'"'¥ ^BaL wo^ ■yABi)^ iJ()CJC.*i "^ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES 37022 — 21- Activities of the Bureau of Yards and Docks Navy Department World War 1917-1918 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921 Navy Department, Washington^ February 10^ 1921. My Deau Admiral : It was through the efforts of the Bureau of Yards and Docks that the facilities of the Na^'y ashore were extended so successfully to meet the increased demands brought upon them during the World War. It appears desirable, therefore, that the work of the bureau, in providing the necessary training camps, air stations, storage facili- ties, hospitals, radio towers, ship-repair facilities and dry docks, etc., in this country and abroad, should be made a matter of record. Kindly prepare such a description, which will, I am sure, be of value to the Navy and to others interested in the Navy. Very sincerely, yours, Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. Eear Admiral C. W. Parks (C. E. C), U. S. N., Chief of Bureau of Yards and Docks^ Navy Department, Washington., D. C. 3 190354 Navt Department, Bureau or Yards and Docks, Washington, D. C ., February 28, 1921. My Dear Mr. Secretary: In accordance with your instructions of the 10th, I have caused to be prepared the accompanying series of chapters of an historical nature, dealing mainly with the activities of this bureau during the World War. In the nature of the case it has been considered advisable to outline the status of most of the Navy's shore facilities prior to the declaration of war by the United States; and in several instances the scope of the war program as undertaken during 1917 and 1918 made it impracticable arbitrarily to terminate the narrative with the date of the armistice. Neverthe- less, the account as it now stands represents in the broader sense of the term a careful record of war activities, limited, of course, by the exigencies of space in a compilation of this kind. It is fitting at this time that I should make due acknowledgement of the enthusiastic assistance rendered in the preparation of this document, in the midst of their regular duties, by officers of the Civil Engineer Corps and bureau employees having charge of war projects either in the office or in the field. Contributions were re- ceived from officers now on bureau duty, as follows : Naval Ordnance Plant, South Charleston, W. Va., by Capt. R. E. Baken- hus (C. E. C), U. S. N.. assistant chief of the bureau. Housing for the Navy, and Shipyard and Industrial Plant Extensions, by Rear Admiral H. H. Rousseau (C. E. C), U. S. N. Public Worlvs Organization and Station Development at Great Lakes, 1918, and Construction of the Pearl Harbor Dry Dock, by Commander Geo. A. McKay (C. E. C), U. S. N. The Lafayette Radio Station, Croix d'Hins, France, by Commander F. H. Cooke (C. E. C), U. S. N. Radio Stations, Marine Corps Projects, and Fuel Oil Storage, by Com- mander E. C. Sherman (C. E. C), U. S. N. R. F. Naval Academy Extensions and Emergency Hospital Construction, by Commander F. W. Southworth (C. E. C), U. S. N. R. F. Dry Docks, by Lieut. Commander H. D. Rouzer (C. E. C). U. S. N. R. F. Aviation Stations, by Lieut. K. B. Bragg (C. E. C), U. S. N. United States Helium-Production Plant, and Work at Ordnance Stations, by Lieut. Willard A. Pollard (C. E. C), U. S. N. Contributions from officers in the field were the following: Yard Development, Housing, Water Supply, Shipbuilding Dock, and Training Camp, Puget Sound, and Training Camp at Seattle, by Capt. L. E. Gregory (C. E. C), U. S. N. 6 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Expansion of the Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, 1917, by Com- mander Walter H. Allen (C. E. C), U. S. N. Air Stations Abroad, General Discussion, by Commander E. H. Brownell (C. E. C), U. S. N., and Commander A. W. K. Billings (C. E. C), U. S. N. R. F. (inactive list). Corps Activities in Haiti, by Commander E. R. Gayler (C E. C), U. S. N. Cori>s Activities in Santo Domingo, separate contributions by Lieut. Com- manders Ralph Whitman and R. M. Warfield (C. E. C), U. S. N. Corps Activities in the Virgin Islands, by Lieut. Commander Gaylord Church (C. E. C.),U. S. N. Five Naval Air Stations in the Vicinity of Brest, France, and Fuel Oil Storage Abroad, by Lieut. C. P. Conrad (C. E. C), U. S. N. (resigned). Training Camps at Pelham and City Park, N. Y., by Commander E. C. Brown (C. E. C), U. S. N. R. F. (inactive list). Fleet Supply Base, South Brooklyn, N. Y., by Commander E. S. Nugent (C. E. C), U. S. N. R. F. (inactive list). Naval Air Station at Chatham, Mass., Naval Training Station at Cod- dington Point, Newport, R. I., and Aviation Assembly and Repair Base at Eastleigh, England, by Lieut. Commander F. N. BoUes (C. E. C), U. S. N. R. F. (inactive list). Contributions by civilian members of the bureau were as follows : Power Plants, by Mr. L. W. Bates, project manager. Maintenance and Operating Division of the Bureau, by Mr. Wm. M. Smith, head of division. Personnel in General, by Mr. E. W. Whitehorne, chief clerk. Technical Personnel, by Mr. Chas. Morgan, chief draftsman. Naval Training Camps, by Mr. C. E. Hall. General Development of Yards and Stations, Storage Facilities, Ship- building and Repair Facilities, and Gun Shop, Washington, D. C, by Mr. R. F. Bessey. Submarine Bases, Emergency Fuel Depots, and General Yard Develop ment, by Mr. L. H. Sinclair. Bureau Organization, Civil Engineer Corps, U. S. N., Potomac Park Of- fice Buildings, Aviation Stations, and Dry Docks, by Mr. T. J. Mosley. Naval Proving Ground and Powder Factory at Indianhead, Md., by Mr. W. D. Kneessi. Civil Engineer Corps, U. S. N. R. F., and Appointments to Civil En- gineer Corps, U. S. N., by Mr. L. A. Morrison. Construction Division of the Bureau, by Mr. E. H. May, head of division, and Messrs. S. L. Ward well, R. S. Hart, R. J. Potbury, and H. A. Stacy. The chief of bureau has acted as editor of this history, aided by Capt. Bakenhus, assistant chief. Mr. T. J. Mosley has reviewed the manuscrijDts, Mr. William Partridge has had charge of the illustra- tions, and Miss Edna L. Bemis has prepared the bulk of the contri- butions for the press. Very respectfully, C. W. Parks, Chief of Bureau. Tiio hcmorable Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. CONTENTS. Page. * Introduction 17 * Chapter I. The Bureau of Yards and Docks 21 '** II. The Corps of Civil Engineers, United States Navy 33 III. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md 37 IV. Naval training camps 41 V. Marine Corps projects 93 VI. Emergency hospital construction 97 VII. General development of yards and stations 129 VIII. Shipbuilding and repair facilities 355 IX. Shipyard and industrial plant extensions 215 X. Dry docks - 237 XI. Power plants 255 XII. Public works at ordnance stations 279 XIII. Armor and projectile plants, Charleston, W. Va 301 XIV. Storage facilities 317 XV. Storage for fuel oil 359 XVI. Radio stations 365 XVII. Submarine bases 381 XVIII. Shore facilities for aviation 395 XIX. United States Helium-Production Plant 437 XX. Activities of the Corps of Civil Engineers in the West Indies 449 XXI. Construction Division of the bureau 455 XXII. Maintenance and Operating Division of the bureau 463 XXIII. Emergency office buildings, Potomac Park, Washington 479 XXIV. Housing for the Navy 495 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. Air Stations abroad. United States Naval: Page. Graphical representation of certain classes of construction at 423 Location map 420 Types of standard portable buildings for 424 Akron, Ohio : Navy extension to works of Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Co. ; machine shop 225 Alexandria, Va. : Torpedo assembly plant; seaplane view 286 Anacostia, D. C, Naval Air Station : Existing plan, showing temporary buildings 403 Permanent plan 403 Annapolis, Md., Naval Academy: Bancroft Hall extension, east wing 30 Plot plan 36 Power plant, 750-kilowatt turbo-generator as installed in 272 Seaplane view Fronti-spiece. Seamanship and Navigation Building 39 Arcachon, France : United States Naval Air Station ; seaplane view 428 Bay Ridge (Brooklyn), N. Y. : Receiving Ship Barracks; general view 60 Boston, Mass., Navy Yard : Foundry, first extension 173 Foundry, second extension 173 General storehouse 319 Brooklyn, N. Y. : Armed-guard camp. City Park ; general view 60 Naval Hospital — Building " F " 117 Emergency buildings> : 116 Plot plan 116 Supply Base. (See South Brooklyn.) Buffalo, N. Y. : Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporntion (Ltd.) ; turbine shop 231 Camden, N. J. : New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Navy extension to plant of 226 C;ipe May, N. J. : Naval Air Station — Barracks for 200 men 410 Seaplane hangars, curve-truss, sliding-door type 406 Seaplane hangar, straight-truss type 405 Seaplane view of 398 Typical dirigible hangar 409 8 WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AiSTD DOCKS. 9 Cape May, N. J.- — Continued. Emergency Hospital — Pago. Isolation ward 124 Plot plan of - 124 Wissahickon Barracks; interior view of quarters 63 Charleston, S. C. : Naval Hospital — Plot plan 102 Ward buildings, showing connecting covered walk 102 Naval Training Camp — General view 72 Typical barrack 72 Navy Yard — Lumber-storage building No. 1022 335 Lumber-storage building No. 1078 335 Marine railway, cradle ashore 212 Marine railway, cradle submerged 212 Pattern shop 174 Charleston, W. Va. : Administration building, armor and projectile plants 308 General view of armor and projectile plants 314 Plot plan of armor and projectile plants 303 Armor plant — Forge and furnace building, north aisle 308 Forge and furnace building, press room 311 Forge and furnace building, south aisle 311 Machine shop, main aisle 312 Machine shop, south aisle 312 Open-hearth building, charging floor 307 Open-hearth building, pouring aisle 307 Projectile plant — General view 304 Machine shop 304 Chelsea, Mass., Naval Hospital: Seaplane view of, showing emergency units 99 Solarium end of ward buildings 105 Ward building 105 Coco Solo, Canal Zone : Naval Air Station ; plan of 401 Submarine Base — Executive officer's quarters .- 392 Seaplane view of Submarine Base and Air Station 391 Typical tropical barracks for 200 men 391 Constable Hook, N. J., emergency fuel depot : Delivery of coal to barge 350 Hulette unloader 349 Loading train for delivery of coal to barges 350 Mead-Morrison coal unloader 349 Erie, Pa. : Erie Forge Co. ; general view of Navy extension to plant of 222 Fort Worth, Tex., United States Helium-Production Plant : Bird's-eye view 439 . Compressor building, interior view 444 Plot plan of plant 440 Separation building, interior view ; 444 10 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Page. Foundry for industrial yard, bureau layout for 182 Great Lakes, 111., Naval Training Station : Plan of 'J'6 Plot plan of hospital reservation l-"> General storehou.se, typical, bureau design :'>-" Guipavas, France, United States Naval Air Station : Dirigible hangar ■t;^>l Seaplane view of station 431 Hampton Roads, Va., Naval Operating Base: East Camp — Barrack group_- 67 Boiler plant '1 Drill hall "1 Laundry and galley 68 Plan of East Camp . 60 Post office 68 Typical barracks : 67 General development — Aviation .station showing utilization of lagoon 138 Bulkheads along Boush Creek 134 Bulkheads for aviation pier 134 Concrete sheet-pile protection of existing bulkhead walls of lagoon 138 Filling behind bulkhead 133 General plan showing improvements to 1920 140 General plan of site, 1917 140 Merchandise pier, bulkhead fill not made 137 Pier No. 3 137 West bulkhead before filling 133 Industrial boiler plant 266 Naval Air Station — Barracks and mess hall 410 Barracks and mess hall, view of court 410 Kite-balloon hangar 409 Seaplane hangars; curve-truss, sliding-door type 4(10 Seaplane hangars; straight-truss, rolling-door type 405 Seaplane view of 399 Naval Hospital — Plot plan 121 Type of emergency hoi^iiital construction ^-u Ward buildings 121 Ward interior 122 Storage, etc. — Aircraft storehouse (three-story) 334 Cold-storage warehouse and ice plant 330 Design of cold-storage plant 330 Fleet supply station group 345 One of two 1,400-foot merchandise piers 336 One-story general storehouse 325 Six-story general storehouses, building 101 323 Six-story general storehouses, building 103 323 Submarine Base; construction of pier at south of basin 392 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. H Haugars, typical : Page. Details of seaplane-liangar framing, straiglit-truss, 75-foot span 408 Elevation of standard curve truss, 112-foot span, for seaplane hangar 408 Elevation of standard 151-foot seaplane hangar 408 Hoboken, N. J. : Stevens Institute ; Steam Engineering School 62 Hospital bases, east and west coasts, prewar design for 98 Indianhead, Md., Naval Proving Ground and Smokeless Powder Factory : Blending tower 294 Soda storehouses , 293 Turbo-generator, 7,500-kilovolt-ampere, in power plant 276 Key West, Fla. : Seaplane view of Naval Air Station 400 Lafayette Radio Station. Croix d'Hins, France : Ensemble of completed towers 378 Erection tower in process of construction 374 Erection tower in service 377 General layout, showing camp and construction plant 368 Individual tower with panel points indicated 373 Post-armistice erection, showing use of gin pole on upper panels of tower 377 Tower footings as designed by French engineers 378 Lamberts Point, Va., Bunkering Depot: DeMayo elevator installation, Pier 4 353 Mitchnei* elevators, stream fueling barge, and escalade in operation. Pier 4 353 Machine shop for industrial yard, bureau layout for 182 Mare Island, Calif., Navy Yard : Boat-storage building (timber) 333 Boiler installation at power plant 275 Causeway connecting with mainland 151 Causeway connecting with mainland ; bascule bridge raised 151 Double slip for destroyer construction 196 Electrical storehouse 346 Floating crane (150-ton) 209 Structural shop 168 Navy yard, ideal type 130 New London, Conn., Submarine Base : Battery-overhaul building 387 Elevated and underground distributing systems 269 Engine room of power plant, showing mechanical equipment 269 Industrial group 387 Officers' quarters 389 Panorama of base 383 Plan of base 384 Shore accommodations for submarine crews 388 Torpedo shop 388 Typical barracks for .500 men 389 New Orleans, La., Naval Hospital : Administration building 107 Plot plan 107 Ward buildings 108 12 WAR ACTIViriES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Newport News. Va. : Bunkering Depot — Page. DeMayo elevators in operation 354 Derricks for supporting DeMayo elevators 354 Navy extension to plant of Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.— Plan 222 Ship fabricating shed ^ 222 Newport, II. I. : Naval Hospital — Contagious wards 106 Plot plan 106 Naval Torpedo Station; power plant 266 Naval Training Station — Temporary barracks 50 Temporary barracks and permanent construction 50 New York, N. Y., Navy Yard : Double shipbuilding slips 191 General plans of shipbuilding slip No. 1, as reconstructed 19S General storehouse 320 Interior of extension to heavy machine shop 179 Light machine and electrical .shop nearing completion 179 Structural shop 166 Structural shop, partial interior view 166 (See also Brooklyn.) Norfolk, Va. : Naval Hospital — Emergency buildings ' 108 Main hospital and emergency group 111 Plot plan 111 Type of emergency hospital construction 126 Naval Magazine, St. Juliens Creek ; torpedo storehouse 285 Navy Yard— Battleship-building slip — General view 187 Launching of destroyers 188 Cranes — Auxiliary htting-out cran&s nearing completion 205 Floating crane (150-ton) 210 Locomotive crane (oO-ton), Dry Dock No. 4 206 Dry docks — Dry Dock No. 4, plan and sections 238 Dry Dock No. 4, U. S. S. Wisconsin entering '_ 241 Dry Dock No. 6, before first flooding ceremonial, looking toward head end 242 Dry Dock No. 7 242 Dry docks with vessels docked 241 Fitting-out pier; general plans 198 General development — Construction of concrete retaining wall 142 Quay wall construction, jetting of concrete piles in fore- ground 142 Schmoele tract after development , 141 Schnioele tract before development 141 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 13 Norfolk, Va. — Continued. Navy yard — Continued. Page. Power plant, view from south 258 Battery of boilers 258 Reciprocating air compressor 272 Shops — Foimdry 171 Machine shop. 177 Machine shop, interior of main aisle 177 Steel-storage shed 165 Structural shop 165 Organization of Bureau of Yards and Docks, chart of 24 Painiboeuf, France, United States Naval Air Station : Canvas dirigible hangar 428 Frame dirigible hangar, early construction view 427 Frame dirigible hangar, late construction view 427 Parris Island, S. C. : Marine Barracks ; emergency hospital buildings, showing wards and solarium 122 Pauillac, France, United States Naval Air Station : Seaplane hangars 432 Seaplane view of portion of station 432 Pearl Harbor. Hawaii, Naval Station : Dry Dock No. 1— Admitting water through caisson for testing pumps 250 General view during construction, showing sections in place 250 General view of interior from head end 246 Interior view after first pumping 245 Pump well after launching from floating dock 249 Pump well before launching from floating dock 249 A'iew of completed structure at formal opening 246 Pelham Bay Park, N. T. : Naval Hospital — Plot plan 112 Surgical ward 112 Naval Training Camp — Administration building and unit " N " 53 Partial view of camp 54 Pensacola, Fla., Naval Air Station : Concrete retaining wall for pier 152 Pier, dredging, and fiUing-in progress 152 Seaplane view of station 413 Personnel, Bureau of Yards and Docks: Commissioned, enlisted, and civilian personnel of the Bureau of Yards and Docks at the time of the armistice 26 Executive personnel of the bureau, commissioned and civilian 23 Organization chart of bureau 24 Personnel, technical, of bureau, chart showing variation of 29 Philadelphia, Pa. : Naval Hospital, Grays Ferry Road — Plot plan 123 Ward buildings 123 Naval Hospital, League Island — Plot plan 101 Wards and subsistence building 101 14 WAR ACTlViriES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Philadelphia, Pa. — Continued. Navy Yard — Cranes— ^"^®- Construction view .S.")U-ton fittinji-out ci-iine ~0l Fitting-out cranes, 350-ton and auxiliary 205 Locomotive cranes (50-ton), for Dry Dock No. 3 210 Otticial test of H.'iO-ton tilliiiy-out crane 202 Twenty-five-ton locomotive crane on elevated trestle 475 Dry Dock No. 3 under construction 245 Emergency barracks for recruits 63 General views — Looking east from radio tower 144 Looking west from radio tower 145 Power plant — Ash-removal system 257 Coal-handling installation 182 General view showing coal and ash handling plant 257 Generator-room end of plant 181 Overhead coal bunkers 182 View taken from crane runway of shipbuilding slip 181 Shipbuilding slips Nos. 2 and 3 — Inboard view 186 Outboard view 185 Slip No. 2; general plans 198 Shops — FoundiT 1T2 Foundry, interior view 172 Machine shop and " extension " 178 Machine-shop extension, main aisle interior 178 Pattern shop and storage building 174 Plate shop, interior 167 Structural shop 167 Structural shop and .shipbuilding slips 145 Structural shop, mold loft 168 Storehouses — Advance-base storehouse for Marine Corps . 346 Boat and general storagQ building, partial interior 333 Emergency storehouse 329 Portsmouth, N. H. : Naval Hospital — Plot plan 104 Psychiatric wards 104 Navy Yard — Lumber-storage building 336 Submarine-building slips 196 Power plant for indu.strial yard, bureau layout for 182 Providence, K. I. : Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation (Ltd.) ; boiler shop 231 Puget Sound, Wash., Navy Yard : General storehouse — Exterior 325 Interior view, ground floor 326 Interior view, top floor 32G WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 15 Puget Sound, Wash., Navy Yard — Continued. Grading and filling operations^ Page- Filling operation in progress 147 Filling operation in progress, sliowing extension of shore line — 147 General view of operation 148 Grading operation completed, slope protection 148 Shipbuilding dock — Construction view showing caisson 392 General view showing U. S. S. Pyro under construction 192 General plans 198 Power plant — Boiler installation 275 Turbo-alternator 276 Temporary general storehouse 329 River Rouge, Mich., works of Ford Motor Co. : Building " B," Navy extension to plant 225 Plan showing Navy extensions 224 Rockaway, L. I. : Seaplane view of Naval Air Station 397 San Diego, Calif. : Marine Corps Base — Bird's-eye view 95 General layout 94 Parade ground 96 Naval Air Station — Administration building 415 Barracks No. 2 416 Commanding officer's quarters 416 Dirigible hangar 418 Plan of station 414 Seaplane hangar 415 Student officers' quarters . 416 South Brooklyn, N. Y., Fleet Supply Base: Eight-story storehouses, power plant, and construction office 340 Storehouses S-1 and S-2, with power plant 339 Squantum, Mass., destroyer plant: (General view during construction 219 Interior view of wet slip 220 Shore end of building slips 219 Wet slips and building slips 220 Torpedo racks and crane, typical, as designed by the bureau 285 Training camps, naval, as completed during emergency period, chart showing 81 Transportation facilities at navy yards: Adaptation of yard truck and semitrailer for boat haulage 477 Typical yard crane truck for heavy weights 472 Typical yard crane truck handling life raft 472 Typical yard 5-ton locomotive crane 476 Typical yard 5-ton truck and trailer 477 Typical yard locomotive and dump cars 476 Typical yard locomotive crane 475 Typical yard motor street sweeper 471 Typical yard 7-ton back-dumping truck 47J 37022—21 2 16 ^VAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Wards Island, N. Y., Emergency Hospital: Pae*- Nurses' quarters 11" Plot plan of hospital 118 Seaplane view of hospital 99 Wash in -ton, D. C. : Eniorjrenc'.v office buildinjrs for Navy and War Departments, Potomac Park— IMrd's-eye view 481 Curves showing labor displacement 491 Perspective of Navy unit 484 Typical floor plan of Navy unit 485 Naval Hospital, emergency buildings — Types of construction (two plans) 126 View of eastern group 115 View of western group 115 Navy Yard — Storehouses — Design of general storehouse 324 General storehouse group 324 Interior of general storehouse 324 Shops — Gun shop 294 Machine shop 299 Pattern shop 299 ACTIVITIES OF THE BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, WORLD WAR, 1917-18. INTRODUCTION. PUBLIC WORKS OF THE NAVY AND THE WORLD WAR, 1917-18. The public works of the Navy comprise practically all construction of shore establishments, such as dr}^ docks, marine railways, ship- building ways, harbor works, floating and stationarj^ cranes, power plants, coaling plants, ]:)ridges, streets and grounds, radio towers, aviation stations; heating, lighting, telephone, sewer, and transpor- tation systems : and all buildings, for wdiatever purpose needed, under the Navy and Marine Corps. Since the passage of the naval appropriation act of April 4, 1911, the Bureau of Yards and Docks has been charged with the design and construction of the public works and public utilities of the Navy, wherever located, and irrespective of the bureau or office of the Navy Department which may use or operate them and the appropriation or fund from which their cost may be defrayed. Until the United States entered the World War such public works were confined to the United States and its possessions, but later it became necessary to provide public works in countries with which the United States Avas associated in carrying on the war. The groAvth of the Navy in materiel and in personnel during 1917 and 1918 M-as phenomenal, and public works required on account of this increase cost several times as much as the total value of those Avorks existing at the time of entering the Avar. The develo])ment of the shore investment in public works AAas quite marked immediatel}^ after the Spanish War, but the j)ace set imme- diately after that Avar Avas relaxed, and in 1917 the shore establishment Avas inadequate for the demands then throAvn upon it. The Bunce Board in 1897 had pointed out the inadequacy of existing dry docks and proposed a program of dry-dock construction, naming some as immediately necessary and others that should be built later. The present chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks was recorder of that board, and has followed dry-dock construction with the greatest inter- est in view of information acquired during the sitting of the board. 17 18 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. The Hon. John D. Lon^ij, who was then Secretary of the Navy, acted promptly on the report of the board, and the Con 2 fl o ■o j; o ^ i S5 to 24 WAR AfTlViriES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. The distribution of work then effected among the seven project managers was the following : (0) New naval bases and development of existing bases. {b) Radio. Marine Corps, and fuel-oil station projects; construction for the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; routine design; dry docks; power plant, Washington yard ; subsurface surveys. (c) Shipbuilding plants and improvements related thereto; gun shop, Washington. (d) Armor plant and projectile plant, South Charleston, ^Y. Va. (e) Facilities for aviation and submarines; patrol stations. if) Ordnance facilities ; storehouses. (g) Construction at Naval Academy; Research and Experimental Labo- ratory ; duties of executive officer in charge of design division (assistant chief of bureau). It is to be noted that by this time each project manager was pro- vided with a civilian assistant who was required to familiarize him- self with all aspects of the projects in hand so as to be able to carry forward the work in the absence of the manager. Thus was the specialization of project groups clearly demarked; heads of divisions were no longer expected to relieve one another. Organization, October, 1917 , to armistice. — Organization instruc- tions for the bureau were last printed in Bulletin No. 28, Public Works of tlxe Navy, for October, 1917. The scheme was based on several amendatory memoranda issued from time to time after March 26, 1917, and particularly on bureau order No. 121, dated August 6. This plan of organization was very full, precise, and practicable, and continues in force to the present time essentiall}^ unmodified. The number of project sections was increased to 10, as a result both of new demands and of a completed functional distribution. The training camp section had been established since March to meet an unprecedented condition, and was handling a vast amount of work at this time. The scheme of project assignments was as follows : (a) Dry docks. (h) Armor and projectile plant. (c) Naval Academy. (d) Magazines and general ordnance facilities. (e) Aviation and submarine bases. (O Shipbuilding and yard development projects. (*7) Marine Corps, fuel oil, radio, and routine projects. (/() Hospitals. (i) Power plants. (;■) Training camps. An information office, formerly under the clerical division, was transferred to the construction division with its functions explicitly ^ YAEE Design^ I Files I l3Ckrkz ^y //?