, a. well
| as Of the vessel itself, would be lost
| during the time she might be absent
in going to and returning from a
northern yard. The rebels and the
waste of war have devastated the Nor
/ Il
interest OF the service and the obi
cations of the government are not less
imperative now, when peace and union
are restored, to place them in proper
condition. It Is to be hoped, therefore.
that liberal appropriations will be
made for that purpose
In 1869 Secretary of the Navy Robe
son reported:
sThe yard at Pensacola was
so far destroyed during the war as to
be now almost wholly useless, and we
are without a depot on the Gulf where
vessels can be redtted. The station,
which includes the West Indies and
the Gulf, is one Of great and growing
importance. In the present condition
of things, a vessel on that station
needing any repair is obliged to be sent
to the navy yards Of the north"
Again, in 1873, he reported:
i think 1t very important that the
Pensacola navy yard, burnt during the
rebellion, but with many of its i'm
provements unframed, should be in
some degree rebuilt. In the event Of
complications in or near the Gulf of
Mexico or West Indies, it would be a
station of vast Importance"
And again, in 1874:
An appropriation is also needed for
the erection Of suitable barracks for
the marines of the station. It would
be difficult to overstate the Importance
OF this navy yard as a rendezvous and
repairing yard for our vessels OF war
in the event of complications in or
near the Gulf of Mexico, the West In
dies, or the Spanish Main"
And again. in 1875:
While 1t is not deemed wise TO place
this yard in condition for building
ships, yet 1t is considered eminently
proper that it should possess all requi-
site facilities for docking and repairing
the vessels of the North Atlantic
Squadron"
Secretary Thompson. in 1878. among
other things, said:
1T is an important question to de-
eide whether the improvements of the
yard shall be continued beyond what
can now be done with the means at
the control of the department. It is
an important point on account of its
location, and undoubtedly possesses
great advantages because of its con-
regions of the south, both for build
ing and repairing vessels. In the event
of hostile naval operations in the Gulf
it would afford a safe place Of rendez-
vous for our ships, where they could
be repaired without having to be taken
to the more northern yards. These
are questions, however, exclusively for
In 1880 Secretary Thompson reported
as follows:
This is a very important yard, be-
ing the only one upon the Gulf, and
the public interests will be advanced
by liberal appropriations to restore II
ITO the condition it was in before the
war"
It is true that, IN pursuance Of an
act Of congress of 1882, the navy yard
M IT. a
abandonment of the present site; but
it is also true that the same commits
sion recommended the selection of
site within the lines of Pensacola bay,
In his report of 1887 Secretary Whit
ney strongly urged the necessity of
maintaining a navy yard in the Gulf
Of Mexico, and gave it as his opinion
vantages for this purpose than any
other harbor on the gulf.
1t is true also that another commits
sion in 1889 recommended that the
yard be closed and abandoned: upon
the sole ground, however, that 1t would
be exposed to attack by hostile
fleet
But, in submitting this report, Sec
rotary Herbert said:
There should, however, be a navy
yard at some point on the Gulf where
vessels cruising in southern waters can
be repaired
Should the Caribbean Sea at any
time be the theater of a naval war,
the repairing of ships at points accessi-
BILE to the Gulf of Mexico would be an
absolute necessity.
In 1903, in response to a senate reso-
luton, Secretary Moody reported as
follows:
Sir: / have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of the resolution of
the senate of the United States, dated
November 10, requesting that the sec
rotary of the navy inform the senate
whether or not it is desirable in the
in the interest of the navy that the
government of the United States
should construct and own craving
dock, of capacity sufficient to dock the
largest battleships of the navy, at some
point on the coast of the United States
on the Gulf of Mexico; and If, In his
Judgment, the same is desirable, to also
inform the senate at what port on said
coast such dock should be located and
the probable cost OF the same when
completed and in reply to state that
the chief of the bureau Of yards and
docks, to whom the aforementioned
resolution was referred, has submit
ted the following report. in which the
department concurs:
1ba r,raSanf TINA f6aro Sc M dry