The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-23
EIGHT BATTLESHIPS
BUILDING AT ONCE,
IS Navy YARD PLAN
Facilities at Many Stations
Will Be Improved BY
Big Appropriations

Washington, Nov. 2S.-Secretary OF
the Navy Daniels announced yester-
day that the navy yards at Philadel-
phia and Norfolk will be enlarged for
the construction of capital ships, the
Puget Sound yard equipped to build
vessels up to $4,000 tons, and the
Charleston, s. c., and Portsmouth, N.
H., yards given facilities to construct
submarines, gunboats, tugs and other
small craft.
The New York and the Mare Island
yards already are equipped for capital
ship construction. When the ships are
finished at Norfolk and Philadelphia,
the navy department will be able ts
lay the keels of four battleships or four
battle cruisers at one time.
The present slips at Norfolk and
Philadelphia can handle construction
of ships up to $4,000 tons. This is
true also Of the Boston yard. The
existing slips at Norfolk and Phila-
delphia will not be disturbed, and this.
longer slips for capital ships will be
added.
In time the navy department also
will be able to enlarge the Bremen
yard puget Sound) for capital ship
construction, as there is an abund-
ance Of water and space. The exist
ing facilities at the Boston yard will
be improved, but not extended at this
time.
Two Big Ships at Once
The larger navy yards, even with
only single Slips will be able to keep
the same time. The hulls are COM
pleted within one year. AS soon as
one hull is in the water the keel of
the next ship is laid. 1t will be DOS
sible even to have three capital ships
under construction at the New York
yard at one time.
Congress appropriated $e,000,000
for the enlargement of navy yards.
Mr.. Daniels said the exact amount
to be apportioned to each yard had
not yet been determined. Congress
will be asked at the coming session
for further appropriation. that the
construction facilities of the govern
ment may be still further extend
ed.
This does not mean that private
y .
Daniels expects private yards to take
care Of all the ships for which bids
already have been opened, as well as
the four battle cruisers. Time will
be required for the completion of the
new building slips.
Great Base for Norfolk.
The lack of facilities at the exist
ing navy yards was discussed before
the House Committee on Naval Affairs
today by Rear Admiral Frederick R.
Harris, Chief of the Bureau Of Yards
and Docks, who said that there is no
place at Norfolk where the great fleet
which has been ordered built may as
semble. There is room only for four
Of the new ships he said.
The Admiral informed the commit
tee that the Norfolk yard will be one
of the greatest naval establishments
in the world when the improvements
are completed.
a request for $73,639,9O2 for the ves-
sells heretofore authorized; account of
submarines to be built, SIS. 6,110;
armor and armament, $4,000, 900.
These are large increases over the cur
rent appropriations.
The Ordinance Bureau Of the de-
partment, in line with the increased
programme, Is constructing a 16-inch
gun, the largest ever built for any
navy. It will be sixty-five feet long,
and will be ready and tested early next
year. The three battleships to be
autho rized by Congress at the coming
session, If the adopted program is up
held. will mount these monster guns.