<:>/ ^Mo. ^AVY VEPAZTMEnr, WA5HINGT0ri. D.C /Augtjsf - 1918 i^^^^SSi ^^ 1 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 25 defined. Its most important duty was (and is) to furnish the con- nection between the bureau and the building industry. Files of plans and specifications under advertisement were placed under its custody, to be kept in convenient form for the inspection of prospective bidders, materialmen, and subcontractors. Data as to work on hand, in prospect, or completed, was to be kept available by this office, and other information concerning the bureau's work in general. This section rendered a vital service during the most strenuous days by relieving the executive chiefs of a mass of inquiries and discussions essential to the execution of contracts. The organization of the bureau as it existed in August, 1918, was substantially as outlined above, and is represented in the accompany- ing chart. The 10 project sections enumerated are shown as 9 because of the fact that 2 complete sections (ordnance and avia- tion-submarine projects) were in charge of a single project manager. The Naval Academy projects are represented as a secondary activity of the assistant chief. A few temporary added functions; such as housing, are charted. These found their places as demands arose. The bureau's relation to the Housing Corporation was advisory only, and had to do with the accommodation of employees under the shore establishment in congested districts. 2. PERSONNEL IN GENERAL. In March, 1917, the department authorized the enrollment of both men and w^omen in the United States Naval Reserve Force, and the bureau considerably augmented its force through this medium. The maximum number of reservists assigned to this bureau was reached in November, 1918, at which time the records showed the employment of 197 men and 121 women, the women reservists being enrolled to cover the shortage of male employees caused by enlistment and con- scription, and to perform the work of men. Under the approval of the President on April 30, 1917, of an allotment to the department from the appropriation " National Security and Defense," contained in the deficiency act approved April 17, 1917, for the employment of experts and high-grade civilian assistants, the bureau brought into its service in a civilian capacity during the time of the emergency a maximum of 24 engineers of high standing in their profession. To these employees the bureau assigned duties of a very high grade and placed on them much responsibility. 26 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. There follows a comparative statement of the bureau's personnel, exclusive of officers, as it existed before the World War and at its conclusion, when the force was at its maximum : 1 July 1, 1916. Feb. 3, 1917. Nov. 11, 1918. Cleri- Tech- 1 cal. nical. 1 Miscel- laneous. 1 Cleri- Tech- Miscel- cal. nical. laneous.j Cleri- i cal. 132 1 167 i Tech- 1 nical. Miscel- laneous Men W omen 10 43 4 6 i : 14 95 7 4 1 354 , 3 :n 27 Total (bureau) 63 j 120 714 As an indication of the increase in volume. of business during the war, it may be mentioned at this point that the daily average num- ber of letters handled by the bureau's correspondence files during July, 1918, was 700 ; the corresponding figure for July, 1916, was 50. In addition to official duties performed by the civilian personnel, much work of a special character was done by them in the interest of the various " drives " which were launched during the war. A brief resume in recognition of the effort expended in this class of work would not seem to be irrelevant when we consider the relationship which the results of these activities — that is to say, money and com- fort — bear to the successful prosecution of war. The civilian employees of the bureau took an active part in the conduct of the Liberty loan campaigns, and to them is due in a great measure the bureau's success in these drives. For purposes of canvassing the bureau for subscriptions to these loans in what appeared the most expeditious manner, its organization was divided into classes, embracing both officers and civilians, and each class was assigned to an independent subscription agent; these agents numbered eight, and three of them were women. Owing to their in- terest in this work, their patriotic viewpoint and pleasing address, coupled with a natural tendency and willingness on the part of the bureau's personnel to contribute to the loans, these agents met with remarkable success in their work. Special attention is invited to the fifth or Victory loan, at which time the bureau went " over the top." The daily bulletins issued by the Liberty loan officer for the department revealed the fact that this bureau alone accomplished this feat. The splendid results achieved in these campaigns were due not only lo the efforts of the bureau's agents, but also to the hearty coopera- tion on the part of the entire force, both officers and civilians, and the high standard of the morale. During the period of the war the bureau disposed of war savings and thrift stamps to the value of $40,030.23 through its authorized agents. ^ r li ^MMM^'^^^V'-^ fffP^!PWIB»Vb1 9n i jij I'f^fjini 1, w ■■'=51 1 ^BWIP^I^MA^H^^H^^H ^PHsflE^^^SSHJE^GSI ^iR^»&RiiliH^HsPs ^^n« ^nR^ islfil(vWI inl^WSNWP^^ m^^w^ """ o WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU Or YARDS AND DOCKS. 27 Each of the drives in the bureau for contributions to the Red Cross was conducted by women employees, who were very active in this cause. Their efforts met with very considerable success, and contributions were secured from a majority of the officers and em- ployees. Many of the women of the bureau were closely associated with the Red Cross, and contributed much of their time and skill to club work engaged in by that organization for the purpose of pro- viding wearing apparel, such as sweaters, socks, etc., for the boys of the Navy. This work was entirely voluntary, and resulted in very material increase in comfort of the enlisted force of the Navy. The drive for contributions to the Salvation Army was partici- pated in by the department, and this bureau appointed a representa- tive to solicit subscriptions and make collections. The campaign was quite successful and resulted in generous contributions by the bureau employees. 3. TECHNICAL FORCE. The need for the preparation of the bureau's organization to re- ceive large volumes of work became apparent early in 1916. The work of securing additional quarters began soon afterwards and was successfully continued throughout the war as demands increased. The matter of obtaining additional technical men proved, however, to be the real problem, and one which was destined to tax resourceful- ness to the utmost. The first requests on tue Civil Service Commis- sion for lists of eligibles met with excellent results, and men were obtained quite readily. As the demand for technical assistance grew, however, both within the Government service and in the commer- cial world, the eligible lists were soon exhausted, with but a small percentage of necessary forces secured. It became evident that the custom of the Civil Service Commission of holding competitive as- sembled examinations had become impracticable in view of the ac- celerating requirements. This condition was overcome by inaugu- rating the nonassembled examination, which permitted the applicant to receive a rating and a permanent appointment solely upon state- ments made in his application. This letting down of the bars fa- cilitated access into Government service, and application papers were filed in the Civil Service Commission so rapidly that it was im- possible for their corps of examiners to pass primarily upon each application. Requests for additional technical assistants resulted in the delivery of hundreds of unmarked applications, thus resulting in the task of rating the individual being shifted to the bureau. After the assignment of temporary ratings the papers were returned to the Civil Service Commission and the markings were reviewed by them. After approval certain of the applicants were selected from 28 ^VAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. the list thus created and vrere offered positions. All difficulties in obtaining employees did not end, however, at this point. Many of those who were tendered appointments never responded. Some had enlisted for service in the war, some had secured more lucrative com- mercial employment, and some negotiated for higher pay, Avhich was seldom offered to them. The net result was a relatively small percentage of acceptances, making the growth of the bureau's force too slow to care for the rapidly increasing quantity of work. The supply of applications soon became exhausted, thus rendering it necessary to obtain author- ity to make temporary appointments, subject to the individual's sub- sequently filing an application with the Civil Service Commission and sustaining his temporary appointment. This method permitted immediate employment of an}^ applicant to a position, and proved a most successful and efficient method of securing employees. Many excellent men were obtained, and those alread}" emploj'ed were re- quested to communicate with their associates in their previous posi- tions with a view to having them enter the bureau. Every con- ceivable source was drawn upon for assistance. ]Many good drafts- men were obtained through the medium of enlistment in the United States Xaval Reserve P'orce. Young men and young women who enlisted in this branch of the service, and who had drafting ability, were given work. The first " draftswoman " that the bureau ever employed entered through this medium. The results of these ex- pedients in the growth of the technical force are illustrated graphi- calh' b}' the accompanying chart, which continues the history of the technical personnel up to October 31, 1920. The holding of men who were anxious to enlist, after the declara- tion of war, proved to be a problem. It finally became so difficult that rigid rules were made, and adhered to, which resulted in the retention of most of the aspirants for enlistment honors. The Secre- tary of the Navy adjudged the work of the department to be essen- tial to the maintenance of the first line of defense at home, and dis- couraged the enlistment of men who were necessary to the work. Some broke away, however, and joined various branches of the service. There were no instances of unfaithfulness to the Government among the employees of the bureau. Notwithstanding the fact that some of the most important projects involved in the prosecution of the war were designed and developed by the technical force, a situa- tion which gave ample opportunity for the dissemination of infor- mation, no real grounds developed for just suspicion. Close observa- tion was kept on the force and every precaution taken against dis- lovaltv. The antecedents of the men were inquired into, and their WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 29 habits, both within the office and on the outside, were studied. Al- though some were investigated more thoroughly than others, these special investigations developed nothing of an irregular nature. The conditions under which the technical force labored were ex- cellent. Although crowded at times, there were no complaints or dis- . i. z < z ^ = satisfaction among the men. All practicable provisions were made for their convenience and comfort. The rooms were always bright, clean, and airy, and to this fact is attributed the excellent health of the men during the war period. No cases of serious illness were recorded, and no deaths. During the period when the epidemic of 30 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUKEAU OF YARDS AKD DOCKS. Spanish influenza threatened to cripple all branches of the Govern- ment service, the work of the bureau was not seriously interrupted. It so happened that more of the men lost time on account of sick- ness in their families than for other reasons. There is one feature which contributed much to the successful execution of the bureau's work during the war which has not been mentioned, namely, the equipping of the technical force, especially the draftsmen. Probably no branch of the bureau's activities pro- ceeded more smoothly and efficiently than the supply division. When the expansion of the force started, a number of drafting boards and trestles were obtained. These were used temporarily while the regulation equipment was being procured. Too much credit can not be given those in charge of the supplies for the re- sourcefulness displayed, which resulted in deliveries and no disap- pointments. Requests for additional equipment and supplies always met with prompt response and delivery. This contributed greatly to the high efficiency maintained by the technical force. Miss Frances Salisbury had charge of this work under the Clerical Divi- sion. Distribution of technical persoimel. — Referring to the account of the bureau's organization previously given, it is noted that the bureau's activities were separated into sections, each of which had at its head a " project manager." Certain assistants were assigned to the project manager, who aided him in supervising work in hand. To each project section were attached a corps of draftsmen and technical men divided into squads, each of which had its squad leader. The number of technical men in each section varied from 1 to as many as 75, while the number in a squad varied from 1 to 8 or more. Most of the sections finally developed into independent and general drafting forces — that is, each contained draftsmen of various callings, thus enabling the project manager to undertake and complete any assigned project without assistance from other sources. The principal sections, and the number of draftsmen included there- in on January 1. 1919, are as follows: Draftsmen. Armor and projectile plant section 16 Shipbuilding and yard development section 60 Magazines, storehouses, general ordnance, aviation, and submarine base section 73 Training camp section 16 Marine Corps, fuel oil, radio, and I'outine section 22 Hospital section 23 Dry dock section 5 Power plant section 27 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU 01^ YARDS AXD DOCKS. 31 If the urgency or volume of work in one section became such as to require additional men, they were procured from other sections where work would permit their release. Transfers of this nature were not always easily accomplished on account of the desire of each section head to keep his organization intact. A hearty spirit of co- operation, however, prevailed at all times, as a result of which the technical employees were placed where they were most needed. The outcome of all issues was unfailingly effected with a continuance of good feeling and mutual respect among all concerned. The experi- ence through which supervisors, as well the men, passed during the World War was one which will long be remembered as something well worth while and well done. 37022—21^ 3 CHAPTER II. THE CORPS OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES NAVY. Public works of the Navy are now designed in the bureau under the direction of officers of the Corps of Civil Engineers, and con- struction in the field is carried out under the direction of officers of the same corps. Officers of this corps also serve as public works officers at the navy yards and naval stations and have charge of the maintenance and rej^air of public works and public utilities. These officers have cognizance of projects in almost all branches of engineer- ing, and, before appointment, have been obliged to undergo an ex- haustive professional examination. The origin and growth of the corps is considered of interest. The official connection of civil engineers with the Navy dates back to an early period of the country's history; the growth of the civil engineering force into a commissioned corps of its present strength has been a gradual development. President Jefferson, years before the Bureau of Yards and Docks was established or the corps organized, conceived the idea of the con- struction of a huge dry dock capable of accommodating 12 frigates. It will be remembered that at this time ships of the line were built of wood, and were very small compared with present-day standards. Jefferson's idea was to have a tide-water basin from which ships could be raised by locks to an upper basin, 24 feet higher. The upper basin was to be 800 feet long and 175 feet wide. After the water was drained out of it, the ships would be left high and dry. Benjamin Henry Latrobe was called in as consultant on this scheme. He considered it feasible and executed the drawings, but the project failed of accomplishment because a congressional appropriation could not be obtained for it. The connection of Latrol)e, an eminent civil engineer, with a naval sliore project such as the foregoing indicated the essential relation between fleet and land construction which has since continually grown closer. The next notable instance of a similar character occurred within the period of administration of the Board of Naval Commissioners, with the employment of Loammi Baldwin, jr., on the construction 33 34 WAR AC'TIVITIKS OF nrKKAl' OF YARDS AND DOCKS. of the dry docks at Charlestown (Boston), Mass., and (iosport (Norfolk), Ya. Born in Massachusetts in 1780, the third son of a colonel in the Continental Army who Avas himself an engineer of repute, Loammi Baldwin numbered among his early works a note- Avorthy dam on the Union Canal, in Pennsylvania, the construction of the Bunker Hill Monument and the water supply system of Bos- ton. The Boston and Norfolk dry docks, the great works of his life, were built concurrently from identical plans during the years 1827 to 1834." His assistants were Capt. Alexander Parris and W. P. S. Sanger at Boston and Norfolk respectively. The two docks thus built are still in commission, unexcelled examples of their era. In addition to this Avork, Baldwin was engaged in 1827 as con- sulting engineer to a body of commissioners to examine the various navy yards and form plans for their future improvement. From 1826 to 1835 he made surveys of New York Harbor to determine the best location for a dry dock. This work, however, was not car- ried out until after his death. He furnished complete plans for a marine raihvay at Pensacola, Fla. The administration of the Board of Naval Commissioners was superseded by the bureau system by authority of law in 1842. Only five bureaus were at first provided for, the first to be named being a " Bureau of Navy Yards and Docks." The personnel of the first force of this bureau included W. P. S. Sanger as " Civil Engineer," the same Sanger who was Baldwin's ]:»upil and assistant in the con- struction of the Norfolk Dry Dock. It was not long until civil engineers, attached to the Bureau of Yards and Docks, were regularly employed at the various yards as well, and in 1858 a series of rules was drawn up for their regulation and guidance. These rules defined the duties of the civil engineer very much as they have existed to the present time. Until 1867 the civil engineers of the Navy retained a strictly civilian status, but in that year Congress passed a law providing that the President might appoint the civil engineers, such appointment to be confirmed by the Senate. This act made the civil engineer a staff officer. Four years later Congress provided that civil engineers should be given such rank as the President might fix, and limited their number to 10. The first civil engineers to be commissioned under the act of 1867 were : W. P. S. Sanger, F. C. Prindle, B. F. Chandler, F. A. Stratton, and Chas. Hastings. On account of his seniority in service, linking back into the beginnings of the Navy, AV. P. S. Sanger may be justi- fiably considered the first civil engineer of the Navy. He retired from active service with the relative rank of captain in 1881, and died in Georgetown, D. C, in 1890. He Avas the princi- pal engineer in the Bureau of Yards and Docks from its inception to WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND D0(;KS. 35 the day of his retirement. No naval engineering board Avas complete unless he was a member of it. He took a prominent part in the build- ing of the Mare Island navy yard and in the development of all the others. He shaped the early career of the corps more than any other one man connected with it. The strength of the corps remained fixed at 10 until long after the close of the Civil War, the period from 1867 to 1883 being one of pronounced naval inactivity, not to say stagnation. At the out- break of the Sjjanish-American War, however, the number of civil engineers was increased to 18 through discretionary powers vested in President McKinle3^ Further increases were secured through the efforts of Rear Admiral Mordecai T. Endicott, Avho was chief of the bureau from April 4, 1898, to January 5, 1907. The small corps of 18 was wholly inadequate to the requirements of an expanding navy, and an increase to 40 (28 full civil engineers and 12 assistants) was authorized by act of Congress on March 3, 1903. The naval act of August 29, 1916, frequently called the prepared- ness act, based enrollment in the Corps of Civil Engineers upon the percentage of line officers, and thus on the strength of the enlisted personnel of the Xavy. This percentage is eight ten-thousandths of the total authorized active enlisted strength, but is somewhat less than it should be to carry on work satisfactorily for both the Navy and the Marine Corps. The same act established a Naval Reserve Force and permitted the enrollment of civilians in class i, complement of the Naval Re- serve Force Civil Engineer Corps. During the spring and summer of 1917 several reserve officers were enrolled. In the fall a non- assembled examination was held, and from about 7,000 applicants an eligible list of 335 candidates Avas established. On the date of the armistice the Civil Engineer Corps consisted of 74 regular officers, 20 temporary officers, and 110 reserve officers. Rear Admiral I^ndicott (1898) was the first Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks to be appointed from the Civil Engineer Corps. Before his term of office was completed, the rule was established by law (June 29, 1906) that thereafter the chief of the bureau should be selected from members of the corps exclusively. The logic of such an enactment should be at once apparent. It was further pro- vided in the law of August 29, 1916, that an officer of the corps might be detailed as assistant to the chief of bureau. Rear Admiral Endicott was succeeded as chief of the ])ureau by Rear Admiral H. H. Rousseau, who was selected as a Commissioner of the Panama Canal less than three months after his appointment. Rear Admiral R. C. HoUiday served as chief four years and nine months from ^farch 26. 1907. Tender liis administration tlie con- 36 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. solidjition of all public -works of the Navy under the Bureau of Yards and Docks was accomplished. Rear Admiral H. R. Stanford took office on January 14, 1912, and served as chief of the bureau four years. Rear Admiral F. R. Har- ris was appointed January 14, 1916. His administration embraced the opening period of the Great War, and was marked by an un- precedented expansion of the bureau's activities. He resigned to become general manager of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, and was succeeded by Rear Admiral Charles Wellman Parks, the present chief, on January 12. 1918. Capt. R. E. Bakenhus is the present assistant chief of the bureau. ^ I, Md. n50Oi c CHAPTER III. NAVAL ACADEMY, ANNAPOLIS, MD. At the outbreak of the war it was apparent that the training facili- ties for officers and men would not care for the large number that must be taken into active service. Bancroft Hall, the dormitory of the Naval Academy, had been designed for 500 midshipmen, but had from time to time been re- arranged to accommodate 1,200. Further to increase the dormitory accommodations it would be necessary to make additions to Bancroft Hall; and, as it was estimated that accommodations should be pro- vided for 1,000 more midshipmen, plans were prepared for the construction of two new wings. The work was authorized by Congress and an appropriation of $1,000,000 made on March 4, 1917. A contract was awarded on July 13, 1917, for the construction of the two wings. One of the wings was occupied in May, 1918. and the second in September, 1918, together providing quarters for 1.200 midshipmen and bringing the total capacity of the Naval Academy to approximately 2,400 men. The east wing and south wing are connected to Bancroft Hall not only by interior corridors, but also by a wide terrace surfaced with promenade tile, which forms the roof of the mess hall. The terrace aifords several entrances to the buildings and provides quick and easy access to the dormitories. Considering the fact that the build- ings are of reinforced concrete construction with Maine granite exterior walls, the time of completion for the work was short. The naval act of July 1, 1918, increased the limit of cost of the Bancroft Hall extension from $2,270,000 to $2,850,000. Owing to the unsettled conditions of the building trades and the excessive and constantly rising costs of labor and building materials due to war conditions, two additional deficiency appropriations were made. The appropriations for the Bancroft Hall extension are summarized as follows: Act of March 4, 1917 $1,000,000 Act of July 1, 1918 ^_ 1,850,000 Act of Feb. 25, 1919 750,000 Act of July 11, 1919 325,000 Total 3, 925, 000 190354 38 WAR ACTmXIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. The original classroom and laboratory facilities at the Naval Academy proved insufficient for the increased number of midship- men, and two appropriations were made by Congress to meet the requirements: One on June 15, 1917, of $300,000 for an addition to Isherwood Hall; and a second on July 1, 1918, of $1,000,000, with a cost limit of $2,500,000, for a building for seamanship and naviga- tion and other instruction purposes. Of the $2,500,000 authorized for the seamanship and navigation building only the $1,000,000 as appropriated was used. A contract for the addition to Isherwood Hall Avas made on August 6, 1917, and a contract for the seamanship and navigation building, Luce Hall, was made on March 31, 1919. To provide intensive training for reserve officers, two temporary wooden buildings were erected in the vicinity of Bancroft Hall, and were finished complete with bedrooms, studj' rooms, and messing arrangements. The addition of the dormitory and educational buildings necessi- tated an enlargement of the power plant and distributing systems of the academy. On July 1, 1918, an appropriation of $325,000 was made for improvements to the central power plant and distributing systems, and on July 11, 1919, $200,000 was appropriated for an addition to the power plant. The construction authorized bj^ Congress to care for the expansion of the Xaval Academy added four permanent and two temporary buildings to the group already erected. The buildings are of monu- mental character, of a French academic style, and are constructed of reinforced concrete with granite facing. B}- the addition of the east and south wings to Bancroft Hall, an imposing U-shaped court was formed, opening on Farragut Field (the parade ground) and affording a view of Chesapeake Ba}^ just beyond the sea wall of the field. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 39 Bancroft Hall extension, east wing, Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. Seamanship and NavigMtion Building, Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. CHAPTEK IV. NAVAL TRAINING CAMPS. In the spring of 1917 there were in existence four naval training stations in the United States. These had a total capacity of 6,000 men. The largest, at Great Lakes, 111., with accommodations for 3,000 men, was opened in 1911, with an initial capacity of 1,500 recruits. The oldest, that at Newport, for 2,000 men, was commis- sioned in 1881, although it had theretofore been a year in operation. One at Yerba Buena (Goat) Island, San Francisco Harbor, estab- lished in 1889, and one at St. Helena, Norfolk Navy Yard, established in 1908, had a capacity of 500 men each. The establishment of these stations was the result of a demand for a more scientific training of the recruit than the old training ship produced. The Navy gave up the system of sending recruits to such ships, and substituted the training- station courses for their disciplining and preliminary technical in- struction. The increasingly complex battleship, with its concomitant destroyers, colliers, supply ships, etc., demanded many specialists. These crews must all be given a uniform training, a foundation, before a choice or an allotment of rating was allowed; and trade schools were established for the training of ambitious reenlisted men or of recruits showing special aptitude. The establishment of stations central to recruiting districts aided rapid enlistment; isolation of the men in small groups before and after training aided in stamping out disease and proved the most efficient method of supplying effective, healthy men and protecting the seasoned men already with the fleet. Uniform preliminary training in fundamentals provided a founda- tion for future specialization and developed resourcefulness in the recruit, no matter to what branch of the service he was finally at- tached. Replacements and new units necessitated a steady flow of men. That the system on which these older schools was founded was sound and flexible is shown by the facility with which the land- trained crews adapted themselves to the requirements of the new arms — seaplanes, balloons, and submarines. The final test came during the war, when the Great Lakes Station alone, averaging at 41 42 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. first 200 new men a month, finally received in July, 1918, 28,000 lecruits in that one month. The S3'stem stood the strain of a total enlargement from four sta- tions with 6.000 men in training at the beginning of the war to 40 stations, established or under construction, with accommodations for 191,000 men in winter and 205,000 in summer, at the signing of the armistice. Some conception of this growth can be gleaned from the fact that $1,500,000 Avas originally contemplated as a sufficient sum for naval training camps, whereas $75,000,000 had been appropriated or spent at the cessation of hostilities. This rapid enlargement required immediate construction of a vast number of buildings necessarily temporary in character, their loca- tions in many cases unprepared for building sites; but their erection was done at maximum speed Avith all possible economy at a period when priorities in material and transportation were problems of the gravest import. Not only were buildings provided for barracks, mess halls, and schools, but drill grounds, athletic fields, roads, paths, heating and power plants and their feeding and lighting conduits, water supply, sewers, and drainage, were all laid out at maximum speed to meet not only the requirements of the moment but also possibilities of indefi- nite expansion. Upon the Bureau of Yards and Docks, charged with the construc- tion of all shore establishments of the Navy, fell the responsibility of designing and erecting the necessary training station facilities. Work was begun only u^^on our entering the war, and a rigid survey was made of the special requirements of naval training camps. Studies were based on the experience of the few existing establishments, and took large account of their organization and operation. Designs were made for a chain of 20 cantonments linking up both coasts with the Great Lakes and providing accommodation for 80,000 recruits. This was sufficient for the immediate emergency only, and a continual expansion, both in number of stations and capacity, kept I'^ace with the increase of the Navj'^ as a whole. It is a matter of some satisfaction to the bureau that its organiza- tion in 1917 enabled it to conduct its emergency naval camp con- struction with a remarkable measure of success. Early contracts were made on the cost-plus basis, but the interests of the Govern- ment were safeguarded by careful inspection and supervision. While this form of contract, in general, may be subject to debate on groimds of economy, it proved for the time being the most speedy, and re- sulted in the early completion of the buildings so absolutely neces- sary for the accommodation of recruits. The time of completion of each camp was short. An extension of the Great Lakes station to WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 43 accommodate 17,000 men was finished in four months. The first training camp at Hampton Eoads for 10,000 men was completed in three and one-half months, three weeks of which time was consumed in draining, stumping, and clearing the site, over 4,000 workmen being employed in this alone. At the Philadelphia Navy Yard site cantonments for 5,000 men were built in three months. In Brooklyn, quarters for 3,000 men Avere erected in 30 days. In several cases the work of construction was done by enlisted men of the Navy, in others by navy-yard labor employed under the super- vision of public works officers, and the large remainder was handled through commercial contracts. During the peak of construction, 50,000 men were employed on the training camp projects alone. The results are a source of great pleasure when the hampering elements are considered. The build- ings are admirably arranged on architectural lines with simple masses, all exposed surfaces are painted, and at this writing grass and planting enhance the central features of the stations. Close cooperation with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery was maintained in the planning of these training camps to meet the Bureau of Navigation's demands for an ever-increasing expansion of facilities, and all credit attaching to the control of sickness in these establishments during the war is due to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for the rigid requirements and remedial suggestions laid down by it. TRAINING ASHORE— THE SYSTEM. For a proper understanding of the conditions governing the plan of a naval training station, an insight must be had into the daily life of the recruit it houses. Upon his arrival at the station he is held for observation for 21 days in what is known as the " incoming " isolation group, and is housed in a barrack accommodating 12 men. If he is infected with any communicable disease, it will develop in that length of time and onl}^ 11 men will have been exposed. In this detention camp he is under constant medical observation, and for the protection of the main camp he is isolated by a zone 10 feet wide formed by two high barbed-wire fences. Each unit has its own dormitories, mess room, serving room, and latrine. His food comes in vacuum containers from a special centrally located kitchen. His dishes never leave the building, but are sterilized in each serving pantry. His clothes, however, are taken to the general laundry in special bags and sterilized before being laundered. This isolation camp is provided with its own dispensary, officers' quarters, and bar- racks similar to those in the main regimental group. 44 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. At the end of his three-Aveek period of medical observation he is enrolled in a regimental training unit and is housed in a barrack containing from 54 to 140 men. He now advances in his training, a landsman to be made into a sailor before treading the deck of a ship. He sleeps as a rule on a stout canvas hammock slung G feet above the deck, as the floor is called. That hammock he suns daily on a long pipe railing 'just outside the barrack. His spare garments are stowed in a clothes bag kept lashed with a clove hitch to a jackstaff in precisely its proper location. His valuables are locked in a ditty box stowed in its proper niche on a steel rack. He spends an allotted portion of his time in a building provided with a scrub deck for washing clothes exactly as on shipboard. He takes his meals in a large, airy mess hall accommodating from 2,000 to 5,000 men, equipped with regular tables and benches and the full outfit of mess gear. His working day is divided by Navy bugle calls into school, drill, guard duty, and fatigue. His drill is conducted in bad weather in a huge hall 100 by 600 feet with an unbroken roof span, one such hall being provided for each 5,000 men. A dock is equipped for his training in handling small boats, with davits for raising and lowering these and a boathouse for their storage. Row- ing tanks and swimming pools are provided for his instruction in oarsmanship and swimming, and even his athletic amusements are planned to develop his sense of teamwork, as it has been found that the battleships flying the efficiency pennant are usually the ones the members of whose crews furnish the winning athletic teams. His evenings are spent in study or recreation, and the Y. M. C. A. and K. of C, as well as hostess houses, give him a variety of choice. After a period of training whose length is governed somewhat by the demand for men for the fleet, he is withdrawn into an out- going detention or isolation camp, under the same conditions as when he entered, for the same period of time, so that any possible disease he may have contracted during training, in spite of careful medical supervision, will develop, and so protect the crew to which he will be assigned. To house, subsist, and instruct even 5,000 recruits a large number of buildings arc required, and these must be so located and planned as to minimize costs and time in both communication and operation. The barracks, accommodating from 54 to 140 men each, are ar- ranged in regimental units, each witli its own mess hall, galley, dis- pensary, and attendant buildings. The regimental barracks are further subdivided into brigade units, each with its proper headquarters. Schools, drill halls, a physical instruction building, and swimming pools are apportioned to 5.000- man units. The camp as a whole must be equipped with a heating and' power plant, storehouses, fire engine houses, telephone service, WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 45 garbage incinerator, and shops, as necessarily as a city requires its public utilities. These buildings are grouped in the following main divisions: 1. Administration group. 2. Isolation group. 3. Main regimental group. 4. Service group. 5. Hospital group. 6. Educational and recreational group. The administration group occupies a central location, and com- prises the buildings or building for office administration with proper subdivisions for executive and general offices. Officers' quarters, officers' mess and kitchen canteen, warrant officers' quarters, armory, wireless station, and telephone central complete the group. The isolation group has been briefly described above. The 12- man barracks in its " incoming " and " outgoing " halves are each completely self-contained, with all living facilities under one roof. The main regimental group is composed of barracks, latrines, mess halls, dispensaries, scrub decks for washing clothes and hammocks, a regimental office building for every regiment, brigade headquarters for every brigade, cooks' barracks, officers' quarters, chief petty officers' quarters, and a regimental quartermaster building, and in this group lie the parade ground, athletic ground, fire engihe house, drill halls, and physical instruction building. The commissary group contains the storehouses, refrigerator plant, bakery, and general store building for supplies, clothing, and camp equipment. The service group contains the buildings for garage, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, electrical shop, paint shops, central heating and power plant, coal handling apparatus, garbage incinerator, and other necessar}^ services; water plants, water supply filtration, sewage disposal, service roads of concrete, walks, of either cement or wood, and the lighting of grounds and flood lighting of the boundary fencing also fall under this group. The educational and recreation group contains buildings especially equipped for the various purposes. In it may be found a general school, commissary school, rigging school, carpenter school, yeoman school, electrical school, music school, swimming school, radio school, and officers' school. The recreation buildings, if any, are equipped for moving pic- tures or entertainments, although the Y. M. C. A. and K. of C. usually have their own recreation buildings and comforts. The buildings are constructed of wood, erected on wood or con- crete posts, except those in which concrete floors are required. The sills, floors, and beams are of wood, the floors double-laid with water- 46 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. proof paper between courses. The Avails are sheathed inside with matched or composition board. The outside walls are sheathed, except in the southern climate. A layer of tarred paper is used for this purpose, and the sides are covered with drop siding of vertical boards and battens. The roofs are sheathed solid and are usually covered with ground slag or ready roofing. Every possible comfort is afforded that good discipline permits, and every known medical precaution protects the health of the personnel. THE CAMPS AND STATIONS. This brief description of the general facilities required in a train- ing camp gives slight conception of the magnitude of a camp project in its entirety, nor does it suggest the variations of the general scheme required for the several classes of training at different locations. The Bureau of Navigation, in governing the training operation, assigned to each camp certain schools of special instruction. These schools, of course, required special facilities in addition to the ordi- nary requirements of general training. While some of these schools were housed in existing structures, necessitating in such cases no actual building construction, the equipment and necessary improvements were provided by the Bureau of Yards and Docks in all instances. Building construction was carried on at the various locations indi- cated below, and in the following brief on each of these places no detail has been attempted. The intention is merely to emphasize the almost simultaneous growth of the several stations, since it would be impossible within the compass allowed to go into the varia- tions of design and equipment for improvement of all places of training and instruction provided for the Navy during the emergency. FIRST NAVAL DISTRICT. Receiving ship, Boston, Mass. {Commonwealth Pier.) — On April 19, 1917, the receiving ship personnel were transferred from the navy yard, Boston, to the Commonwealth Pier, South Boston. Cer- tain parts of this immense inclosed structure, belonging to the State of Massachusetts, were leased by the Navy ; and with the installation of a heating system and toilet facilities, together with the proper equipment, comfortable accommodations were soon provided for housing and messing 2,500 men. Training Camp, BumJdn Island. — Earlj'^ in May, 1917, Bumkin Island, in Boston Harbor, was leased from its owner, Mr. A. C. Bur- rage, a Boston philanthropist who had erected on the island a large building for use during the summer as a children's hospital. On WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 47 May 28, a few officers and men arrived at the island and, using the hospital as quarters, began preparing a training camp. Barracks were occupied as fast as built, the arriving recruits dividing their time between general training and constructing barracks for more men. During July contracts were awarded for additional barracks, drill and mess halls, together with heating, lighting, water, and fuel systems. By November a model camp for 1,000 men was complete, utilizing the hospital building for administration, hospital, and officers' quarters. Realizing the possibility of overcrowing and the- resulting detri- ment to the health of men housed at all stations, the Bureau of Medi- cine and Surgery early in 1918 prescribed certain minimum allow- ances for sleeping quarters. These specifications required that a minimum of 50 square feet of floor space and 450 cubic feet of air space be provided for each man, with the further requirement that 5 feet be maintained from head to head of men sleeping. The situa- tion often prevented immediate observance of these provisions. In the present case, however, every effort was made to meet them, and in July, 1918, a contract was awarded which supplied housing designed to accommodate 1.100 additional men on the basis of the prescription. This work was completed in the latter part of the year, and with the quarters already in use a total capacity of 1,750 men was provided. Training Cainp^ Hingham. — Available ground at the naval maga- zine, Hingham, Mass., was authorized as a site of a camp in April, 1917, and a contractor then constructing buildings at the magazine was instructed to build certain temporary structures for camp use. Additional barracks, together with heating and other appurtenances, were contracted for in September, which when completed, in October, 1917, provided a camp for approximately 600 men. Fire-protection system, dispensaries, water supply, and a 1,100-man extension to the camp were completed under contract by October 17, 1918. It is interesting to note that Hingham was originally planned to serve as a quarantine camp in case of an outbreak of contagious diseases on Commonwealth Pier, the capacity of Bumkin Island having become inadequate. When the first part of the camp was completed, in the fall of 1917, recruits destined for general training ^vere sent to Hingham for outfitting and a three-weeks period of detention and preliminary training, and were then transferred else- Avhere to complete their course or assigned to special training, this being a point of selection for special instruction schools. When the condition arose which the Hingham camp had originally been de- signed to meet (influenza epidemic of August, 1918) it was' not avail- able, being fully occupied for indispensable training; purposes. The 37022—21 4 48 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU t)F YARDS AND DOCKS. situation was met, however, by the establishment of tent camps on the State muster grounds at Framingham, Mass. Harvard Radio School, Canihridge, Mass. — In mid April, 1917. through the courtesy of Harvard University, a school was estab- lished in the Crufts Laboratory to meet the demand for men trained in radio work. The men were messed by the university at a cost of $5 each per week, and Avere housed in a college dormitory at $3.25 per week, paying their expenses from their subsistence allowance of $1.25 per day. It was not long before the school had reached its total possible capacity of 500 men, and expansion was provided by a further arrangement with Harvard College for an additional 500 men. This, however, did not suffice, and it became necessary to construct barracks and instruction buildings on land in the vicinity. The mayor of Cambridge was requested to offer the Navy the use of Cambridge Commons. This he did, and after some local oppo- sition had been overcome, ground was broken on June 6 for the erection of barracks for 1,800 men. The work Avas completed in 43 working-daj'S, and provided complete facilities for quartering and instruction, the messing being continued under an arrangement with the university. Perhaps one of the items of greatest interest in the design of this camp was the objection of local authorities to defacing their park by cutting down trees, and the obvious difficulty was ex- perienced of designing buildings and locating them so as to avoid the planting. As the work was finally accomplished, only three trees were removed, with the result that this camp presented, no doubt, the best appearance of any built during the war period. The build- ings, painted a loAv-visibility green amid the heavy foilage, presented an appearance of long existence rather than temporary expediency. Fuel-oil school, Quincy, Mass. — Contracts for a large number of destroyers had been awarded to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corpo- ration at this point, and in order that trained firemen, at least fa- miliar with the vessels to which they were to be detailed, might be available upon completion of a ship, a fuel-oil school was established at this site. The school was operated for a while in plant buildings, but increasing numbers which were required led to the authoriza- tion in June, 1918, of the construction of a barracks and instruction building for 100 students. Prison cam/p, Portsmouth. — With the expansion of the Navy it is only natural there should be a proportionate increase in prison fa- cilities. However, only one important addition to shore prisons was made during the war, and that at the site of the naval prison in the navy yard, Portsmouth, N. H. On December 15, 1917, the Bureau of Yards and Docks wrote Portsmouth that at a conference between the Secretary of the Navy, the Judge Advocate General, and a repre- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 49 sentative of the bureau it had been decided to make immediate addi- tional provision for prisoners by the erection of temporary buildings. It contemplated immediate construction for 300 prisoners ; ultimate expansion to a capacity of 1,000. In the yard's reply facts were brought out which indicated that the immediate need was greater than that contemplated, and acting upon these recommendations and the authority of the Secretary, the bureau prepared plans for the award of a contract on December 29, 1917. This contract provided for the construction of barracks, a mess hall, and other facilities for housing 500 prisoners. Almost before the work was begun the necessity for further expansion was realized, and facilities increas- ing the total to 840 men were added to the contract. This work was completed April 13, 1918, and still greater enlargement was con- tracted for in August, 1918, which, when completed in December, 1918, increased the capacity of the temporary prison to 1,384 men. MaHne hm^racks for prison guard^ Portsmouth^ N. H. — This proj- ect is dealt with in the chapter on Marine Corps construction. SECOND NAVAL DISTRICT. Training Station, Nexofort, R. I. {Coaster'' s Harhor Island). — As previousl}^ mentioned, the Newport Training Station is the oldest of the permanent training establishments, and at the declaration of war was capable of handling 2,000 men. The buildings were of a permanent type but few in number and were not adapted to the ac- commodation of any considerable increase in complement. The War College building is located on this island, and with the closing of the college this building was occupied as camp administration and district headquarters. Tents, cots, and other necessary materiel were purchased to care for the surplus influx of men to be trained here, the population of the island being reported as 6,000 on May 10, and 10,000 on July 10, 1917. In the meantime every effort was being put forth to replace tents with suitable habitation, temporary barracks being constructed on nearly all available spaces, and by fall the winter quarters had been increased to house a total of 8,000 men. The heating system for this camp presented an interesting problem, the desirability of constructing several temporary units or one central power plant of a more permanent type being debated, In this connection a few words from Capt. Bennett's history of the training division, Bureau of Navigation, are found of interest : The heating problem at the Newport Training Station was deemed suffi- ciently important and peculiar to warrant building a complete and permanent new central power plant, rather than pi'ovide a number of smaller isolated units 50 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AKD DOCKS. Temporary barracks uud pLrMiaiiont. cim.strucliou, Aaval Training Station, Newport, II. I. T"'iri[irir:i ry li;i rr.-i. 1.-. \ ,, ,1 I i WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAKDS AND DOCKS. 51 as was (lone at (ii'cat Lakes and in most oilier stations and camps. Conditions surrounding the execution of this contract were sucli that, despite early letting, it was not completed in time to take over the whole load of the station during the winter of 1917-lS, thus causing the conmuuiding officer many serious hours (luring that trying winter. With its assistance, in its partially finished state, the living quarters of officers and men were, however, kept heated and lighted. It may not be inappropriate to remark, for the benefit of those charged with similar responsibility in the future, that for quick ""nd certain results tempo- rary construction would seem to present certain advantages, even though the need for additions of a permanent nature be fully recognized and allowed to proceed simultaneously. In meeting a heating problem such as the above, one must keep in mind the necessity for economical operation. The difficulties pre- sented by supervision as well as those of transporting fuel, supplies, and debris must always be weighed against the economy of cen- tralization, the housing of the plant being only a minor factor. Coddington Pointy Neioyort^ R. I. — Further expansion of the camp on Coaster's Harbor Island, although recommended by the com- manding officer, was not considered advisable by the Bureau of Navigation. It did, howcA^er, advocate the purchase of a tract of land to the northeast of the island on the mainland, the only separa- tion being a narrow arm of the bay navigable only by the smallest craft. This tract is known as Coddington Point. On April 17, 1918, the mayor of Newport wired the Secretary of the Navy offering this land to the Government for $100,000, the city having procured an option at $150,000, and being willing to pay the difference. Eventually Congress appropriated the necessary funds, and this 1G1.4 acres was made available for another camp as an adjunct of the training station, Newport. Just at this juncture the Ignited States Ship])ing Board called upon the Navy to ]je prepared to furnish 200,000 trained men for their ships listed for delivery ])rior to January 1, 1020, and the Bureau of Navigation then felt that the time had arriA'ed to provide a large increase at Newport. A camp for 15,000 men, with necessarjr additional auxiliary buildings, incoming and outgoing detention groups, and a ship's company unit Avas contemplated. Bids for this work were opened on August 2G, 1918, and the contract was awarded within a day or t^vo thereafter. The construction of this camp with all facilities for heat, light, and poAver, together with roads, Avalks, sewer and water systems, fences, street lighting, fire-pressure mains, sewage-disposal plant, piers, and coal-handling devices Avas pursued rapidly. When, how- eA^er, the signing of the armistice caused sudden and radical changes in all plans contingent on the prosecution of the Avar, the develop- ment of Coddington Point Avas at once arrested. The capacity of the camp as completed Avas only 8,000 men. 52 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Delay incident to the curtailment of contracts for this work, as well as the passin^: of the emergency, hindered the completion of even this reduced portion until early in 1920. (See note at end of chapter on the latter i)hases of this project.) Cloyne Fields Newport^ li. I . — Reports from the second naval district during April. 1917, indicate particularly energetic enroll- ment of recruits. In fact, it is said that in mid April the training station had been filled with regulars, and soon thereafter all the accommodations of the shore establisliment and on the few small vessels of the district had been filled. Men were quartered in the Y. M. C. A., a church building, and elsewhere, and new men con- tinued to arrive at the rate of 75 per day. Newport could offer very little in the way of accommodations, and attempts to lease additional facilities were for a time unavailing. About May 1, however, the commandant obtained a lease on the athletic field belonging to the Cloyne School of Newport. The construction of a camp was begun promptly, and within, four weeks 600 men moved into the l)arracks completed. Others followed as completion progressed. The original capacity contemplated was 1,000 men, but before this figure- was reached a second 1,000-man unit was authorized and added. In compliance with the require- ments of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, previously explained, the capacity of this cnmp was afterwards officially designated as' 1,600 men. Suhmarine Base, New London, Conn. — While training was actually carried on and barracks for housing the men were constructed at New Ix)ndon, the activities were properly those of a submarine base and are alluded to in the chapter so designated. THIRD X.VVAL DISTRICT'. At the beginning of hostilities there were a number of battle- ships and several other men-of-war in a reserve status at the navy I yard, New York, and several auxiliary vessels were sent to this yard to be fitted out. These, together with ex-German 'merchant ships later sent to the yard to be fitted as troop ships or cargo trans- 1 ports, were utilized for housing recruits and members of the Naval > Reserve mobilized at this point. There were only three places! ashore available for liousing and instruction, with a total capacity of] approximately 1,500 men. These quarters were immediately occu-j pied. They comprised the U. S. S. Granite State, moored at a pier ii the Hudson River at the foot of Ninety-sixth Street, accommodating! about 400 men, and assigned to the Naval Militia; the Naval Militia] Armory at Fifty-ninth Street, Brooklyn, locally known as the " Fed- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 55 eral rendezvous,*' providing for 600 men ; and the naval Y. M. C. A., near the yard, where about 500 men could be housed and subsisted. These did not begin to meet the demands for quarters, and a tent camp for 1,000 men was established at Tarry town, N. Y., but was abandoned in the early winter of 1917. Another summer camp was established at Summerville, X. Y., for about 600 men. However, the need for further expansion was soon paramount, and, upon the authority of the department, what was afterwards Iniown as Base Six, in reality a hotel at Bensonhurst. Long Island, was leased, there- by releasing the three locations previously mentioned for special school purposes. Bensonhurst was soon known as a training camp of the third district, and continued operating as such until the occupanc}' of Pelham, when general training was discontinued and only special classes of instruction were maintained. Its normal capacity was only 1,200 men, and this was far exceeded in the summer of 1917. On August 4, 1917, the director of training (Bureau of Naviga- tion) reported in part as follows: The lack of competent instructors to take charge of outlying section bases and carry on the instruction, and also the impossibility of securing the neces- sary equipment for these small detached groups, have rendered a definite ad- herence to any prescribed routing of instructions absolutely impossible. This and similar communications and reports of inspection em- phasized the need of centralizing the training activities in the dis- trict, with the result that the following camps were constructed : Pelham Bay Park^ N. Y. — About June 15, 1917, it was estimated that a minimum of 7.215 men would be required for duty afloat in district vessels. This took no account of the district shore personnel, nor of the men who might have to be trained in this district for gen- eral service. From every point of view it was evident that increased training facilities had to be provided at once, and subsequent to a conference between the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation and the district commandant, together with an inspection of sites under con- sideration, the Bureau of Navigation requested on June 25, 1917, that the Bureau of Yards and Docks proceed with the erection of a train- ing camp for 5.000 men at Pelham Bay Park, N. Y. Plans and specifications were prepared and consent of the owners of the prop- erty (the city of New York) Avas secured. A contract was awarded, and actual construction began about the 1st of August. The con- struction had advanced sufficiently by the first week in October to permit training of a limited number ; the formal commission followed on November 7, with facilities available for a full complement of 5.000 men. 56 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. During September it became apparent that there would be need for eventual expansion of the camp, when the Bureau of Yards and Docks received the following letter : Navy Department, Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D. C, January 2Jf, 1918. To : Bureau of Yards and Docks. Subject: Pelliam Bay barracks, increased facilities. 1. It has been definitely decided that the Navy will be required to man all ships chartered by the Army as troop, animal, or cargo transports. 2. Demands for manning large numbers of each type of vessels have been received with practically no warning, and are taxing the Navy's facilities for supplying trained men. It is evident that further demands may confidently be expected, also with little or no warning, and it is now beyond question that a very considerable increase in facilities for training the crews is an immediate and urgent need. 3. Some 75 per cent of the transport vessels are expected to fit out in New York. Owing to the suddenness of the demands to take over the vessels, the training and depot facilities must be at that place if the Navy is to respond efficiently to these demands. 4. The cheapest method of meetin^f these demands will be to expand on existing station, as some of the existing facilities will not need to be duplicated. Operating overhead charges will also be much less if an existing station is expanded in lieu of starting an additional one. 5. It is requested that the Bureau of Yards and Docks at once undertake to secure from the authorities of New York City nominal lease of additional land at Pelham Bay Park, contiguous to the land now occupied by the naval training camp, and provide training facilities for 10,000 additional men ; it is desired that about 20 per cent of these facilities constitute an isolation unit. L. C. Palmer. Approved : JosEPHus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. The consent of the city authorities was not received until the last of February, 1918, and the construction of the camp on a day-labor basis was begun under the supervision of an officer of the Corps of Civil Engineers. Completion on August 1 was contemplated, but as a matter of fact the incoming detention for 2,000 men was com- pleted on June 1, and began the training of recruits immediately. The main camp for 8,000 men was ready for occupany on July 1, 1918, and thus, with the hospital facilities which were finished a little later, the total capacity of 15,500 was res^'hed. Particulars of the execution of the Pelham extension are here in- serted from the personal account of the officer in charge. Commander E. C. Brown (C. E. C), U. S. N. K. F. (inactive) : It was perfectly apparent from the outset that the prosecution of this job at the rate required would only be hampered by the intervention of a con- tractor. Authority to hire labor without reference to civil service laws was obtained from the President, and authority to purchase in advance of requisition was obtained from the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 57 Offices were opened at 101 Park Avenue. New York City, on the 21st of February, with no organization. On tlie 1st of March purchasing, traffic, ac- counting, estimating, drafting, engineering, and other departments were com- pletely organized, as well as the entire field force, which was under the supervision of INIr. W. S. Faddis, who consented to act as general superintend- ent in the field, with the consent of his company. Besides proper organization, some other innovations were introduced in the building of this camp, aiding materially in reducing its costs and expediting its completion. Two sawmills containing 20 saws of various types each were erected, and all material for the entire job was scheduled and cut in these mills. No other saw was allowed to be used on the work until boarding commenced. Each gang did its own work in rotation. The first gang dug the postholes and put in the concrete bottom ; the second gang placed foundation posts, sills, and floor beams; a third gang erected the stud walls and roof rafters ; the next gang did the boarding and put in the window frames. Ground for the isolation camp was broken on March 15, and 88 buildings were completely framed on March 29, after a total of 88 working hours. It is interesting to note that although this camp was built in less time than any other of the same size, there was no overtime. The isolation camp was oc- cupied on June 1, and the entire camp July 1. The formal flag raising took place July 4, when the Secretary of the Navy made the dedicatory address. The hosp'tal was completed on the 1st of Augu.st. It is interesting to note that in all of this work only two items were sublet : (1) A radial brick chimney, and (2) a small amount of pile driving. All other work, including lighting, heating, and plumbing, was done by the or- ganization of the officer in charge. The heating work was most successful on account of the excellent des'gn of Mr. Henry C. Meyer, jr., a consulting mechanical engineer of New York City. Many innovations were introduced in the electrical work, such as the assembling and reeling of distribution wires in tbe shop. When a building was to be wired, after the collar beams were in. this reel would be dragged over the top of the collar beams, all of the laterals falling into their proper places. In this way one electrician and one helper completely wired the building in one hour. The excellent installation resultmg proved later by actual test to give twice the light with one-half the wattage used in some regular electric layouts in other camps. Cre'dit for the success of this part of the work should be given to Mr. Bassett Jones, a con- sulting electrical engineer of New York. The most interesting thing about this proposition, which was the only large camp built without a contract, is that it was possible to get the best talent to step into the various branches of the organization. Due credit must be given to the following men, in addition to those above mentioned : :Mr. George H. Creasy, who gave up a large private business to act as plumbing superintendent ; IMr. Albin Gustafson, who gave up his private business to act as electrical superintendent ; Mr. K. G. Smith, a civil engineer, who gave up his I'l'ivate work to act as office manager. The cost of the Pelham operation done directly without contractors was 18 cents a cubic foot, including concrete roads, heating, lighting, plumbing, sewage disposal, pier.s, coal-conveying apparatus, power house, and everything complete. A system of ventilation was used throughout in the design of Pelham, in which, by boxing two of the floor beams, air was carried in from the outside under the radiators placed centrally, and out through holes in the ceiling through suction-draft ventilators. On actual test the air in each building, with all windows and doors closed was completely changed sis times in an hour. 58 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. Twenty million board feet of lumber, mostly spruce, was landed on the job in eight weeks. None of the lumber ordered through governmental agencies ar- rived until six weeks afterwards, when the camp was practically completed. City Parh^ Brooklyn., N. Y. — As previously stated, men mobilized at New York were being quartered in various vessels. Needless to say, such accommodations were but a poor makeshift. Repairs and alterations, which were going on daj^ and night in the fitting of the vessels for service, made living conditions aboard about as bad as could be, to say nothing of the interference which the presence of this personnel no doubt offered in the prosecution of such repairs. Late in June the commandant reported having secured from the city authorities the free use of a small public park just outside the navy-yard wall. The Bureau of Yards and Docks was requested to undertake the construction of a receiving-ship barracks of a capacity as great as this plot of land would allow. In spite of the somewhat indefinite nomenclature which the pres- sure of war imposed on the training establishments, it is well at this point to set forth clearly the central intention of a receiving- ship camp. Such camps were situated near or at ports and bases, and replaced the actual receiving ships as the latter were outgrown c*i pressed into service. Primarily, then, these camps were reservoirs or clearing houses for already trained personnel awaiting assignment to vessels, and the training features were made secondary to urgently required barrack and messing facilities. Such a notion is to be con- veyed in general whenever the term " receiving-ship camp " is used. The third naval district, with New York as its headquarters, was naturally swarming with the new nav^al personnel before the war had been many weeks in progress. Mobilized from all sources, fed in through the training-camp and naval militia systems, they were passing through in a swelling stream to their manifold war assign- ments — particularly in the opening period as armed guards for merchant vessels. Hence the insistent demand for receiving-ship quarters ashore, and the City Park camp met a most vital need as a clearing station for the armed guard. Particulars of the remarkable progress made in the construction of this camp for 3,000 men are herewith abstracted from the persona] account of the officer in charge of construction, Commander E. C. Brown, who also conducted the Pelham Park extension operation above noted: The tentative plot plan layout was verbally approved by the Chief of the P.ureau of Yards and Docks on June 28, 1917. The working plans were started June 29, and including lighting, heating, and plumbing, were completed live days later, July 3, and submitted to the bureau for approval July 4. Ground; was l)roken on July ;" and work started on July G by the general contractors. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS, 59 The original plans were carried out with the exception of the mess hall, which was changed to the stand-up cafeteria system upon advice being received that more than the 3,000 men who were to be housed in the park camp would have to be messed there. The installation provided has operated with eminent success. It necessitated enlarging the messing facilities somewhat and caused some delay in the starting of this building, but the building was completed with the rest of the camp. The construction work was practically completed on August 4, and from that date until August IS all equipment was installed. All of this equipment was purchased through the public works officer with the excep- tion of the mess gear. On August 10, the date originally promised by the public works officer, the men moved into the camp — the first meal served being breakfast, August 11, at which time 6,800 men were served in 45 minutes. Housing facilities were provided for 3,000 enlisted men, and approximately 20,000 meals per day were served. The average time required to serve one meal for 6,300 men on the con- tinuous system was about one hour. The cost of the camp was slightly under $400,000, including double-deck pipe rail bunks, bunk bottoms, concrete roads and walks, lighting, heating, plumbing, refrigerators, ranges, kettles, bake ovens, tables, furniture, and all equipment with the exception of mess gear. On the basis of 3,000 men housed and 6,000 men subsisted, the camp represents an average from a cost standpoint of 4,000 men, making tbe individual price of the camp, complete, $100 per man. This price includes the buildings which were added to the original layout, namely, hospital, dispensary, canteen, and administration building, and offices for chap- lains and armed guards. It will be noted from the foregoing that all the men quartered at the navy yard Avere messed at City Park, but all in excess of 3,000 continued to sleep aboard the ships being repaired. Later, however, in order that the sanitary requirements of the Bureau of Medicine and Surger}^ might be observed, the capacity of City Park was fixed at 2,500 men. Ellis Island. — Reports dated August 10 and September 10, 1917, indicate a receiving-ship personnel present in the navy yard of 4,800 and 6,300, respectively. These men in excess of the 2,500 provided for at City Park were quartered on the various ships at the yard, but with the commissioning of some of these vessels the need for addi- tional quarters became apparent. An excursion steamer, the Adiron- dack ., was leased for the purpose of housing 1,000 men, but was found to be totally unsuited for the purpose. The sanitary conditions on these ships were entirely unsatisfactory, and it is said that the young men who came to them from civil life formed a most erroneous idea of the naval service, and these ideas became more or less public and did the service considerable harm. Meanwhile, the armed guard was crowded in City Park beyond safe health conditions. Pelliam was turning out personnel to man not only the Navy but also Shipping Board vessels. Thus the housing of " general detail " men was be- coming a serious problem. 60 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOi^K'S. Cciicnil virw, Aiinid (iiiaiil Cnnip, City I'ark, Brooklyn, N. V >:t'.-r^;,-.aa ■ OCNtCAL PLAH5 c WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, 67 Barrack group, East Camp, Hampton Roads, Ya. yv >«^t; J^r Typical barracks, East Camp, Hampton Roads, Va. 68 WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAliDS AND DOCKS. Lauiiili\ and i;allry, Kasl Caiii|i, llaiiipuai l:uail>, ^ a. I'ost oflici', East t amp, liaiii|iluii lioads, \a. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 69 used on shipboard, such as searchlights, signals, cranes, and turret moving and ventilating devices, so that opportunity might be afforded to demonstrate the practical use of such apparatus. East Gamf^ Hampton Roads. — Upon receipt of information in Jul}', 1918, that the United States Shipping Board would call upon the Xavy for approximately 200,000 trained men for tlie ships to be completed before January 1, 1920, an estimate of the situation indi- cated that the Navy's total existing housing and training facilities must be increased at once by approximately 30,000 men. About one- half of this number were provided for at the naval training station, Newport (Coddington Point), as hereinbefore discussed, and it was considered that the remainder should be cared for in the vicinity of Hampton Roads. After consideration of the available sites, one at Yorktown, Va., was selected, and a complete camp with all facilities for 14,000 men, together with an 800-bed hospital and accommoda- tions for a hospital personnel of 400, was designed. Bids were to be opened September 9, 1918, but further consideration led to the can- cellation of this project in favor of an equivalent camp to be erected on a tract of about 370 acres across Boush Creek, opposite the train- ing station, Hampton Roads, and subsequently known as " east camp " site. Work was promptly undertaken on this location. The proximity of the new camp to the naval operating base eliminated the necessity of separate administration, and thus several of the camp buildings were omitted, as was the entire hospital portion of the project. The signing of the armistice arrested this project before the barracks were ready for occupancy. The work was well under way, however, and the camp was finally completed as contemplated; and being the last one that was designed and constructed, it had the benefit of the experience gained during the construction of the other stations. For that reason, it is to-day the best example of a naval training camp constructed during the war period. Ensigns'' School^ Annapolis, Md. — At the outbreak of hostilities many men of education had enrolled as officers in the Naval Reserve Force and many of them, especially former members of the United States Power-boat Squadron, had had prewar training in the duties of officers. There had also been one or more summer cruises aboard the ships of the battle fleet by civilians, the so-called " naval Platts- burg." It was realized, however, that further instruction was neces- sary before such men could be assigned to positions of responsibility under war conditions. The establishment of the district officer ma- terial schools at the various stations was one step toward the solu- tion of the problem, wdiile another was a plan formulated late in May, 1917, to utilize during the summer the space vacated by the graduating class of the United States Naval Academy, together with 70 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. the academy organization and equipment, for a short intensive course for such partially trained officer personnel. On June 6, the initial class of about 200 were assigned quarters in Bancroft Hall, which had been vacated by the graduating class. They were given a course of about 10 weeks, the results of which were so gratifying that it was decided to continue the plan. As the existing accommodations were filled by midshipmen of the new class, it was necessary to build barracks and increase the staff of instructors. Temporary barracks for 300 student officers were erected, and the second class reported on October 10, 1917. The course was then extended to 16 weeks, and a further increase was made by erection of a barracks and mess hall for 150 men, which was completed in four weeks. Thus a school having a capacity of 450, which was augmented during the summer by use of the vacant rooms in Bancroft Hall, was completed to re- main in operation throughout the period of hostilities. Marine Camp^ Quantico, Va. — This important project is discussed in the chapter devoted to construction for the Marine Corps. SIXTH NAVAL DISTRICT. Charleston^ S. C. — Mobilization of reserves and volunteers at the navy yard, Charleston, S. C, so overcrowded the existing receiving ship (U. S. S. Hartford) and other available accommodations that a small tent camp was pitched early in 1917 to accommodate the over- flow. More habitable structures were required, however, and on April 26, 1917, an allotment was telegraphed which authorized the con- struction of a camp for 1,000 men, work to be done by yard labor, assisted by enlisted men. These buildings, designed locally, were of a semibungalow type, intended to accommodate 25 men each, so con- structed as to admit a maximum of light and air in good weather, and capable of being closed with canvas curtains in inclement weather or heated by trash stoves in cold weather. About this time, the authorities of the city of Charleston tendered the free use of land just outside the navy-yard boundary and adjacent to the 1,000-man camp then under construction. Accommodations at all camps were so seriously overcrowded that it was decided to accept this offer and utilize it for the expansion necessary. Accordingly, on May 3, 1917, the Bureau of Yards and Docks was requested to pro- ceed with construction to increase the facilities so as to care for a total of 5,000 men, including certain additional construction for the 1,000- man camp previously authorized. Ground was broken on the 1,000-man portion within the yard on April 30, and the work was completed on June 8. At this time about 735 men were under training, in addition to the personnel quartered on the Hartford. On this date (June 8) the contract-built portion WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 71 Drill hall at East Cami.. llaiiii>ic.ii Kwa.ls. Va, Boiler plant. East Camp, Hampton Roads, V; 72 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Typical liarrack. Xa\al Trainiiis Cam|i, Charh'^ton, S. C. H ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^P^^^^^^^^^^F^^H|vai'?^ ;: _^j|M^SSSiBl^^S&8^^9^^^ V' i General view, Naval Training Camp, Charleston, S. C. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 73 for 4,000 men on city property Avas about 50 per cent completed, but the delay in getting equipment nullified to a great extent the immediate benefit of this construction. A sanitary survey by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery resulted in the application of the strict speci- fications for sleeping quarters, i. e., 450 cubic feet of air space per man, with not less than 5 feet between heads of sleeping men. As these barracks had but 220 cubic feet of air space on a 5,000-man basis, the capacity of the camp was reduced to 2,500 men. It was the original intention to use the camp to train naval reserve forces, and no deten- tion camp was provided; the almost continuous outbreak of con- tagion, however, necessitated the establishment of a tent detention camp. The latter on April 16, 1918, was ordered to be replaced by standard detention-camp barracks for 600 men. This, together with the new barracks which had been constructed meantime for the ma- chinist's mate school, soon provided a total capacity (exclusive of tents) for 3,500 men under training. Marine Barracks, Pari^ Island, S. C . — This work was carried along with other emergency camp construction, but a discussion of it will be found in the chapter on Marine Corps projects. SEA'ENTH NAVAL DISTRICT. Key West, Fla. — Early in the period of hostilities the comman- dant leased at small cost the P. & O. steamship wharf at Key West, with its covered sheds and adjacent land, as a site for mobilizing and training such men as might be enrolled there. On June 1, 1917, the Bureau of Navigation requested Yards and Docks to increase the capacity to a total of 1,000 men by the erection of barracks, a galley and mess hall, etc. This camp was probably the cheapest erected during the war, and no attempt was made to secure a desir- able plan, it being only possible, after utilizing the existing sheds, to erect structures of odd shapes and sizes on the available spaces adjacent. It is interesting to note that, notwithstanding these con- ditions, records indicate that finished training was given some 2,400 men, and partial training to about an equal number of others. Capt. Bennett, in commenting on this station in his " History of Work of the Training Division," writes in part as follows : Perlmps the most remarkable feature of all was the health conditions which prevailed. Only two deaths occurred at the camp, one of which was a drown- ing accident. The camp bore its share of the influenza epidemic, but in a total of 464 cases every one recovered. The epidemic was so severe among the civilian population that the camp furnished personnel for operating the city gas works, to assist in the work of the city's post office, and in compounding prescriptions in the drug stores of the city, which had been wholly unable to meet the demands incident to the epidemic. 74 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. EIGHTH NAVAI. DISTRICT. Nev) Orleans^ La. — The mobilization center for the eighth naval district was the naval station, New Orleans, where the seaman bar- racks was used for habitation until the requirements of war necessi- tated, late in April, 1917, the establishment of a tent camp. Con- ditions in this district were typical of those prevailing generally, although the immediate consequences were much less serious on the south and west coasts than in those districts bordering on the At- lantic — the latter being required to. effect a large-scale coast-defense system immediately. Congestion in the northern training centers caused the transfer of many men to the southern districts, where greater facilities were immediately available. The tent camp at New Orleans provided for 1,000 men, and although the commandant during the summer of 1917 urged that it be replaced by wooden bar- racks before the hurricane season, the Bureau of Navigation decided against the recommendation. The tent camp was never completely replaced by wooden construction, though two barrack buildings with a maximum capacity of 116 men each were built by enlisted labor and a latrine for their inhabitants was built by station labor during the fall of 1917. During July, 1917, the commandant recommended the establish- ment of a camp annex at West End Park, which had been tendered free of charge by the city authorities. Here boat exercises and small-arms firing, which were impossible at the yard, could be con- ducted. A wooden cantonment for 250 men was authorized on this site, it being the plan to detail successive drafts from the yard camp for a few weeks' practice in the desired exercises. Later, when the requirements of Medicine and Surgery made it necessary to reduce the capacity of this camp, additional barracks and service buildings were erected so as to increase the capacity of the camp to about 500 men. Gulfport.^ Miss. — Accommodations at the training stations, as soon as established, were alw^ays one or more laps behind in the race with re- quired capacities; and in an effort to cope with the situation, new and distinct locations were selected as temporary expedients. Such camps, however, expanded beyond early intentions and finally were looked upon as permanent for the period of the war. One of the early emergency locations selected was that of the Mississippi Centennial Exposition grounds at Gulfport, Miss., the inauguration of the ex- position having been indefinitely postponed on account of the war. The exposition buildings, which were nearing completion, were uti- lized as far as possible, and these, with a considerable amount of auxiliary construction, provided a truly efficient camp for 2,000 men. Construction work began on November 25, 1917, and notwithstand- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 75 ing additions authorized from time to time, the camp was commis- sioned about the middle of April, 1918. Pensacola, Fla. — While training was actually carried on at Pensa- cola, it was of a special type — aviation — and further reference to the bureau's activities at this station will be found in another chapter. NINTH NAVAL DISTRICT. Great Lakes^ III. — As previousl}- stated, Great Lakes was the largest of the four permanent training stations existing prior to the war. This station had a capacity of 3,000 men, and occupied a tract of 167 acres located about 33 miles north of Chicago and over- looking Lake Michigan. Increased recruiting began in this district as early as October, 1916. An average of 191 men monthly were received at the station during the first three quarters of 1916. From that time on, the average steadily increased until in March, 1917, 1,364 new recruits arrived, and in April 9,027. A large proportion of these men were quartered in tents, while others were examined, out- fitted, and sent to other stations after only a few days at Great Lakes. A detailed account of the growth of the station's housing facilities is quite impossible within the limits assigned, covering as it would the entire period of hostilities. The use of tents could obviously not be continued because of the winter climate of this region, but before other quarters could be pro- vided a colony of more than 5,000 tents was in operation, the men being accommodated in a comparatively primitive manner. In order to eliminate these conditions it became necessary to secure more ground, and after a full discussion it was decided to adopt at Great Lakes a regimental unit system of expansion, each unit providing for about 1,728 men. These regiments were then to be grouped into camps, the size and location of which were determined by the topography of the available land as well as by the military necessity. On October 11, 1918, the station occupied more than 1^00 acres and comprised about 775 buildings. Without recounting in detail the history of each addition necessitated as the war went on, it may be recorded that the following camps were finally provided, the main station and Camp Barry being the only ones existing prior to the war, and the latter only in the sense that it was erected upon the original 167-acre tract : 76 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, Regiment. Camp. Purpose. First ! Camp Perry Second do Third I do Fourth do Fifth Camp Dewev Sixth ' do Seventh ■ do Eighth Camp Decatur... Ninth i Camp Farragut . . Tenth Camp Ross Eleventh I Main station Twelfth 1 Camp PauIJones. Thirteenth do , Fourteenth i Camp Barry Fifteenth [ Aviation Unit Sixteenth ' Camp Luce , Seventeenth | do Eighteenth do Nineteenth I Camp Lawrence . . Twentieth do , Twenty-first do Twenty-second do , Recruit training. Do. Do. Do. Do. Hospital corps and yeoman schools. Radio school. Incoming detention. Do. Main hospital. Schools. Public works division. Ship's company. Incoming detention. Aviation schools. Outgoing detention. Do. Outgoing detention and public works. Recruit training. Do. Do. S. A. E. Officer-material school. The capacities of these camps varied with their types and uses, but the following excerpt from a letter of the commandant, Capt. W. A. Moffett, United States Navy, under date of August 28, 1918, will serve to illustrate the strides being made to complete by fall a capac- ity to accommodate, in round numbers, 50,000 men : I am inclosing data giving the capacity of ttie station. You will note that the " safe " winter capacity is 44,754 on a basis of 450 cubic feet per man, and that the summer capacity is 52,317. Fifty-two thousand three hundred and seventeen does not include men in tents. We have 17,000 men in tents, which means that next summer we could house comfortably 70,000 men. In regard to the safe winter capacity of 44,754, I will say that you can safely count on a practically safe capacity of 50,000 men. If necessary, we can put a couple of thousand men in each of the drill halls and in other places. I would also say that if the necessity arises I would not hesitate to take 60,000 men during the winter. The total cost of the expansion accomplished at Great Lakes under all contracts let during the emergency period was approximately $17,127,000. The reader will note the contrast between this figure for one station and the $1,500,000 at first contemplated as the total which would be required for all stations. For a closer study of the organization which handled the immense development of Great Lakes and of the results accomplished, refer- ence is made to two articles at the end of the present chapter, con- tributed by officers of the Corps of Civil Engineers who had succes- sive local charge of the projects involved. Tramiiifj Camp, Detroit, Mich. — On February 7, 1918, tlie Bureau of Navigation wrote requesting Yards and Docks to provide, at the earliest possible date, barracks at the River Rouge plant of the Ford Automobile Co., Detroit, Mich., for selected portions of prospective crews who were to man the " Eagle " boats then under construction by the company. This request Avas given the Secretary's approval, limiting initial construction to a capacity of 1,000 men and 200 officers, two davs later. iNG SiysnoN GAM AND CANTONMENT CHICAGO. ILLINOIS 37022—21. (To face page 76.) WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 77 Plans were quickly prepared, and actual construction work on a site about 500 yards from the shipyard was begun on February 16, 1918. On May 31, 1918, the bureau was requested to add to the camp certain additional structures which would provide for special instruc- tion in the operation of Eagle boat machinery, together with other facilities for administration. A camp for 1,000 men and 200 training officers was constructed, provision being made for a possible future extension to the capacity originally desired. Work was completed on June 8, 1918, and the camp remained in operation until after the signing of the armistice. ELE^^:XTH NAVAL DISTRICT. Training Canip^ San Diego, Calif. — The camp at San Diego, like Gulfport, was established temporarily to relieve overcrowding at other stations. Late in April the park commission of San Diego offered the free use of certain of the buildings in Balboa Park, which originally formed a part of the Panama-California Exposition. The overcrowding of the regular naval stations throughout the country caused the department after investigation to accept this offer. After some minor repairing and equipping, the first draft of 70 men was received May 20, 1917, and by June 6 provision had been made to accommodate 2,000 at each mess, so that the full capacity of 4,000 men could be subsisted in two shifts. The outbreak of contagion in July necessitated the establishment of a tent isolation camp of about 500 tents, which w^ere sent by express from the nearest source of sup- ply (New Y®rk City) , with instructions to put all hands under canvas until the situation had improved. From then on Balboa Park be- came substantially a tent camp, although improvements to the build- ings were made which ultimately provided for a total capacity of 5,000 men. The necessity for expanding this camp became apparent toward the end of the war period, and suitable sites for the erection of barracks were being investigated, which but for the signing of the armistice would probably have been erected on land adjacent to San Diego Bay. Training Camp, San Pedro, Calif. — On June 6, 1917, it was re- ported that part of a pier and shed of concrete construction, located in San Pedro (Los Angeles Harbor), Calif., and capable of accom- modating 1,000 men, was offered free for the period of the war. By the installation of equipment and minor improvements, such as plumb- ing and partitions, a camp was put in commission on June 11. Addi- tional space was later secured, but as a part of the original was turned over to the submarine forces only about 1,200 men could be cared for at any time. Additional quarters for 2,400 men were provided in tents erected on land adjacent to the pier, of which a capacity of 800 was isolated for incoming detention purposes. On 78 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. this extension wooden structures used as mess houses, auxiliary build- ings, and instruction halls were erected. TWELFTH NAVAL DISTRICT. Naval Training Station^ San Francisco, Calif. — In 1898 a training station, the only one on the west coast, was established on a small island in San Francisco Bay known as Goat Island or Yerba Buena, of which 107.3 acres was devoted to the naval reservation. This site is by no means ideal for a training station because of the precipitous slopes to be found. For this reason serious difficulties were encountered in accomplishing the necessary w\ar-time expansion. The existing main barracks consisted of a single story-and-a-half wooden building of inferior design and poor ventilation, but affording habitation for a maximum of 625 men. The onlj^ increase possible at this point would have been effected by tearing down this structure and erecting a two or three story building on the same site, and this was deemed unwise. The old Marine barracks some distance away was converted into a detention quarters, which, together with certain cabins adjacent thereto, was capable of housing about 240 men. By an ingenious arrangement of tents in terraces on the hillside, shelter was provided for the increasing war personnel. The improvised detention barracks (originally built for 80 Marines) was overcrowded and insanitary and soon proved entirely inadequate for the new demands. As soon as tents became available, this old building was abandoned as a barracks and utilized for kitchen, mess hall, offices, dispensary, etc. It became necessary to extend even the tent camps, and this was made possible only hj the use of a part of the lighthouse reservation on the island. Latrines, washhouses, and a new galley designed for 5.000 men were erected near the old barracks, but winter conditions were not considered sufficiently severe at this point to justify the replacing of the tent camp with wooden barracks, especially in view of the topographical difficulties attending such construction. Receiving Ship, Mare Island, Calif. — Early in April, 1917, the total estimated capacity for recruits received at Mare Island was only GOO, to obtain which it was contemplated making use of the seamen's barracks and a ship moored at the yard. It was suggested that a portion of the then projected prison camp could be built which would provide for an additional 500 men. However, the Bureau of Navigation, in view of the conditions at San Francisco, felt that this capacity was too small, and on April 25, 1917, wired the yard to consider the erection of temporary barracks for 5,000 men. This was the inception of the training camp at Mare Island, which was afterwards designated as an annex to the receiving ship. It was not until September 1, 1917, that the receiving-ship establishment WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD JJOCKS. 79 was formall}' commissioned, tlie command including' about 100 men on the U, S. S. Intrepid^ a barracks building for 500 men. and the new camp, which b}' this date was practically completed. While this provided for a total of 5,600 men, the total capacity was reduced to 3,120 when the sanitary requirements of the Bureau of ^Medicine and Surgery were applied. THIRTEENTH NAVAL DISTRICT. Training Camp, Puget Sound Navy Yard. — Like all other naval districts, the thirteenth felt the need for additional accommodations at an early date. The Naval Militia of Oregon and Washington were mobilized at the Puget Sound yard, and added about 700 to their complement within about 10 days after war was declared. In addi- tion, recruits were flowing in. On May 10, 1917, the commandant advised that 1,600 men were already assembled. These were being c-(uartered aboard the U. S. S. Philadelphia, long used as a receiving ship at Puget Sound, and the U. S. S. Boston, which had been pressed into service to supplement the former. In addition, a tent camp was put in operation on May 15, and continued until October, when the occupants were transferred to wooden barracks. These wooden barracks were decided upon when the Bureau of Yards and Docks, on May 12, 1917, was requested to erect a camp for 5,000 men. The area selected offered difficulties to rapid construction, it being largely a wooded swamp. Enlisted forces were utilized for cutting trees, pulling stumps, and filling marsh}^ areas, while the buildings were erected by station labor. Double-deck bunks were used in these barracks, and later, when Medicine and Surgery re- (|uirements were applied, the maximum capacity was reduced about 50 per cent. This reduction was compensated for by the establish- ment of a tent camp, heated by oil stoves, and by the remodeling of an old marine barracks, previously condemned. Training Camp, Seattle, Wash. — The following information is pre- sented from the personal account of the civil engineer officer then in charge of public works at Puget Sound, Capt. L, E. Gregory : Early in Juue of 1917 it was decided that a training camp should be built on a portion of the grounds of the State University at Seattle for the purpose of training recruits for the Navy. The authorities in charge of this university, under the direction of Dr. Henry Suzzallo, were most enthusiastic in their de- sire to place at the disposal of the Government the facilities of the university, in order that they might be made of greatest use during the continuation of the war. As its location was immediately uix)n water which had a direct con- nection with the sea, it was natural that this institution should lean moi*e strongly to the Navy, inasmuch as so many other universities throughout the country not so situated were in a position to give greater assistance to the Army. Arrangements having been made with the Navy Department for the construction of such a camp, plans were made early in June for a temporary tent camp for housing 500 men. As the location was such that yard labor was 37022—21 G 80 WAR ACTIVITIES 01- BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. not available, the work was placed under contract with a local concern on June 29, 1917, and Commander Miller Freeman, U. S. N. R. F., who had for several years been greatly interested in the State naval militia, was placed in command. A'ery quick worlv was done on this camp, for on .July 27 an in- spection was made preliminary to its being placed in actual commission. Hardly had the camp been made ready for the 500 recruits from the State of Washington when it was decided to train an additional 500 men from Oregon, necessitating additional construction. Thereafter, the construction had to be augmented frequently on account of the constant increases in the number of recruits authorized for training. A very high class of men were obtained in this section, and advantage was taken of the univer.sity facilities for classroom work. This even extended to instruction in aviation, and an aviation school was one of the adjuncts of the camp toward its latter days. This addition was made possible through the generosity of Mr. Boeing, the head of the. Boeing Airplane Factory in Seattle. He presented to the university much equipment for experimentation in aeronautic work, and this was of great value in training Navy recruits. The capacity of the training camp was increa.sed to such an extent that at the time of the signing of the armistice there were about 3.000 men under i!i- struction therein. THE COMPOSITE CAMP. The idea of the " composite camp " is introduced as a conception unifying and correlating the diverse components of the emergency training system as treated individually in the foregoing. The thought of the camps as a composite is indeed not misleading, if considera- tion be given the relation the one station bore to another. One camp often centered about a special instruction school, and drew its students from the apt personnel of other camps. Some were used as general training centers, while others functioned as mobilization imclei from which men were distributed to the various training camps, while still others operated as receiving ships or barracks for the armed guard or general detail, drawing their complement from the forces who had completed training at various points. The promiscuous use of the term " station " and " camp " may be con- fusing to those who were active in this branch of the naval service, for during the war the t^vo terms took on distinct meanings, the lat- ter indicating only those activities of a temporary nature, while the former designated one of the four original permanent locations and incident growth about them. Even this distinction does not entirely eliminate the composite camp, for all were organized and operating to the same end — to man the Navy — and with a view to picturing the growth of training facilities the accompanying cumulative curve has been prepared. This curve takes into account only completed work, both at the armistice and at other times. Work nearing completion at the armistice, if shown, would have indicated a higher maximum and a still more rapid rate of progress. The reader must not reach the conclusion that the composite camp theory permitted a standardization of design, for in fact the training WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 81 activities of the Navy are iinitied only through the coordination of their management and operation. The only approach to standard- ization came near the end of the period of hostilities, when the de- tention or isolation-camp barracks were developed — this being one feature common to all camps regardless of their special activities. Toward the end, the main barracks in the general training camps were being standardized, but in nearly all of the later extensions some minor changes were necessitated to meet the requirements of a particular location. No general scheme for the arrangement of buildings could be de- vised, as each site presented a different problem. Some camps, en- "- I / 1 /• / 1 / i / \ / A -1 y \ / -X " I' fi *, 't ■t "^ X ; i 'o a - ,1 ■/ J* cd / / lOOOO ,/ / lOOOO / aooo c SI -A ■3 - ., M- Ll - c^ ,^ ,. C " .. ^ J Chart showing naval recruit-training fa- cilities as completed during emergency period. tirely distinct from the existing naval establishment, naturally re- quired administrative and industrial groups which were unnecessary when the new development w^as to become a contiguous part of an existing station. More often, the utilities to be provided presented a greater problem : in some locations the existing water supply, sewer, gas, and electric systems could be utilized, wdiile in most instances the existing facilities, if any. wqvq not of sufficient ca])acity to care for the proposed construction. Harvard Radio School, Pelham Bay Park, City Park, and in fact most of the camps near large cities, were amply supplied by the city utilities, but on the otlier hand the requirements of Coddington 82 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXI) DOCKS. Point necessitated the installation of both fresh and salt water sys- tems, the fresh water being supplied from Newport mains, while salt water for bathing, flushing, and fire protection was pumped from the bay. The sewer problems Avere often difficult, and sometimes necessitated special disposal plants : and very often sump pumps were re(piired. East Camp, Hampton Eoads, was provided with a single boiler plant for heating the entire establishment, while the topography of Coddington Point made it necessary to abandon the economy of a single plant and install three distinct power units. The roads, walks, electrical distribution, and street and fence illumination were all items presenting individual problems at each location, and one charged with the design of similar projects must consider them as such. The war developed two distinct tj'pcs of camps, both of Avhich were extremely satisf actor}' ; one l)ased on a unit system — at Great Lakes — grew to be the greatest of all, owing largely to the space available for expansion, while the other type may be described as a complete camp constructed at one time for the ultimate capacity permissiV)le under site conditions. East Camp. Hampton Poads. the last to be erected, was based on the latter scheme. This camp for 14,000 men, complete with the exception of an administration building, was executed in one opera- tion, and embodies in its design all the experience gained in the con- struction of over 40 previous camps. SUPPLEMENTARY. COMPLETIOX OF TRAINING CAMP, CODDINGTON POINT. One of the civil eiij^inecr officers, Lieut. Conmuuuler F. N. Bollos (C. E. C. ). U. S. N. R. F., wlio liiid been on foreign duty, was ordered back to the United States shortly after tlie signing of the armistice, and was at once assigned duty at Newport, R. I., as officer in charge of construction for the completion of the Coddington I'oint project. This station was originally designed to accom- modate 15,000 men, but with the signing of the armistice was curtailed to 10,000 men, and later to 8,000. The cutting down of the size of the station in- volved a complete redesign of all the services, such as tlu; heating, water supplj', sewer system, and electrical distribution. Tiie total expenditun^s on the work were in the neighborhood of six millions of dollars. The locations of many of the ))uildings had to be changed in order to make the remaining units complete, and this necessitated a rearrangement of the system of concrete roads. A great deal of design work was also necessary on the steam-heating system, the sewage dispo.sal, and the water-front develop- ments. A coal handling and storage plant was designed and constructed, and a boat basin and causeway, involving much dredging and subaqueous concrete placing, was also put tlintugh. This part of the work was all done during the winter of ]9]f)-20. wliicli was the most severe on record at Newport. There WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 83 were maiij' days upon which it was impossible to reach the site of the work, due to the deep snows or intense cold. The curtailment in the size of the station also meant that the several con- tracts coverini,' the work had to be refigured to determine the compensation due till" contractors for the work which they actually performed and for the surplus materials on the site. This proved a very arduous task, requiring several months of close application and frequent trips to Washington to confer with the authorities at the bureau. I'robably the most serious difliculty encountered was the constant trouble with the labor unions, the disputes all arising from controversies within the unions themselves as to jurisdiction over the work. Newport and Providence locals of the various trades each claimed cognizance, and as a consequence the work was tied up several times for extended periods. EXPANSION OF NAVAL TRAINING STATION, GREAT LAKES, ILL. (a) IXCEl'TIOX AND I'LIiLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION, 191".^ The Great Lakes station is situated on the western shore of Lake ^Michigan, 34 miles north of Chicago. It was originally constructed during the period 1905-1911, and this construction was of a substantial and fireproof character, for a designed capacity of about 1,500 men. Its cost, including hospital, harbor, power plant, tunnels, sewage disposal and water filtration systems, bridges, etc., was about $3,500,000. A large drill hall was provided, and also a large instruction building, containing classrooms, auditorium, gymnasium, swim- ming pool, and recreation facilites. Liberal provisions were made for showers and plumbing, all buildings were heated from a central plant, and indirect heat- ing and ventilation were added wherever there was danger of congestion. It was a source of disappointment to the builders of the station that it was not used to its full capacity prior to 1917, owing to a more or less prevalent belief that its location was ill considered. When, before the war started, Capt. W'illiam A. Moffett became commandant, he appreciated to the full the advantages of location and the possibilities of the station, and urged that the station be used to the limit of its capacity. When war was declared, the advantages of location were immediately proved, and he was faced with the necessity of using tents to house the large number of incoming recruits. He advocated immediate construction of camp buildings, and by interviews with the Secretary and the chiefs of the Bureaus of Naviga- tion and Yards and Docks, he later secured approval for the construction of a camp for 15,000 men. The Bureau of Yards and Docks was impressed with the possibilities of this station, and, cooperating with the Bureau of Navigation and the commandant, took especial interest in this construction. Inasmuch as plans had to be pre- pared as work progressed, and only about three months remained before cold weather, it was decided to construct the camp under cost-plus-percentage con- tracts for the entire job. Instead, however, of following the Army practUv of letting one contract for the entire camp, the bureau divided the main building construction into three equal parts, as nearly as coidd be arrar.ged, with the object, first, of securing more rapid construction ; and second, of obtaining competition in economical and efficient construction Ijetween the different contractors. This plan proved »By Commander George A. McKay (C. E. C), U. S. N. 84 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BI^REAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. most successful, and as the work progressed \hv operation rapidly developed into a race between three principal contractors. The original station covered a tract of land comprising KU) acres, extending about three-fourths of a mile from the tracks of the C. &. N. W. and C. & M. E. Railways, east to the lake, with a water frontage of about one-half mile. The commandant, foreseeing tiie need of expansion, had arranged leases for large tracts of additional land, north, south, and west of the original site. It was decided to place seven regiments of 1,700 men each, about 12,000 in all, west of the tracks, with Camp Dewey for three regiments to the north, and Camp Perry for four regiments, to the south. Two new receiving camps for observation of incoming men, of 1,700 capacity each, were planned to be located south of the original station and east of the railroad tracks. These were called Camps Farragut and Dec-atur. One outgoing assembly camp of 1,700 men, called Camp Ross, was located between a ravine bounding Camps Farragut and Decatur on the east and the hospital. It was also planned to construct buildings for a 1,000-bed hospital expansion, together with buildings for contagious wards. North of the originaF station was located the large tent camp, known as Camp Paul Jones, which it was desired to convert into wooden barracks construction by means of such enlisted labor as would become available. About the middle of July, 1917, cost-plus-percentage contracts were let as follows : Paschen Bros., Camp I'erry, four regiments. John D. Griffith & Son Co., Camp Dewey, three regiments plus one extra drill hall and miscellaneous buildings. J. C. Hey worth, Camp Farragut, one regiment ; Camp Decatur, one regi- ment ; Camp Ross, one regiment ; and hospital buildings of 1,000-bed capacity. C. E. Carson Co., .seven contagious wards in addition to three then inider construction by same company. Leyden & Ortseifen, roads and walks and sewage disposal system. Leyden & Ortseifen, water supply and sewer distributing systems. C. & N. W. Ry., bridges and railroad tracks. The plans for hospital buildings were prepared at the bureau. Other plans were prepared at the station. Plans for .sewage disposal wer«' prepared by a fa-m of consulting sanitary engineers of Chicago. The building contractors, accompanied by a committee of lumber dealers from Chicago, came to Wa.shington in July, and with a i-epresentative of the bureau visited the various material committees organized iinder the Council of National Defense, and also the headquarters of the Construction Corps of the Army. Arrangements were made to secure the benefit of the standard prices for building material as agreed upon for the Army camps. In the case of lumber, however, the bureau decided upon a different course. Quotations having been received from the council's lumber committee on a sample bill of lumber taken from a preliminary plan for a barracks building, ba.sed on the proposition of shipping lumber direct from the mills, freight was added; and against this sum the lumber dealers from Chicago submitted a figure from stock in C^hicago. The latter was between .$7 and .$8 per 1,(K)0 board feet above the lumber committees' quotation plus freight, this diff(>rence represent- ing the cost of unloading into yards, storage, handling, and loading for ship- ment out of yards. Also a better quality and higher grade of material were covered. The bureau was agreeable to accepting a bid equivalent to $5 per 1,000 above the basic figure, and this was eventually agreed upon, the lumber WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 85 dealers of Chicago binding themselves to deliver all lumber at the station as required, on 48 liours' notice, at $36 per 1,000 board feet. There was at this time a large stock of lumber in Chicago. The bureau, being much concerned in securing a completed camp by fall, considered this policy much safer than i-isking deliveries from the mills, already pressed by large Army orders, not to mention congested transportation conditions. As it turned out, the regu- larity with which the lumber was secured enabled the thousands of carpenters employed to work througli the entire job without interruption or disorgani- zation, thus effecting a saving estimated to have been practically equal to excess cost of the local supply. The bureau's prompt decision on this point permitted the camp to be completed on time. Experience on deliveries of other materials used, none so important or requird so quickly after contracts were let, proved that had the lumber orders been placed at the mills as late as the middle of July, the camp could never have been completed and occupied during September and October of the same year. The bulk of the cnmp was occupied about two months after construction started. Commander George A. McKay, who had been the engineer for the building of the original station, was detached from the bureau on July 16, 1917, and re- IX)rted at Great Lakes as public works officer in charge of construction on July 18. Plans were under way and construction had just started under the direc- tion of Commander Norman M. Smith. The first problem, both for Government and contractors, was one of organization. From the wealth of available per- sonnel existing near the station the commandant had selected and commissioned a number of civil and mechanical engineers, architects, and accountants. Re- cruits were being received, trained, and dispatched to the fleet by thousands. There had been placed in operation a system of cataloguing these men, and among them were found a large number of trained young men with special qualifications. It was thus a simple matter to secure assistants, and the Government construc- tion organization was rapidly perfected. The preparation of plans was at first under Lieut. Clark, who was succeeded by Ensign Cramer when the former took charge of the material-order section. The draftsmen were either commissioned or enlisted personnel and turned out without delay the hundreds of plans required on all parts of the camp construc- tion. All power plant, mechanical, and electrical plans were prepared by one squad and sewer and water service plans by another. The material-order section was of particular importance. Each contractor was required, before placing orders for any material, to submit to this section a material-order request in quadruplicate, giving a description of material, the quantity, the firm or firms from whom purchase was desired, and the price. The quantity was not closely checked, as the contractor was held responsible. The material-order section would approve the price, if correct ; and if not, would indicate where and from whom purchase should be made. The officer in charge of this section, Lieut. E. H. Clark, was an architect of experience in Chicago and was very familiar with the local markets. In cases of doubt he was able to secure, by telephone or telegraph, immediate competitive bids on the ma- terial in question. The fact that there were several independent contractors securing quotations on similar material helped this section to secure competitive prices. Much of the material, such as roofing, paint, piping, etc., was purchased from approved firms at prices fixed by the material committees of the Council of National Defense. Large items, such as radiators, valves, hydrants, boilers, wire rope, etc., were taken up immediately with, the largest national dealers, bids were secured on the entire estimated quantities, and orders placed accordingly for all contracts. On approval of a purchase order one copy, signed by the 86 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. officer iu charge, went to the contractor as authority to purchase, one to the material inspector for checking material as unloaded from the car, one to the accountant for checking of bills and preparation of vouchers for payment, and (he remaining copy was retained in the material-purchase section for reference and record. The material inspection and checking section was under the control of Car- penter C. J. Lishman, whose energy and initiative made this branch a success. He had from 30 to 40 enlisted men as checkers. These men were placed according to their past experience, and evei'y article received was tallied, inspected, and recorded as unloaded. Every stick of lumber received was surveyed and accepted or rejected, and the amounts found w'ere sent to the accounting section for checking bills for voucher payment. As many as 67 cars of material were unloaded in a da3'. The section for expediting and tracing shipments, in charge of Lieut. Bower, transferred from the inspection force, performed most excellent work in securing prompt deliveries. This officer gave particular attention to boiler deliveries, and spent much time at various works expediting shop constructions. Early consideration was given to the feasibility of ordering, checking, and accounting for plumbing, steam-fitting, and electrical supplies, and of prosecuting these items of con- struction, and it was decided to be impracticable to attempt to check all the miscellaneous items of small parts and fittings and tools entering into these classes of work. Accordingly, as rapidly as plans were completed for each camp, bids were taken, both by the general contractor concerned and the officer in charge, and subcontracts were let through the general contractor for power plant efiuipment, stacks, and guys; plurrrbing, heating, lighting, skylight and sheet metal construction, etc. In some cases, such as for certain kitchen equip- ment, material was purchased direct by the Government and installed by sub- contract. Cement was purchased under Navy standard contracts. The princi- pal assistant to the officer in charge, Lieut. Willard Doud, was directly respon- sible for the securing and letting of subcontracts. The chief inspector of construction over all camps, Lieut. It. K. Merrill, was ably supported by his assistants assigned to particular duties at each camp. These inspectors were directly responsible for the quality of workmanship on constiniction, and they concentrated on this feature. They also reported on all cases of threatened shortage of material, and were responsible for the care and inventory of tools and the prevention of waste of material. P3nsign H. A. Stanley was in chai'ge of the accounting section and timekeepers, and had 80 to 40 assistants, mostly enlisted personnel. Under a head timekeeper 3 or 4 timekeepers, as required, were assigned to each contract. Each workman, on reporting, secured his time check, which he carried with him during the day and deposited on leaving at the completion of a day's work — these opera- tions being witnessed by the timekeepers. In addition to this, the timekeepers passed from building to building and group to group, and checked the men by name and check nunrber once each morning and each afternoon. If a man was not found on the work, in addition to checking in and out morning and evening, he was not paid. Thousands of men were employed and m-any, particularly laborers, were foreigners, mostly Italians. The checkijig was most thoroughly done, and resulted in several arrests being made for attempted im- personation. Payments were witnessed by the same timekeepers. To prevent the unauthorized presence of strangers in the camps, each work- nran wore an enameled badge bearing the name of the contractor and a number corresponding to that on his time check. These badges also assisted in identi- fying the men, particMilarly on the special transportation trains from Chicago. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 87 Another case of petty fraud uncovered was in the abuse of transportation tickets. Three special trains carried about 1,500 worlvmen eacli to and from Chicago daily. These men traveled on 25-ride interchangeable commutation tickets purchased by and carried by the contractors' timekeepers, who passed through the train with the conductor, identified the workmen, and counted and paid for the number traveling on each contract. It was suspected that enlisted men and others were at times passed and paid for by some of the contractors' timekeepers. Arrangements were made to put three chosen enlisted men on each train on a certain day, with the result that fraud was discovered and those guilty were discharged. A liberal estimate was made of the extent of the loss, and it was charged back to the contractors. Following this, all checking of men on transportation trains was performed by the Government timekeepers. The accounting section was also responsible for all payments. Toward the end of each month each contractor assembled all paid bills and pay rolls and forwarded these, in duplicate, to the accounting office. These were checked and each original was attached to an original of public bill for the monthly payment by the Government. As the vouchers came to the public-works officer for signature, each individual receipt was initialed by, first, the man respon- sible for the correctness of the price paid, as compared with the authority to purchase ; second, by the man responsible for quantity, as compared with the material inspector's report ; third, by the man responsible for the correctness of arithmetical extensions ; fourth, by a man responsible for general features, such as debits for discount for prompt payment when conditions of purchase so permitted, which debit was taken by the Government, whether advantage of the discount had been taken by contractor or not ; examination as to whether voucher was an original paper or duplicate and properly executed, etc. Finally it was initialed by the head of the accounting section for complete certification. Certain monthly vouchers on certain contracts amounted to nearly three- quarters of a million dollars and covered hundreds of transactions, yet they were put through for payment in a few days. It was necessary, however, to throw out at times doubtful bills, pending further analj'sis, and these were taken up on the following month's vouchers. The foregoing covers that part of the public works organization dealing with contract work. The quickness with which the organization was assembled and commenced operation, and the results obtained, were possible only because the young men available were of the highest standard. The section heads particu- larly showed marked efficiency in initiation, judgment, energy, and tireless effort. Every man in the organization appeared to realize the importance of his particular duty as a link in the complete chain, and every man was hard pressed to keep his section from dragging. There was no question of hours, and work proceeded through Sundays and holidays, many putting in 12 hours a day. Inspectors' reports of trouble were discussed, auJ suggestions made for speed- ing construction, at organization conferences held thrice weekly, at 5 p. m. Advantage was had of individual experiences, and eaclv was inspired to harder effort by the accomplishments of the others. Speed" and cost were given the closest attention, and the question, " What will be found wrong when the camp is used?" was constantly before the conference for study, with the result that Avhen winter came the anticipated troubles did not materialize. The Govern- ment organization as a whole rapidly became most proficient, and, as in the case of other camp performances, records were constantly being broken. When in the fall it was discovered on a Saturday morning that an additional boiler plant of 900 horsepower was necessary as a result of the addition of a number 88 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAUDS AND DOCKS. of buildiugs along the north side of the original station, it was decided to con- struct an additional lieating plant. The boilers required were located, by long- distance telephone, at Kewanee, 111. The Chicago agent was found (on the golf links), the boiler dimensions were secured, and the boilers ordered. Plans v.ere then drawn, bids taken, contracts let, materials secured, and in 15 days after the plant was tirst thought of, the building, boilers, stack, piping, and underground connections were completed and the plant was delivering steam. The contractors employed, when work was at the maximum, in August and September, approximately 6,000 men. The majority of the buildings were occu- pied in September, and all in October, except for certain buildiugs ordered later, and except for the hospital buildings. The latter were delayed until November, their commencement having been deferred pending the completion of certain railway facilities. The first wards were ready on November G, the others following rapidly, and the last two wards were completed by November 28. There were constructed in the summer and fall of 1917 approximately 450 buildings, containing 33,000,000 cubic feet, and requiring 50 acres of ready roofing. There were 26 separate boiler plants, containing 81 boilers giving a total of 7,112 boiler horsepower. In all, 324,160 square feet of radiators were used, with 103 miles of heating mains. Plumbing fixtures totaled : Closets, 1,875 ; lavatories, 2,051 ; showers, 1,518 ; sinks, 605 ; other fixtures, 481. Total lumber used by contractors was 23,806,135 board feet. About 3,500 carloads of material were used on the contract work. The maximum number of cars discharged in one day was 67. The costs on the contracts covered in the foregoing amounted to $5,507,571.22. This construction, together with Camp Paul Jones (constructed by enlisted forces) and the original station buildings, gave accommodations, without crowd- ing, for about 27,000 men. (6) PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATION AND STATION DEVELOPMENT, 1918.^ The expansion effected at Great Lakes in 1917 provided most satisfactorily for the emergency that had arisen, but the l)eginniug of 1918 saw no intermis- sion in the tide of recruiting from the Middle West, which, by the fall of the year, was to demand a station capacity of at least 50,000. The public works officer, Commander W. H. Allen, who arrived on the project in January, 1918, to relieve Commander McKay, found the 1917 camps com- pleted and occupied, and he proceeded at once to the duties lying ahead. Modifications of the former organization were effected, in line with later and relatively stabilized construction conditions. The organization finally adopted in the spring of 1918 is outlined below. Dire<'tly under the pul)llc works officer was tlic executive officer, Lieut. Com- mander Doud, whose duties, as the title implies, were to see that the orders of the public works officer were carried out and that the work of the various sections was properly performed. He handled all the minor details of the office. The force was organized into several divisions, as follows : The clerical di- vision under a chief clerk, Mr. H. C. Litchfiehl, which looked after all work of correspondence, accounting, and making requisitions; the projects division under Lieut. Munroe, which had charge of all drafting, specifications, and surveying; the contract division under Lieut. Clark, which took charge of the supervision of all work done through Yards and Docks contracts ; the station labor division under Lieut. Beard, which had charge of all the work done by the enlisted and civilian force, both construction and maintenance and operation, and which > By Commander W. H. Allen (C. E. C), TJ. S. N, WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 89 was divided into several sections, such as tlie building section, power section, transportation section, grounds section, and railroad and coal section ; the regimental division, under Lieut. Davis, which had charge of the military work of the department and handled all matters of personnel. The work done under Bureau of Yards and Docks contracts was all done under a lump sum, with the exception of that let early in the war. In 1917 there were 14 contracts awarded at a total cost of $5,561,000. In 1918, 60 were awarded, amounting to $11,370,000. Contracts awarded in 1919, but under which a large part of the work had been done during the war, were four, total- ing $104,000. The total of all contracts performed during the war was thus, approximately, $17,000,000. Contract work progressed rapidly, and at the time of the armistice there were only two or .three contracts which could be modified by the omission of work. Final liquidation was delayed in numerous cases through refusal of contractors to accept settlement, but within three months after the armistice there was only one contract awarded during the war which had not been entirely completed so far as all construction work was concerned. In 1918 the work was as rapid as in 1917. The most important contracts were as follows: Contract No. 2835 with Paschen Bros., for $1,374,000, for the con- struction of the aviation mechanics' school ; contract No. 2859 with Paschen Bros., for $2,134,000, for the outgoing detention camp ; contract No. 3247 wath English Bros., amounting to $2,259,000, for three regimental units (Camp Lawrence) ; contx-act No. 3303 with Paschen Bros., for $849,000, for the Naval Auxiliary Re- serve school ; contract No. 3304-A with C. E. Carson Co., amounting to $875,000, for additions to Camp Paul Jones ; contract No. 3459 wdth Paschen Bros., amount- ing to $364,000, for three drill halls and power houses. The contract division at its height comprised 176 enlisted men experienced on structures, plans, and construction work and accounting. Practically all plans for construction at the station were prepared in the proj- ects division of the public works department. The chief exceptions were a few buildings at the hospital and the outgoing detention camp. This division made some notable records, among wiiich might be cited the preparation of the plans and specifications for Camp Lawrence, a project which cost over $2,000,000. As soon as the Secretary had authorized the work the public works officer, who was in Washington at the time, telegraphed orders to begin the preparation of plans; and 11 days after the work was authorized the public works officer started for Washington again with the plans and specifications, which comprised over 100 drawings and more than 200 typewritten pages of specifications. In preparing these plans men worked in relays, and the specification writers in the last few nights worked continuously except for two or three hours of sleep. The work of the station labor division consisted chiefly of the maintaining of the station. There was assigned to each regiment a detachment from the public works department, who looked after all maintenance work of that regiment, in- cluding the operation of the powder plant, the repairs to buildings, aU services, and the minor altei-ations constantly going on. It was found necessary, on account of the great area covered by the station, to build public works barracks in Camps Perry and Decatur ; one battalion of the public works regiment, con- sisting of 800 men, occupied the former barracks, and 450 men were located in the latter. The main part of the public works regiment lived in Camp Paul Jones, but there were other barracks and parts of barracks throughout the whole station occupied by public works men. This system of carrying on the regimen- tal maintenance by trained men from public works was found far superior to the method of having the regiments look after their own maintenance, since they 90 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. did not possess the trained force, tlie qualified supervision, nor the incentive. The metliod followed tended toward uniformity of the work in each regiment. As a natural consequence of the large force in the public works department, a great deal of construction was done by enlisted men. Several jobs of considerable magnitude were undertaken and carried through successfully, but the greater part of their work comprised a very large number of small jobs, in the nature of additions and alterations to the regimental buildings and the general buildings on the main station. The transportation section, which included the operation of motor vehicles, was one of the busiest branches of the department. Vehicles were not detailed, but were all operated from the central organization. A large shop was built and was constantly kept busy with the repair and rebuilding of these motor vehicles. One very interesting incidental performance of the transportation section was the driving to places in the East of trucks bought by the Navy De- partment in the vicinity of Chicago. Some 30 to 40 trucks were taken east in this manner, the first making the trip to New York, a distance of more than 800 miles, in five days. The saving to the Government in time of delivery when railroad transportation was so badly congested amounted to many weeks. Another very interesting work was the expedition sent to the St. Claire River Flats Canal to repair the barracks for the patrol force at that place. This expedition took its own equipment, camped on the site, and built bar- racks most expeditiously. Much work was done also at the municipal pier in the city of Chicago for the school and camp of three or four thousand men maintained at that place. The organization of the regiment for rescue work at the time of the Mississippi valley floods, in the spring of 1918, was thorough, and the expedition was ready to start on an hour's notice. Fortunately, con- ditions did not develop so grave as to require its services. Certain types of construction are believed to be peculiar to the Great Lakes station, if not to have originated there. Chief among these is the H -shaped type of barracks, the washing and toilet rooms of which are located in the cross of the H . This made possible the locating of four companies of men on each floor of the building, each having its own toilet and latrine facilities. The final development of this type was a two-story building providing eight barracks rooms, each with a capacity of 36 men on the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery standard, but capable in the summer season of holding 60 men without crowd- ing or menace to laealth. The drill halls, with McKeown arches, i-eached a high state of development at this station. The standard type had a span of 100 feet and a length of 500 or 600 feet, but one hall built to accommodate two regiments with a capacity of 6,000 men, was 800 feet long with a span of 120 feet. Some of these build- ings were partitioned off for instruction purposes and for shops. The type of detention building differed somewhat from that used at other stations. It comprised simply two rooms for the one-story type and four rooms for the two-story type, with a capacity of 12 men per room. The food was brought to the men in thermos cans from the central galley of each regiment. The mess halls of the training camps were divided into company rooms for the purpose of better control of men during meal hours, and also with some thought of isolation in case of epidemic. There were 12 to 16 mess rooms in each building, all .served from a central galley by a long corridor extending lengthwise of the building. The first mess halls were not of the self-service type, but later this feature was introduced and steam tables were installed in each mess room. