82 GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF NAVY YARD DESIGN. 



Dredging — Continued ■' 



Dry-docks, 2,400 feet at $3,000 per running foot $7,200,000 



Installations and extra equipment 2,500,000 



Railways, 16 miles at $15,000 per mile (exclusive of tracks 



on piers) 240,000 



Crane tracks, 4 miles at $60,000 per mile (exclusive of tracks 



on piers) 240,000 



Water, heating, sewers, electric mains, air mains, paving, 



telephones, etc 1,000,000 



Miscellaneous, including some possible additional dredging 



and unforeseen contingencies 475,000 



Total $26,521,000 • 



If the present yard were sold, the receipts for its sale would go a long way 

 towards paying for the new yard. It may be mentioned here that the proposed 

 yard is not only four or five times greater than the present one as regards berthing 

 capacity and capacity for work, but that it is also two or three times as great in shop 

 capacity and storage space. The dock capacity for very large ships is four times 

 that of the present yard. But it is not enough to take care of the whole fleet and 

 two additional docks should be added if this yard is to attain its true end. 



It will be noted from the foregoing that the suggested yard at New York is far 

 superior to any yard in Narragansett Bay. But this is not saying half enough. 

 The Narragansett yard of equal capacity would cost much more to build and equip, 

 much more to maintain, and the work done in it would cost nearly twice as much, 

 particularly urgent and emergency work. Power would cost double and wages 

 very much more. Transportation to the yard would cost very much more ; and its 

 insufficient and inadequate character would add greatly to costs through delays and 

 stoppages of work, as well as through high freights due to lack of competition. 

 Adequate fortification does not now exist in Narragansett Bay. To efficiently pro- 

 tect so vital a point as our greatest navy yard is a most important step toward secur- 

 ing victory in war. Adequate fortifications and other defenses for Narragansett 

 Bay would be very expensive and are not needed except for the defense of the yard. 

 At New York, other considerations will always insure ample defense. Nothing need 

 be added because of the yard. 



The existing conditions as regards our navy yards have been brought about by 

 the changes in ships and in naval warfare. All the principal yards, except those at 

 Puget Sound and League Island, were located and partly laid out before the advent 

 of steam, when our ships were few and small. Even the largest of them are entirely 

 inadequate ; all of them are inefficiently laid out, and with the exception of League 

 Island, badly located. 



And the conditions are rapidly becoming worse. The increasing size of the new 

 ships precludes their going to Boston because of the lack of piers of sufficient length. 



