UNITED STATES]
DOCKYARDS 497 Trincomalee, and Vancouver; while the Indian Govern- police, and is under the orders of the superintendent ment has dockyards at Bombay and Calcutta. of the yard for duties connected with it, and under The chief function of a dockyard is the building and the commissioner of police for the discipline and dismaintaining of ships in efficiency. The constructive work position of the force. The charges are, of course, paid is carried out under the care of the chief constructor of by the Admiralty, and the system answers well. the yard, in accordance with plans sent down from the (r. y. h. ; J. Ld.) Admiralty. The calculations for displacement, involving 2. United States. the draught of water forward and aft, have already been made, and, in order to ensure accuracy in the carrying out The shore stations under control of the Navy Department of the design, an admirable system has been devised for (see Admiralty Administration), and collectively known weighing everything that is built into the new ships or as naval stations, are under different names according to their that goes on board ; and it is astonishing how very closely nature. Of those called Navy Yards, and intended for the the actual displacement approximates to that which was general purpose of sources of supply and for repairs of ships, intended, particularly when the tendency of weights to there are within the United States twelve in number. increase, in perfecting a ship for commission, is considered. Two of them are on the Pacific coast, situated on Puget The late Mr Froude, who carried out experiments for Sound, at Bremerton, Washington; and at Mare Island, near many years at Gosport as to the best form for the hulls of San Francisco. The other ten are on the Atlantic coast, ships, was amazed at the great magnitude of the calcula- and are situated at Kittery, Maine; Boston, Mass.; New tions involved in the design of modern vessels. The ship London, Conn.; Brooklyn, N.Y..; Philadelphia, Pa.; being built to her launching weight, the duty of putting Washington, D.C.; Portsmouth, Ya.; Port Royal, S.C.; her into the water devolves upon the chief constructor of Pensacola, Fla.; and Key West, Fla. There are also the yard, and failures in this matter are so extremely rare such naval stations at Havana, Cuba; San Juan, Porto that it may almost be said they do not occur. As soon as Rico; Honolulu, H.I.; Cavite, P.I.; and Island of Guam, the ship is water-borne the responsibility falls upon the in the Ladrones Islands. A floating dock with a lifting King’s harbour master, who has charge of her afloat capacity of 15,000 tons is being built for Government use and of moving ships into the fitting basins. When the at Algiers, La., near New Orleans. ship has been brought alongside the wharf, the responsiBesides these, there are important naval stations bility of the chief constructor of the yard is resumed, and established for special purposes, but which in some cases the ship is carried forward to completion by the affixing are also available for ports of supply and for repairs. of armour plating, the mounting of guns, often the instal- These are: the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., for the ment of engines, boilers, and electrical and hydraulic gear, instruction of naval cadets; the training stations at Newand the fitting of cabins for officers, mess places for men, port, R.I., and Yerba Buena Island, Cal., for the instrucand storerooms, and a vast volume of other work un- tion of apprentices; the proving ground at Indian Head, necessary to be specified. In regard to the complicated Md., on the Potomac river, where all Government-built details of guns and torpedoes, the captains of the gunnery ordnance is tested; the War College at Newport, R.I., and torpedo schools have a function of supervision. The for the instruction of officers; the torpedo station at captain of the fleet reserve also closely watches the work, Newport, for the instruction of officers and men in because, when the heads of all departments have reported torpedoes, electricity, and submarine diving; the naval the ship to be ready, she has to be inspected by the com- observatory at Washington; and the marine post at Sitka, mander-in-chief at the port, and then passed into the fleet Alaska. Coaling depots have been established at Honoreserve as ready for sea, and there the captain of the fleet lulu, Pago Pago, Samoan Islands, and at Manila, P.I. reserve is responsible for her efficiency. Other important Numerous others are to be established soon, both at home officers of a dockyard are the chief engineer; the superin- and abroad. tendent civil engineer, who has charge of the work inNaval hospitals are located at the Portsmouth, Boston, volved in keeping all buildings, docks, basins, caissons, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Norfolk, and Mare roads, &c., in repair; the naval store officer, who has Island yards; at Newport, R.I.; Cavite, P.I.; and Yokocharge of most of the stores in the dockyard; and the hama, Japan. cashier of the yard, whose name sufficiently expresses his Information regarding the dry docks is given in the duties. table on the following page. The system of conducting business at the dockyards is The commandant of a navy yard and station, who is analogous to that which prevails at the Admiralty. There usually a rear-admiral, is its commander-in-chief. His is personal communication between the officers responsible official assistants are called heads of departments. The for the work, and, as at Whitehall, facilities are afforded captain of the yard, who is next in succession to comfor coming to rapid decisions upon matters that are in mand, has general charge of the water front and the hand, and the operations are conducted with an ease ships moored there, and of the police of the navy yard; it which contributes much to efficiency. It is the custom is his duty to keep the commandant informed as to the for all the principal officers of the dockyard to meet at the nature and efficiency of all work in progress. The equipsuperintendent’s office at 9.30 a.m. every day, in order ment officer has charge of anchors, chains, rigging, sails, that they may be made acquainted with the orders from and the electric generating plant. The other heads of the Admiralty and may discuss the work of the day, departments are the ordnance officer, the naval consettling the necessary details as they affect the several structor, the engineering officer, the general storekeeper, departments. It thus follows that there is a complete the paymaster of the yard, the surgeon, and the civil understanding among the principal officers as to the work engineer. The clerks and draughtsmen employed by these to be done, and a full recognition of the part which each officers are appointed under civil service rules, and their is to play in its execution. The result is that time is employment is continuous so long as funds are available. gained by the avoidance of the necessity of passing The foremen are selected by competitive examination, and minutes from department to department—a system which their number is fixed. In the employment of mechanics would act prejudicially in many cases. and labourers, veterans are given preference, after which An efficient police service is a necessity in a dockyard. follow persons previously employed who have displayed The force necessary is supplied from the Metropolitan especial efficiency and good conduct. The rates of wages S. III.— 63