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 91 The finest camp built on the station was Camp Lawrence, the last completed. Here the niiml)er of buildings was reduced to a minimum, there being three regimental units, each containing six barracks buildings, housing 300 men each, and two H -shaped buildings of the same size as the barracks, which contained the regimental offices, the instruction rooms, the storerooms, the dispensary, the isolation wards, and barracks for the maintenance force and band. One mess hall served each regiment, one power house and one drill hall served two regiments, and one laundry and one garage served the whole camp. The power houses and mess halls backed against the railroad spur, so that the operating cost of the camp was reduced to a minimum. The athletic building, together with the grand stand, the baseball and football fields, and the running tracks, comprised an athletic unit hardly to be equaled in the country. The grand stand had a capacity of 15,000. One of the few 440-yard straightaway tracks in the country was built. The athletic building itself, aside from the offices of that department, provided lockers for the various teams, dormitories for visiting athletes, handball courts, and a swimming pool. Mention should be made of the water filtration and sewage disposal features at this station. They were increased several fold during the war, embodied tlie latest features of sanitary engineering, and were at all times adequate for the station population, which at its maximum was 48,300 men. CHAPTER V. MARINE CORPS PROJECTS. The work undertaken b}^ the Bureau of Yards and Docks for the Marine Corps included several large and important undertakings and a large number of minor projects, such as quarters for marine guards at various points. One of the most noteworthy constructions was the extension to the quartermaster storehouse in the city of Philadelphia, for which contracts were awarded in September, 1917. A new barracks building to accommodate 400 men was designed and constructed in the Philadelphia nav}^ yard, the contract being awarded November 26, 191T. An advance-base storehouse in the same yard was contracted for in June, 1917, and completed in De- cember. Xew barracks were designed for the American legation guard in Peking, China, and for the naval station at Key West, and a quarter- master storehouse and post exchange Avas built at the naval station. Pearl Harbor, The largest project for the Marine Corps which the bureau has undertaken is the construction of an expeditionary base on a site selected by the Commission on Navy Yards and Naval Stations, at San Diego, Calif. It is intended that this base shall be a model of its kind, and it is estimated that the entire project, when completed, will cost approximately $5,000,000. The site which was selected was low land, some of it submerged at high tide, and a considerable amount of filling was required before the construction of buildings could be commenced. In addition to barracks to accommodate about 1,700 marines, there will be an administration building, gymnasium, quartermaster storehouse, expeditionary storehouse, power plant, with laundry and bakery attached, dispensary, guardhouse, officers' quarters, Avater supply and sewerage systems, electric lighting, heat- ing, and refrigerating systems, a sea wall, a shipping pier, and all the other accessories necessary to make the base complete in every respect. In compliance with directions of the Secretary of the Navy, the Bureau of Yards and Docks on March 26, 1918. submitted tentative plans for a barracks to accommodate 500 marine guards for the navy yard, Portsmouth, N. H. The resulting contract, awarded on July 8, 1918, and completed November 23, 1918, provided a two-storj- building of a permanent type including under one roof complete fa- cilities for housing and messing 545 members of the marine guard, and in addition, barracks for 40 cooks and messmen. 93 94 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. At the declaration of war, along with the rest of the Navy, the personnel of the Marine Corps increased rapidly, and it became nec- essary to provide rendezvous for its recruits where the necessary training and instruction might be conducted on a large scale. After the Marine Corps had arranged the preliminaries, the Bureau of Yards and Docks on June 4, 1917, awarded a contract, which origi- nally contemplated the construction at Quantico of 272 buildings: but various additions increased this total to 320 temporary buildings, together with the utilities necessary to house, mess, and train 6,900 men. The contract included shops, artillery sheds, dispensaries, of- fices, officers' quarters, and a hospital for 100 beds, with accommoda- tions for a hospital personnel numbering 51 persons. This contract was completed in the early part of March, 1918, and still further ex- jDansion of the station was realized by construction work, which began on June 24, and was completed November 30, 1918, furnish- ing additional facilities for 2,200 men in the infantry, 400 in the artillery, and 200 in officer schools, besides providing a hospital ex- tension for 200 beds. The original source of water at Quantico was artesian wells, but the flow proved insufficient, and a supply was developed by the con- struction of a dam in Chappawamsic Creek, with a pumping station and filtration plant some 4 miles from camp. Parris Island was selected as a site for a Marine training camp, and the immediate need for housing there was realized at the outset of the war. To this end the Bureau of Yards and Docks on April 21, 1917, awarded a contract to cover the construction of approxi- mately 233 temporary buildings, together with all appurtenances. The work, completed by March, 1918, provided facilities for 3,000 men and auxiliary buildings for an additional tent camp of 2,000. A later extension of this camp under a bureau contract was started on July 24, 1918, and when completed (December, 1918), this af- forded additional quarters for 4,100 men, together with the necessary auxiliary buildings, alterations of existing structures, extension of the hospital, and construction of piers, officers' quarters, etc., in all about 288 buildings. The Avater supply of Parris Island was taken from wells, a test of which showed a considerable quantity of salt. The only source of fresh water being trans])()rtation by barge from the mainland, the salt water was distributed for bathing, washing, flushing, and fire protection, while fresh water was distributed by a small-pipe system to the hospital and main station, and by tank wagons to the camps, for drinking and cooking purposes. Even with strict supervision the increase in population soon overtaxed the existing system, and it was not until a submerged pipe line to Port Royal was completed that the island was provided with an adequate supply of fresh water. IDI Dtrz MA n K.EY TO DESIGNATIONS A tRlCADE HQXS L LOCKFR.HOUJE > ftACHFlOt- C.POJ. O JWMMINC POOL ' POiT EVCHANCE O-ATHftTJt FIIIO . CUAR.D HOUiE R. JTORFHOUiF fXfWr E QJ1 J DOCie- Ik^ i. ''_:_-| =^-^==Jil= M.Yl NC FIELD PLOT PLAN OP MAP^INL COR-Pi &AJE Generi] layout at UurlDC Corps Baso, San DIcgo, Calif. O 37022—21- 95 90 CHAPTER VI. EMERGENCY HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION. General. — In 1916, subsequent to the beginning of the World War but previous to the entrance of the United States in the conflict, the Bureau of Yards and Docks, after consultation with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, prepared drawings for two hospital bases to accommodate 5,000 patients each. The plans were drawn, assuming that one hospital base would be established on the east coast and the other on the west coast. The buildings were carefully designed and checked with information obtained by a representative of the Bureau of Medicine and Surger}^ while he was on a trip of inspection in Ger- many during the early part of the war. When the United States entered the war, the idea of the tw^o large naval hospital bases was abandoned. Plans for increasing the capac- ities of the then established hospital centers were substituted for the plans of the two large hospital bases. A sudden call for naval hos- pital accommodations necessitated the development of a type of hos- pital for ({uick construction and easy expansion. It was found that material for and the construction of buildings of the same approxi- mate dimensions as those being used by the Army could be more readily obtained for hospital purposes than those shown by other designs. Consequently, the first hospital construction was based on the Army barracks unit. When, hoAvever, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery had been provided Avith facilities to keep abreast of the demands of the service, plans were prepared for hospital layouts to be subsequently erected Avhich were larger, more efficient, and more satisfactory for the needs of the hospital service. The width of the Army unit was too small for advantageous use for general hospital work. Where new hospitals were to be erected at a distance from an ex- isting hospital station, a complete self-sustaining group was designed, providing its own heating plant, laundry, disinfecting apparatus, storehouse, and buildings needed to meet the usual requirements for administration, subsistence, and operating purposes. These unit groups were designed for capacities of 100, 150, and 200 men per group, consideration, being given to possible expansion, such as oc- curred in several units. 97 98 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. The first units were of Avood construction, one story high, Avith drop-siding exterior, ready-to-hiy roofing, and Avith interiors sheathed A\'ith AAOod ceiling or prepared ceiling board as the case might be. CoA^ered Avalk Avays Avere i)rovidcd for coniinunication betAveen Avard, SI s HI ^ r> []^ 4& gfes «'» EPn '8''9' [f*o ""3^ ■^ Ir ^s' '^* ^jgp gsy ^a* Ki =3 [43 0^'^;*~]5S[i~"«& [M] « " tLW Jk' ' -GENERAL LAYOUT OF JA WlIAial BASE- ___ifW*»v^ -^^h ^0^ ■-■■ / / / /Clio\viug comiectiug covered walk. U-yWAVAL- HOiPlTAL- Ri-if-RVATlOKJ- •CHARlLiTOU- 5-C- P(P*lTMtllT- Of TML HAW ■tuU»U OI YHTl f COCHV ■'""■"■111'- „ Plot plan. Naval IlospUal, Charleston, S. C. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 103 About 500 major hospital buildings exclusive of dispensaries were constructed in the United States, providing for a patient and attend- ant personnel of 17,000. The work included not onlj- the buildings, but also heating, lighting, and plumbing facilities, and roads and walks. On account of the fact that plans and specifications for several hosi^itals had to be prepared simultaneously, and on account of the limited number of draftsmen available at the bureau, it became necessary to obtain the services of several architects to prepare draw- ings and specifications under the direction of the bureau. Appre- ciation is expressed for the efforts of Messrs. Ewing & Allen for their work at Pelham Bay, N. Y., Grab's Ferry Eoad, and the navy yard, Philadelphia, Pa. ; for the work of Mr. C. Grant La Farge at Brooklyn, N. Y. ; and for the work of Mr. J. H. de Sibour at An- napolis, Md. Approi^nations. — Appropriations totaling $21,045,000 were made by Congress for the hospital construction, and $550,000 for medical supply depots. The appropriations are itemized below : Appropriations. FOR HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION. Act. Purpose specified. Amount appro- priated. Deficiencv act, June 15, 1917. Deficiency act, Oct. 6. 1917.. Deficiencv act. Mar. 28, 191S. Naval act, July 1, 1918 Deficiency act, Nov. 4, 1918. Temporary hospital construction Temporarv hospital construction and repairs, etc. do.. .: Hospital construction Temporary hospital construction Total appropriated for hospital construction. Turned back to Treasury Jan. 29, 1919 Total for hospital construction. SI, 000, 000 2, 000, 000 2, 750, 000 10, 295, COO 5,000,000 21, 045, 000 1, 008, 742 20, 036, 25& FOR MEDICAL SUPPLY DEPOTS. Deficiency act, June 15, 1917 < Naval medical supply depots, Brooklyn, N . Y., and Mare Island, CaUf. Deficiency act, Nov. 4, 1918 do Total for medical supply depots. $350, 000 200,000 550, 000 Costs. — The cost per bed at the different emergency hospitals varies greatly, owing to local conditions and reciuirements — notably as to amounts of road work, grading, and service lines necessary. The emergency hospital at Charleston, S. C, typical of the greater part of the program, cost approximately $650 per patient, including laundry and kitchen equipment. This figure, of course, includes the cost of all buildings necessary for housing the doctors, nurses, hos- pital corpsmen, and other attendants. The cost on a straight per capita basis for the entire personnel would fall somewhat below $500. 104 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AKD DOCKS. :^^ ^^^^^^S^p^ Psj'chiatric wards, Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, N. H. NO fiS.^ MATEllM Kmo Of buiioihca 1 I9IZ .^J AhioK AOMW/STEJi noM. i 191 1 pyAi^o M- a / 9fZ z -d * rsiz 2-S bot.At.iUM J I9I£ of£a-477/t^ >■ ^ }H I s lO m r s m LOCATIOK fLAN SHOWING tmiGiNcy HosriTAL tLtfes US N»V4L H05PITkt ItSLMATlOS NW OKUftNS, L^ Plot plan, Naval Hospital, New Orleans, La. lOS U'AI! ACTIVITIKS OF IJlJJtKAU OK \AKI)tt AM) IXXMvS. Wind liiiildiii. I trliiiiis, T/ii. ^ )0 ■^ itlUi • - •iiiiiiiiiiisiiii«;. ^^1*- -«i«-' ' -mm I ,HM I ;^ II. \ liiiililln," . \iiMil li(. .|ilh,l. Noi-lnll.. \ ii. ('^^^ WAK ACTIVITIES "V ----.-- - VAEr«S AXT' r.,*, v^ u The TTork at Ward? Islana '^us : the mc- e AT eonstruotion. owing to the d. m obtA. _ .e : e, and added cost for transportatkHi of materi&k. The expease of - ■. service lines was t: " _' '^ -ri is, the cost of the W . - ~ _ >- :al was about S:?.T\-c: .. , ..j. use modifications at the Manhattan Slate HospitaLl for the Insane, --;iry to t " : for serving the hospital. As noted - .ere, the _ ;y at this point was to have been 1300 beds, or a total personnel of about 1,800, Had the addicicoial wards been constructed, the cost pe: " ' e been e- ii:oed on account of the fact t. ~ ve, serv ,^. i other general buildings woald havie provided ample facilities without inciea^ae in siie- -Ve !r Orleans, Lu. — The naval hospital at Xew Orkans was one of the first of the emergency groups to be constnioted, and is typical of the earliest hospital work. T jh the war and was not modifie. -, :._ --. -... _.....-_ . ..le buildings was such that the service of the hospital would bring a :ient to ' - _ ;^ ;ting p& ... ........ . - -^; -.y .s laid from the administration _ to the operating pavilion and thence to the ^ _ ward, so ih»i s _ .^tients X have to be carrievi ;... ..i... the open, l^n^ .... .^s separ.... . .in the othei^ by a drive, making it possible for obsservation cases to be rried to the isolated ward withov : - _ _ y other build- ^ or corridor spaoe. This san:ie <..... _ . ^.palate loileis. that the main wardrocwi might be pa: ; for use in oonta- _ nis case^ Kach ward building provided laciiitieiS for 40 patients. minally. The general mess was divided to secure separate messing space for j>atients, hctspital oor^^s. doctors, nurses, stewards and pharmacists. '^-.i civilian employees. Only one kitchen or galley was found , .>essary, s^-» that the laK>r v»f preparing and serving the &N>d was reduced to a minimum. Inclineii walks fix>m the kitchen provided '-cans for easy transportation of food carts to the various wards. The laundry was placed in the rear of the group near the heating .mt, and as far as possible from the wards^ All service for the XX ser\-ation. except for entrance of patients and doctors, was confine<.'A' > iM..] -r. 4 i„u.., -t- i l.iU... -i: I I.,1J.., -i: I Q...I.,- 1.1. I Q...1... 1.1. » Q...t.-i I. ». B Q-.t.li I. 4. » ■.•... Q...t.,i u <..|...... L.t I. H lip II In.,,] h. U -3 -MAVAL- HOSPITAL RJ-iLRVATlOKJ- ■BROOKLYWiWY- JcU.'IkicI)- to f,< InJuJeJ in ll« 2«i(Sw ipec.r,calion>.) Plot plan of emergoncy hospital, Wards Island, N. Y. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 119 was signed whereby the State of Xew York was authorized " to enter into an agreement with the Navy Department covering the use of ap- proximately 28 acres of the grounds of the Manhattan State Hos- pital at Wards Island, New York City, as a military measure, for a period not to exceed two years beyond the termination of the pres- ent war." It is probable that, had the war continued, the group erected under this agreement would have been used for contagious cases, although at the time of the armistice it was being used as a general hospital. The buildings, together with a considerable amount of kitchen equipment, were turned over to the State of New York after the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery ceased to utilize them. The Wards Island emergenc}^ hospital was designed to care for about 1,200 patients and an attendant personnel of about 600. Before the contract was awarded, however, the required number of patients was cut to 800, so that the total personnel would be approximately 1.200. The figure 800 was the normal capacity, and could have been increased by 25 per cent by the use of porches, closer bed spacing, etc. The group included 21 buildings, comprising an administration building, sick officers' quarters, nurses' quarters. Hospital Corps bar- racks, civilian emplo^'ees' barracks, receiving building, laboratory', mess halls, galley, 14 ward buildings, operating building, garage, laundry, and storage. Heat and power were supplied hj the Man- hattan State Hospital power plant. (See paragraph " Costs.") The buildings were of terra-cotta tile, stuccoed on the exterior and plastered on the interior. Partitions, floors, and roof construction were of wood frame. Asphalt-impregnated paper with crushed-slate finish was used for roof covering. It was necessary to construct a wharf for the use of the hospital so that traffic would not in any way hamper or affect the routine of the Manhattan State Hospital, which occupies the island. With its own landing facilities provided by the wharf, the reservation was completely independent of the rest of the island. Canceled projects. — Drawings and specifications were prepared for hospitals at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Hingham, Mass., and Yorlrtown, Va., but for various reasons the execution of the projects was aban- doned. The Halifax hospital was proposed for 200 beds, making a total personnel of 300. The cost of the work was to be borne by the American ReS. Cross, and the estimate for the construction work was $150,000. The bureau was asked by the Red Cross to prepare the drawings and specifications, let the contracts, and provide inspect- ing and constructing forces. The site had been chosen, the plans and specifications were ready, a civil engineer and a paymaster had been assigned to dutv for tlie work, and the contractor selected, when 120 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. the society decided to modify the construction and advertise the buildings locally at Halifax. The project was finalh' abandoned altogether, owing to a change in the war plans of the British and the United States Governments. The hospital had been intended for the use of returning troops. For the naval magazine reservation at Hingham, Mass., there Avas projected a dispensary hospital providing 100 beds — 20 for con- tagious diseases and 80 for the usual medical and surgical cases — besides dormitory and living space for attendant personnel. It was at first intended to care onl}- for emergency cases at Hingham, but the distance to Chelsea, the naval hospital of the first district, is so great and the trip so perilous during the winter months that it was thought necessary to make the Hingham establishment more or less complete. The contract for the work was awarded on October 10, 1918. for $257,885. After the construction work had been started, how- ever, the armistice Avas signed and the Secretaiy gave instructions to suspend the work. The bureau ordered the suspension of the work on November 23, 1918, and the contract was finalW settled under a supplemental agreement allowing $64,431.92 to cover the materials purchased and the work done. On September 9, 1918, proposals were to have been opened for a training camp at Yorktown, Va., to provide accommodations for 14,- 000 men. A complete hospital layout provided facilities for 800 patients, and a personnel of 400 doctors, nurses. Hospital Corps men. and civilian employees were provided for in the drawings. The decision of the department, however, to establish a second camp at Hampton Roads instead of a new layout at Yorktown, as noted else- where in this volume, eliminated all features of this project. The hospital group at Yorktown constituted 30 buildings, as planned. The structures were to be of wood construction, colonial in type, and one story high, except that the administration building and Hospital Corps men's barracks were to have been two stories high. Lobb oratories. — During the war laboratory work assumed an im- portance and volume that outstripped all facilities that had been provided. At some of the larger hospitals, as, for instance, those at Great Lakes, Chelsea, Pelham Bay, and Norfolk, several buildings were constructed on plans developed to meet the needs of the service. Recreation huildlngs. — Kecreation facilities were provided at all of the hospitals. In several cases the American Red Cross constructed buildings and transferred them to the Navy for its use. Where buildings were not erected especially for recreation purposes, space was allotted for the use of the personnel for games, reading, writing, smoking, etc. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 121 Ward buildings, Naval Hospital. Hamptou Roads, Va. eoapiU(j daW 5I.« ik. Lavndr* RaCMBl« iMu-^ ^ J • Kfl».i''j,THt m. — m X — ps — r •U.J-MAVAL-H05PITALXf-5f-RyATIOU- . -HAMPTOU ROADJ-, VA- DtPAiTntiT Of ■mtukvr- ■BURIAU Of YAUl */DOCI.i' i«pl t.lllf- Plot plan of Naval Hospital, Hampton Roads, Va. 122 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Ward interior, Naval Hospital, Hampton Roads, Va. Emergency hospital buildings, IMarini' I'.arracks, Parris Island, S. C, showing wards and solarium. WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 123 Waiil niiildings. Naval Hospital, Grays Ferry Road, Philadelphia, Pa. Plot plan of Naval Hospital, Grays Ferry Road, Philadelphia, Pa. 124 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. IslTft'l!.L5LIlVAT\Oti WASHINQTOfl b. C. HLiLC,LNOY HOJflTftL 6U1LIIIUH!.' H. T Y J L W ALL LAvli, LLLVATIOdS ^)lll 5 LCT 1 N (,,«.» J Oct 10. 1116 • Jpec-ifrt-dtlJO- lie 352rt MimgiE: 70556 37022 — 21. (To face page 126.) No. ;ill J.,.tj, K.furj » jivj. ito«. u.l.,. .n..«i» K^j ; All llx's tl>r..^b>»l i>ia.i<>i5 rir^b.£s t, rlotf>'n> JW^U >^ n^ mo"t-l^ floor limsli -P" 1 &(4 2b«dthin« Unle/J other wiic not-ei \t i^a^ J»c«rt !>'»• £ io frtnt h lL«^rot Vlt^)'" Xl-i'b »•> ^>la ' <;l!>«• " ••^"^ '"' ' AH «it«nar Ofen.n^J fo tc fro»i4«i with reni«4He ^crecrs AD l*«f vcnt'l^tafS t« ^e ^al J^««l rator^ 4vr« - -^i^*^ ^a tN ' At C^Xni y.Tt, 4o V< pra-a.^ Wlb hing.W ior.«"« Tor Ut^t ixol. Jct^.U tiTfO «ldl3, fl»i> ch Cons.lt dr>»»9 I* Cen^Ac^r ^WoU verify d( fi^wreJ Jim«.r<3ie <,\ Aa-V* ^«n4wlt tVrc Otflcer in &W bureaa of ^rjj 6 Pocio ■U.5-NAVAL- HOiPlUL KL5LRVAT\0N- •NOf-FOLK • V1R.Q1N1A- LME.K&E.NCY ■ HOSPITAL ■ ^UlLDmG5 • SU5J1JTL1^CL-J>LPQ- CLIAH-UNIT- ^ ' Cbtel of Puredu, Pryjcct Manager Drawn Vy frV-Vt Check JbyblLVl 5he.t1l<«f 35 dtcomport^lna iptcif'calion >J9 3o7o 76693 37022 — 21. (To face page 126.) No. 4 w m WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 127 buildings 20 by 32 feet, shipped from the United States, and a few of the structures on the grounds, were converted into the hospital group, which consisted of an administration building, operating pavilion, six main wards, three contagious wards, and officers' ward, general mess. Hospital Corps nurses' quarters, storehouse, chapel, morgue, and service buildings. Complete sewer, water, steam heat- ing, fire-protection, electric-lighting, and telephone systems were in- stalled. The hospital, after demobilization of the United States forces, was turned over to the British Admiralty, complete, with all its furnishings and equipment. The hospital building in London was started by the American Red Cross, and later taken over for hospital purposes for the United States Navy. A dispensary building with a bed capacity for 38 patients, and with a complete operating and sterilizing suite, was designed for use at Gibraltar. The building was carefully planned and laid out to scale, so that the material for the entire construction, including material for heating and plumbing systems, wiring, and even nails and tools, could be shipped to the site. All materials were cut and fitted previous to crating for shipment. Before these were ready, however, a building was found in Gibraltar that would an- swer the dispensary needs. Instructions were received from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery to ship the dispensary to the Azores, but the armistice was signed after the material had been stacked on the pier in Brooklyn for overseas shipment. The build- ing was finally erected on the naval hospital reservation at Norfolk. The construction of the hospitals at Queenstown, Ireland, and Leith, Scotland, was the only work of this character prosecuted under the local supervision of an officer of the Corps of Civil Engineers. This officer, Lieut. Raymond V. Miller (C. E. C), U. S. N., with two assistants, Messrs. James E. Gibson and Egbert G. Purdy, enrolled in the Naval Reserve Force as machinists, left New York in April, 1918. The work in connection with these two hospitals had been com- pleted, and arrangements were being made for building a hospital at Corfu, Greece, under the direction of the same officers, when the armistice ended the need for further hospital construction. All of the overseas hospital facilities were rapidly placed out of commission on the return of the American forces. 37022—21 9 CHAPTER VII. GENERAL DEVELOPMENT OF YARDS AND STATIONS. DEVELOPMENT OF NAVY-YARD PLANS. Development hoard. — The naval situation as it took shape in the year 1916, with the six-year building program being formulated, the " preparedness " issue paramount, and the possibility of actual war becoming plainer, foreshadowed an early and unprecedented ex- pansion of navy yards and naval stations, to be superimposed on their normal rate of growth. The year marked an epoch in the history of shore stations as well as of the Navy as a whole. Recognizing the necessity of a comprehensive plan for the development of each of the primary navy yards, so that construction recommended and authorized from time to time might fit in with the general scheme for the finished navy yard, the Secretary of the Navy, on May 2, 1916, appointed a board, known as the Board for the Development of Navy Yard Plans, to draw up for consideration by the bureaus and for his approval a plan for each navy yard. The personnel of this board, with rank as of that date, consisted of Capt. Josiah S. McKean, assistant for material, senior member; Col. John A. Lejeune, representing the Marine Corps; Commander Charles B. McVay, representing Ordnance; Surg. Richmond C. Holcomb, rep- resenting Medicine and Surgery; Paymaster Christian J. Peoples, representing Supplies and Accounts; Lieut. Commander George L. Smith, representing Navigation; Lieut. Commander Henry C. Dinger, representing Steam Engineering; Civil Engineer Archibald L. Parsons, representing Yards and Docks, and Naval Constructor Sidney M, Henry, representing Construction and Repair. The instructions to the board were as follows : The boax-d shall prepare for each of the stations listed in the base plan a comprehensive plan of development embodying the requirements of the base plan and the essential features of an ideal layout so far as same may be practicable for the station under consideration. In preparing such plans due consideration shall he given to existing facilities and present arrangements, so that the completed project may be attained with a minimum expenditure. In order to avoid numerous meetings of the whole board, the as- sistant for material and the representatives of Yards and Docks, Steam Engineering, and Construction and Repair were appointed a sub-board to develop sketches, plans, etc., for presentation to the 120 130 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 131 whole board. The Bureau of Yards and Docks assigned two drafts- men to this board for the preparation of sketches, plans, estimates, and the like. Type flan. — The first work which the board undertook was the development of a "type plan " for a navy yard. This plan embodied all the essential features of the shipbuilding and repair yard, con- sisting of shipbuilding slips, dry docks, a structural shop, a ma- chine shop, foundries, a woodworking shop, storehouses, an ad- ministration building, and all of the auxiliary buildings necessary for a well-balanced yard. Considerable study was given to this development with the idea of establishing an ideal or type plan, which was to be used in the development of water-front, docking, shipbuilding, and repair facilities for those navy yards which were selected for expansion for war emergency work, and for the upkeep of the fleet as laid down in the 1916 building program. After many sketches had been prepared and submitted a prelimi- nary plan of development was selected having , the shipbuilding activities at one end of the water front and the dry docks at the other end, with the industrial buildings lying between on a main water-front street. Piers, 1,200 feet long, spaced 300 feet clear, projected perpendicularly from this street and were served by rail- road tracks connecting each with all buildings and dry docks. Back of the main water-front street section, all of the auxiliary buildings were indicated. With this so-called ideal plan of development before it (see cut) the board proceeded to the consideration of the requirements of the various yards. Norfolk plan.—T\iQ first yard plan to be undertaken was that for Norfolk, it being necessary to determine the location of the struc- tural shop, appropriation for which was contained in the naval bill of August 29, 1916. After several plans of development had been drawn up by the sub-board, giving full consideration to a plan of water-front development recommended by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, a plan was finally submitted to the whole board on Jan- uary 16, 1917. This plan was approved by the whole board and sub- mitted to the Secretary of the Navy, who approved the plan as a basis for future development on February 5, 1917. Philadelphia plan. — The Philadelphia yard was next taken up, and as many as 20 plans were developed before a final scheme was arrived at. This final scheme was submitted to the whole board in tentative form, and after a few slight modifications was approved and sub- mitted to the Secretary of the Navy for final approval, which was given on May 1, 1917. Puget Sound plan. — Civil Engineer Gregory, then public works of- ficer of the Puget Sound navy yard, was ordered to Washington for consultation in reference to the development of that yard. He had 132 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AI^D DOCKS. prepared for the Commission on Navy Yards and Naval Stations a plan of development which was given consideration by the sub-board, bearing in mind the previously prepared development plans for Nor- folk and Philadelphia. After several additions to and relocations of water-front structures had been made, a plan was adopted and sub- mitted to the whole board, which approved the sub-board's plan and submitted same to the Secretary of the Navy, the plan being approved on May 25, 1917. Two additions to this plan have been made and approved, one showing the development of the northeast corner for the storage of structural steel, on November 30, 1918 ; and the second, designating the area directl}^ north of dry dock No. 2 for a foundry and the area south of the officers' quarters for a forge shop, on Febru- ary 11, 1919. Naval Of crating hase^ Ham/pton Roads. — After the Puget Sound yard plan had been approved, the members' attention was given to the proposed naval operating base, Hampton Roads, Va. This property, comprising the old Jamestown Exposition site and the Pine Beach Hotel property, was offered as a site. The board, after studying the requirements of a naval operating base, tentatively fixed the areas to be set aside for each activity, namely, aviation, recruit training sta- tion, submarine base, and fleet supply base. The tentative assignment of space for these activities received the Secretary's approval in the early part of June, 1917, and plans Avere begun for the development of the training station, active construction of which started on July 4, 1917. Pacific stations. — After the approval of the naval operating base plans, the board ceased to function, "owing to war activities, until March 7, 1919, when it reconvened and gave consideration to the development of stations on the Pacific. Plans for Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Cavite are now under consideration. DEVELOPMENTS UNDERTAKEN. The more imj)ortant general development projects undertaken at the various yards and stations are covered, by locations, below: NAVAL OPERATING BASE, HAMPTON ROADS, VA. Necessity. — War having been declared, it was seen that the projected base at Hampton Roads would have to be developed as an emergency measure rather than by the conventional method of growth, in order that fleet operations might be supported at the earliest opportunity by the facilities of this magnificent location, with its many natural and artificial advantages. Site. — Two sites were proposed for this operating base — one on the York River in the vicinity of Yorktown, the other on the former Jamestown Exposition site at Sewalls Point, fronting on the Eliza- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS A2s^D DOCKS. 133 West bulkhead before filling, Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Va. Filling behind bulichead, Naval (.)ijprann.i,' J'.ns>\ iiampron Roads, Va. 134 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Bulkheads along Boush Creek, Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Va. Bulkheads for aviation pier, Xaval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Va. WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. 135 beth River and Willoughby Bay. After much discussion as to the advantages and disadvantages of both sites, Sewalls Point was finally selected and the land commandeered by the Secretary of the Navy for immediate development, under Presidential proclamation dated June 28, 1917. Under this proclamation the President set aside the sum of $1,200,000 as payment for said property, and the sum of $1,600,000 toward the development of the base, including piers, storehouses, fuel-oil storage, a training station, and recreation grounds for the fleet personnel. The land taken over comprised approximately 474 acres, 367 of which were occupied by the old Jamestown Exposition grounds, 100.8 acres by the Pine Beach estate, and 6 acres by Maryland Ave- nue, a thoroughfare dividing the two sections of the property. Of the grand total, 397.6 acres were high ground and 70.1 acres ground outside of the well-defined high-water line. The property, when taken over, was very densely covered with underbrush, and the improvements constructed during the James- town Exposition were in a very poor state of repair. The section to the west of Maryland Avenue, the Pine Beach area, was occupied by a negro settlement known as White City. The buildings com- prising this settlement were of the typical southern negro shanty type, there being a few buildings of a more pretentious nature in the way of hotels used during the exposition time, and a few small stores. All of the temporary buildings of the Jamestown Exposition had been removed, and there remained on the site only the central group, comprising the auditorium building, the Hall of Histor3% and a num- ber of the State buildings. At the extreme east of the exposition site, in the district east of Commonwealth Avenue, quite a number of houses had been erected by private owners. This district had been subdivided by real estate operators and the lots sold off to numerous private individuals. The houses which were constructed were of a simple character and had very little relation to the general development of the subdivision. A board appointed to fix the value of the property within the site selected for the naval operating base, in accordance with the pro- vision of the act of June 15, 1917, reported the value of the property to be $1,422,935. The assessed value of the property was $362,117.13. The amount asked for the property and improvements by the nu- merous owners was $3,009,935.56. Of this latter amount $1,909,647.26 was the asked price for that portion of the property knoAvn as the exposition site, and $1,057,988.30 for the portion known as the Pine Beach site. Initial cmistvuctioii.. — The war was on and the need for trained men was urgent. The recruits must have their first training on 136 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. shore, and to give it training camps must be provided. The occu- pants of the site were immediately (on June 28, 1917) notified to vacate, they being given a period of 30 days to vacate the property. Active construction work on the training-camp section, as a facility urgently needed and susceptible of immediate development, began on July 4, 1917, under the direction of Capt. F. T. Chambers (C. E. C), U. S. N., and four civilian assistants from the Bureau of Yards and Docks, Messrs. Sinclair, Duba, Burke, and Grimes. Within a period of 30 days housing for 7,500 men had been con- structed, consisting of barracks buildings, mess halls, lavatory build- ings, storehouses, and the necessary auxiliary construction, includ- ing water systems, lighting, roads, and walks. This also necessi- tated the construction of approximately 3 miles of standard-gauge railroad to afford access to the base, the clearing of approximately 400 acres of ground thickly covered with underbrush, and the de- velopment of a system of roads to connect the development with the county-road sj'stem of Norfolk. The transportation problem at the beginning of the operations was A'ery difficult; the only solution, in the early stages, the roads being impassable to motor equipment, lay in transporting all construction material from the nearest railroad siding, approximatelj^ 1^ miles distant, by horse-drawn vehicles carrying only half loads. It was necessary to work these teams in two shifts in order to avoid delay to the work. Excessive rains during the first two weeks of construc- tion also tended to impede the work, but in spite of impassable roads, inclement weather, and mud, the work of constructing the training camp was very successfully carried out. (See chapter, " Training Camps.") Water-front improvements^ etc. — The next portion of the base to receive attention was the water front. It was realized that the avail- able land was insufficient for the requirements, and it was therefore decided to bulkhead and fill a large portion of the flats lying to the west and north of the property by dredging to a sufficent depth to allow capital ships to berth at piers to be constructed on the west water front, and to a sufficient depth for seaplanes and small craft on the north and east fronts. The material thus dredged provided sufficient fill to create an area of new land nearly equal to that in the original tract, making the new total area approximately 792.93 acres. For the west front, the plan contemplated six piers, each 125 feet wide and 1,400 feet long, with 300-foot slips, beginning 200 feet from the south reservation line. Of these piers, two directly opposite the supply base (Nos, 2 and 3), have been constructed. The northerly 1,200 feet of this water front were assigned to the submarine base, which is described more fully elsewhere. The inclosed area behind WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 137 Morchandlse pier, Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Va. Bull^hcad fill not made. Pier No. 3, Naval Operating r.a-'S Hampton Road>, V; 138 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BI'REAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Aviation station, Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Va., showing utilization of former exposition lagoon. Concrete sheet-pile protection of existing bulkhead walls of lagoon. Naval Operatiuj Base, Hampton Roads, Va. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, 139 the north bulkhead, to the east of the center of the reservation, Avas assigned for lighter-than-air aviation activities, while the area at the extreme east, including the spit of land (also inclosed by bulkheads and filled and enlarged) , was assigned for heavier-than-air aviation. The total length of bulkhead, constructed to inclose flat lands offshore, was 22,150 linear feet. The work of constructing this bulk- liead, with the 10 timber piers, inclosing bulkhead, and main pier of the submarine base, and merchandise pier No. 2, was divided between two contractors — James SteAvare & Co., of New York, constructing the merchandise pier, 9,250 feet of the inclosing bulkheads, and the main submarine base pier, and H. P. Converse & Co. constructing the submarine piers, the inclosing bulkhead of the submarine basin, and 12,900 feet of the inclosing bulkheads on that portion to the east of the lagoon on the north front. The work on these contracts was done during the fall and winter of one of the severest seasons ex- perienced in the Hampton Roads region, the Roads being frozen from shore to shore for a considerable portion of January and Febru- ary of 1918, and it being impossible to operate water equipment during a great portion of this time. Severe blows accompanied by extreme cold weather were experienced during the greater part of the winter. The contracting companies displayed great energy in constructing this work, and the job was very successfully completed under extremely difficult conditions. The amount of money ex- pended on these contracts was $3,104,281.28. Approximately 8,000,000 yards of dredging was performed on the various fronts — in the submarine basin, alongside the merchandise piers, and in front of the bulkheads to the west and east ; there were also dredged a channel into Bush Creek for training-station vessels, and a large deploying space in front of the aviation section for seaplanes. This work was performed by two contractors at a total cost of about $2,373,000. The material was moved entirely by suction dredges, which pumped through pipe lines to the areas behind the bulkheads until the elevation had been raised to 10 feet above low Ti'ater. The material pumped varied in nature from a sandy soil that drained in a comparatively short time without serious settlement, making part of the new land generally available for improvement without delay, to mud, clay, and silt. The water area inclosed within the old Government pier, built at the time of the Jamestown Exposition, was used during the early activities at Hampton Roads for aviation. Temporary Avooden han- gars, shop buildings, and an office building wefe constructed just in- shore from the end of the pier, and two hangars and a launching pier on the outboard end. There also remained standing, along the water front to the east and west of the central exhibition group, a row of the buildings once 140 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. used for State exhibits. These vcGve of a permanent character and were converted into officers' quarters. A considerable amount of money was expended for this purpose, and also for rehabilitating the central group of exposition buildings, the main building being con- verted into an auditorium, Avith district and base administration offices in either wing. The old History Building was used during the construction period as a public Avorks office building, and later used as an armory. The general layout of the grounds as it existed during the ex- position period was maintained as far as possible, the water and sewer systems being made use of to their fullest extent and repaired where necessary. The streets were maintained, and all building con- struction laid out so as to conform as nearly as possible to the former layout. On account of the flat nature of the entire area, some diffi- culty was experienced with surface drainage, and considerable sums were necessarily expended for this purpose. During the early period of construction, an important project in itself was the erection of a 10-foot nonclimbable wire fence along the entire boundary line from mean low water on the Elizabeth River to mean low water in Boush Creek. This fence was approximately one and one-half miles in length. The transportation difficulties for workmen employed by the con- tractors were overcome in the early stages of operation by the base authorities' insistence upon the placing of sufficient cars on the Pine Beach run to enable the workmen to be transported to and from Xorfolk, a distance of approximately 7 miles. After numerous con- ferences, the Norfolk traction officials consented to increase the serv- ice on this line to accommodate 7,000 workmen who were employed during the construction period. The railroad connection to the base Avas an item provided under a serious handicap. At the time of beginning of work there was a stub-end railroad at approximately one-quarter of a mile from the boundary line of the naval base, this track being adjacent to the roundhouse of the Virginian Railway. There being no Government railroad material immediately available, nor labor skilled in this class of work, the cooperation of the Virginian Railway in the fur- nishing of material and foremen was secured. A spur track was then built for a distance of approximately 3 miles into the base. The railroad connection was, of course, essential both to the con- struction and subsequent operation of the base. Since the initial railroad connection was made, over 9 miles of railroad have been constructed within the reservation. There is attached hereto a plan showing the site of the operating V)ase on June 27, 1917, and also one representing conditions existing on July 1, 1920, which drawings will quite clearly indicate the magni- Wll_l_OUGHBY BAV OeOPERrV TO B£ ACQUIRED ivaiT'^L oPER^Tine Base naMPTON iSOfOS )17. 37022 — 21. (To face page 140.) No. 1 (To face page 140.) Ho. AHB i ^ ^' if MS:^r UNIT cT' H-2^~M~f^: ■^ eiLevat MAP or THE NAVAL OPERATING BASE 1 HAMPTON ROADS. VA. J SHOWING i IMPROVEMENTS TO JUNE 30 I9S0. :°hP-'gji"ii:^;.l:'»'C-Jt^^:«^o--c ..CO >-. >, >. >. >. >. >. >. >. >.S S ! o o o i-- o c -r ri -.c o ; CO cc o 03 c- >> >■. >i >■. >. O O C<> "C i-O l-e * o 50!M >-.'C o ic o o o o 0(MMC!O-H t^ CC CO i-t t^ T-< >■->>>»(».>.>» OC(MOO00 CO rh-^ 0000 ct o ^ o £ o 00 u-5 O -jc t^ — < o IMCO l^ ro CO OC3 ;= c o o o o o w .n.i a=!Pi 550 : ■< : 1 .•= ?: "3 162 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Storage development. — The expansion of shipbuilding facilities necessitated, of course, a corresponding increase in facilities for the storing of industrial materials, supplies, etc. These facilities are described in some detail elsewhere in this volume. PROJECTS— CONSTRUCTION DETAILS. INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS. General. — As has been noted before, the various industrial build- ings were designed on the basis of the type layout worked up in con- sidtation with the bureau concerned ; dimensions and clearances were determined upon after consideration of operating and routine re- quirements, equipment to be installed, sizes of pieces to be han- dled, etc. Crane capacities and lifts were determined upon after considera- tion of the dimensions and weights of material to be handled, and in so doing it was endeavored to provide equipment for handling, economically, the ordinary run of weights as well as the maximum Aveights expected. To allow of the greatest practicable degree of freedom in the assembling of parts in shops, and consequent economy in ship construction, the maximum crane capacities have been fixed en a liberal basis. In many instances the maximum capacity is ob- tained by the use of two cranes acting together; which method has the obvious advantage of providing the maximum capacity required (comparatively seldom needed) without the purchase of cranes too cumbersome to take care of the routine handling. Other considerations invariably borne in mind in shop design were adequate natural lighting and ventilation, heating and electric light- ing, and safety of workmen. The large proportion of sash in side ''.vails and roofs will be noted from the illustrations. In general, the roofs of the large shop buildings were constructed with transverse or longitudinal monitors. Heating and ventilating and lighting svs- tems were designed in accordance with the best modern practice, and plans for buildings and services were examined and checked from the standpoint of safety. The materials generally used in the construction of shop buildings were: Framework, structural steel except for galvanizing and oxy- acetjdene plants, pattern shops, and other smaller shops ; side Avails, base course, 8-inch reinforced concrete or brick, remainder, steel sash and plastered 4-inch hollow terra-cotta tile ; roofs, gypsum composi- tion (or in some cases concrete or Avood sheathing) coA-ered Avith standard pitch (or asphalt), felt and slag, or asphalt and asbestos roofing ; floors, Avood plank, Avood block, concrete, asphalt, or dirt, as required to suit the particular service for AA'hich areas are to be used. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. 163 Structural steel was dictated as the proper material to be used for tiie framework of most of the shop buildings by the long open aisles and long sj)ans required, which conditions would make any other class of construction bulky, heavy, and uneconomical, if not entirely inadequate from a structural standpoint. In the multiple-story build- ings with short spans, reinforced concrete was used as being the most economical. Gypsum composition w^as quite generally used for roof slabs on account of its lightness and consequent economy in design of steel- ■v\ ork, and its excellent insulating qualities. Hollow tile side walls were used for similar reasons. Steel sash was used for obtaining maximum daylighting, and because of its almost equally obvious advantages of economy, fire resistance, and rapidity of erection. Structural shojjs. — The first of the modern structural shops to be constructed was that at the navy yard, Norfolk, Va., authorized in the nnval appropriation act of August 29, 1916. This building is 300 feet in width and 700 feet in length, and is divided into three longitudinal aisles of 100 feet width each, serving as shape, plate, and smith and boiler shops, respectively. The shape and plate aisles have clear heights of 46 feet, and are each equipped with two over- head traveling bridge cranes o£ 15 tons capacity and 38 feet lift, and also with two tiers of traveling wall cranes of 3 to 5 tons ca- pacity on each side. The smithery aisle has a clear height of 67 feet, and has 15-ton bridge cranes, and also wall-crane service similar to that of the other aisles. In addition, this aisle is provided with an 80-ton bridge crane, of 55 feet lift, above the 15-ton cranes. Al- though only one 80-ton crane has been provided thus far, the run- way is designed for the use of two such cranes acting together to provide an ultimate lifting capacity of 160 tons. This capacity is based on the weight of the largest forgings, such as main turbine motors, turbine casings, sternpost castings, boil- ers, etc. An interesting feature of the bridge cranes of the smith shops is that they are arranged for complete electrical control from stations on the floor of the shop, from which level their operations can be more perfectly coordinated with those of the forging hammers and presses than is possible from the usual operator's cage located far above the level of the blocks. Above the shape aisle is the mold loft, 100 feet by 700 feet, on the floor of which the lines of ships are laid out, and templates made for the work of the structural shop. The type plan for a structural shop allows for lateral extension of the group to provide for sheet metal and pipe and plumbing shops, 164 AVx\E ACTIVITIES OF lUT^KAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. and such future extensions liave been l)()rne in mind in the locjitioTi and details of buildinros.. of Worcester. Mass.: and at Mare Island by the American Bridge Go., of New York, and the Clinton Construction Co.. of Sjui Frnncisco. Calif. Tlic steelwork (amounting to nearly WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCIvS. 165 Structural shop, Ka\y Yard, Norfolk, Ya. Steel-storage shed, Kavy Yard, Norfolk, Va. 166 WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. Structural shop, Navy Yard, xsew York, N. Y. Structural shop, Kavy Yarci, