Evening star., 1925-10-25

with 81 acres of land valued at
S4,Oo0. and total supply of six
~ frigateS. the Washington Navy
Yard has spread over lis acres
"t southeastern Washington, and the
value has scared close to- two million
dollars. From project which could
not muster 80 men to hold the enemy
IN 1919 1t was developed into an insti.
tuition employing 2,744 persons, whose
daily compensation amounts to 16,500
From an organization where oxen
hauled the guns up from the wharf
ana dirt to the wharf" from the
Log of the United States Naval
Academy, April 2, 1920, it has grown
lnro an establishment where an cleo
rric crane totes 300 tons to and fro
al the pressing of a button.
Begun under the leadership of man
capable OF carrying on all official
correspondence himself, and rewarded
by 500 a month, excluding rations.
II has evolved into an enterprise which
offers $500, together with quarters,
10 Its commander, and has a clerical
force of 445 persons.
The sparsely equipped local ship
yard has developed into the sole ord
nance supply of the United States
Navy.
The proximity of Navy day war
rants a survey of cur local Navy Yard.
That our yard is not. as 1t is thought
10 be, playground for the sailor boys,
or, as it ought to be, the seat for the
construction and repair of ships, but
Il factory for the manufacture of guns
may be explained by its history.
As Il shipyard this Navy Yard
would never have reached its present
proportions and pre-eminence. From
It's institution it was permitted to de-
cay and decline.
When jefferson was elected, two
years after it was founded. activities
at the yard practically ceased. Be-
hevine that a powerful Navy was a
continual challenge to war. the peace
President persuaded Congress to au-
thorize the sale of all ships except
IL friEates, seven of which were to be
dsmantled
Two years later he stripped the
yard further by removing 100 gun
carriages from the ships TO eouip
1he schooner Citizen for it's cruise
10 Morocco, which uncivilized coun-
Try, in the opinion of the President,
was worthy of this gift.
When Robert Fulton, inventor of
The steamboat, appeared at the yard
TO experiment with a submarine in
Nention which he was planning for
the defense OF American harbors, he
received no appropriation for his en-
deaVor, no cooperation or assistance
During the war of 1912 no pro-
vision was made for the defense Of
the Washington Navy Yard When
the British fleet reached Washington,
forcing the retreat of our Army, Capt
Thomas Tinsey, the first commandant.
anticipated its purpose and set fire to
naval buildings containing informa-
ilon of value to the enemy AS he
sailed off to Alexandria in his own
boat, the British arrived and complet-
ed the destruction. Not only were the
buildings burned and the shipping
Tavased, but the captains. own pro-
visions, loaded on an old gunboat,
were ransacked by plundering neigh
borS.
So deplorable was the condition of
the yard that when Capt David Por-
ter, Ito secure the enemy in the river"
dispatched a request to Capt. Tingey
for 80 carpenters with tools the latter
had to inform him that none was
available. Thus II prizes laden with
booty were irretrievable.
" !: x X
Once again amidst the charred
with the harbinger of the modern
torpedo boat. But. as before, he was
compelled to withdraw, unassisted and
discouraged. He was not the only
one.
Other precursors of modern warfare
We're rejected. Samuel Colt, for ex-
ample. experimenting with {, subma-
rlne invention on the Potomac in 1S47,
succeeded in blowing the bottom out
of an old ships hull and sinking it.
Even his success brought no aid from
the naval authorities. Uriah Brown
was engaged in tests with liquid fire.
but, TO phrase it vernacularly. nobody
cared. Those familiar with the life
of John Ericsson remember how for
years he strove to have his naval
plans accepted, and how, had it not
been for his personal appeal to Lin
coin, he would never have been able
TO save the day for the Navy.
With such apathy from the naval
authorities. the navy yard could but
deteriorate. The Civil War, with its
subsequent misery, only aggravated
its dilapidation.
The place in which live" declared
one bold ensign, is not worthy of
the name of a house. 1t cost SIS per
month, exclusive of light and fuel"
The assistant surgeon, because of the
inadequacy Of his salary. had to oc-
Cupy room in the hospital.
Hence. in 1883, when q recommends
ton to convert this shiDyard into a
gun factory was made there was no
regret. The success Of the metamor-
phosiS may be indicated by the state
ment Of Admiral Plunkett. in charge
of the operation of big naval guns in
the World War, that the five 14-inch
naval gun bait cries hIljlt hI- orr ard