The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-11-03
GOVERNOR VISITS
THE NAVY YARD AND
AVIATION SCHOOL
WITNESSES FLIGHTS AND SEES
THE MAGNIFICENT PROPERTY
OWNED BY THE UNITED
STATES. GOVERNMENT.

Gov. Park Tranmell, who came to
the city Monday and delivered the
opening address at the Fair, paid a
visit to the Pensacola navy yard and
aviation school yesterday morning.
Several of the aviators made flights
during the governors visit and he
also made trip over the yard, seeing
the magnificent property owned there
by the United States government.
Before leaving last night for Talla-
hassee, the governor talked at some
length on the yard and its possible
ties. Speaking of the yard he said:
"After viewing the Pensacola navy
yard, the aero station, together with
the magnificent buildings located
there, which were as / am informed
before the closing of the yard, uti-
liked for machine and carpenter shops
but which in the majority of instances
are now closed and useless, I was
impressed with the thought that PEN
sacola navy yard already has the
means and accommodations for
great naval station.
There should be established at the
Pensacola navy yard permanent
naval station with the equipment nee
essary for the building, construction,
docking and repairing of ships of all
kinds and sizes. ! make this state
ment advisedly in view of the fact
that the United States government
and the present administration are at
this time engaged in the working out
of plan for larger navy. Our
country has more Sc coast perhaps
than any other in the world, and a
larger naval force is necessary, and
so long as large and efficient navy
is required, and it does appear that
it will be many years before that
hoped for period arrives when navies
can be reduced or done away with
and until then navy yards and proper
facilities for building, constructing
docking and repairing Of ships are an
absolute necessity.
"The Pensacola navy yard in my
judgment affords every facility re-
auisite for an ideal location, being
situated as it is, with ample and
sufficient depth of water to accommo-
date all classes of merchant or war
ships and in close proximity to the
coal and iron fields of Alabama and
the timber and hard woods of the best
quality, right at the door. The gov.
eminent must necessarily recognize
and re-establish this navy yard.
fThe most important thing needed
at this time to complete the equipment
already existing at the Pensacola
navy yard is craving dock of suffi.
cient size to accommodate all classes
of merchant and war ships. There il
now at the navy yard, as observed, 9
stone basin which is out of commits.
sion, but which is a magnificent exam
pie of the workman's art. It is toe
small for the present or future uses
A craving dock where the vessels car
be floated into the dock and the water
removed or pumped out, leaving the
vessel on all sides and bottom aces
sible to the workmen is the creates
need, as I see it, for the Pensacola
naval station.
"These craving docks or dry dock.
are at the present time located one a
Portsmouth, N. H., one at Boston, on,
at Brooklyn, one at Philadelphia. ont
at Seattle and one at San Francisco
four on the Atlantic coast and tw,
on the Pacific. In addition to thes,
there are navy yards on the Atlantis
coast at Port Royal, S. c., an,
Charleston, S. C. At none of thes,
points are there such natural advan