Evening star., 1938-09-13
navy YARD SOON
TO LAUNCH HUGE
BUILDING PLAN
ST, 100000 Gun Assembly
Shop Item in $2,280, 900
Construction Plan.
BIDS TO BE ADVERTISED
NEAR SEPT. 80, OCT. is
All Of Projects Now Scheduled
Are Expected to Be Contracted
Before End of Year.

Keeping pace with the program of
expansion Of the United States Navy,
the Washington Navy Yard before the
end Of this year will be in the throes
Of q s2.2so,ooo building program.
Most important Of the construc-
ton projects listed for the local yard
will be the erection of a new 81, 400 :
600 gun assembly shop, including
building and accessories. Construc-
ton of the shop is badly needed in
connection with the increased pro-
gram of gun construction for new
ships now building.
1t Is expected that bids for yarl-
Gus projects At the local yard will
be advertised on or about September
80. with majority of the advertise
ments scheduled to be issued about
October Is.
All OF the projects now scheduled
under provisions Of the Second De-
ficiency Act Of the last Congress are
expected to be under contract before
the end Of the present calendar year,
according to 1t. A. D. Hunter, Civil
Engineer Corps. in immediate charge
Of the preparation Of plans for the
construction on the part of the Bu-
reau Of Yards and Docks.
Gun Assembly Building.
At least two contracts are to be
awarded for the new gun assembly
shop building. Bids for the first Of
them. covering the foundation work,
will be invited about October IS. with
subsequent contract or contracts to
be awarded after the foundation work
is we'll along.
Bids also will be advertised about
October IS for new ordnance store
house ard accessories. for which q
total Of $365, 900 has been made avail
able.
The Second Deficiency Act carried
a total of S4l5,000 for improvement
OF the power plant at the local yard,
including equipment. Several con-
tracts probably will be awarded for
this work The first bids, to be in
vited about September 80, will be for
construction OF a cooling water tun-
mel About October IS bids will be
called for erection Of an extension
to the power house building.
The Bureau Of Yards and Docks
also Is preparing to invite bids next
month for improvement Of the elec-
trical distributing system in the Navy
Yard shops, for which . total Of
100000 is available.
Sites . Real Problem.
One Of the most troublesome prob
lems in connection with the new con-
struction program has been the lay
ing out of sites in the already crowd
ed local Navy Yard for the new
structures. This phase Of the work
is in charge Of Con,dr. Ira P. Grifen,
Civil Engineer Corps. on duty at the
yard. Details of the exact locations
or plans for the new buildings have
not yet been made public.
In addition to the program at the
yard itself the Navy Department also
~ 1CIldDllAOdCAIAk VIC AAAC AAAFAA WI :
pedo factory at Alexandria, Va, which
also is under the jurisdiction of the
local yard. An appropriation of ap-
proximately $l.500,000 was carried in
the 1899 Naval Appropriation Act to
start the work of restoring the war
time plant to operating condition. 1t
Is estimated the work will require two
years for completion at a total cost
of approximately $2.75o,ooo. 1t is
expected that the Alexandria plant,
when in operation, will be able to
produce an average Of one torpedo
. day.
A number of contracts for vari-
ous phases Of repair and reconstruc-
ton work at the Alexandria plant
already have been awarded, mostly
in relatively small amounts, and now
are in progress.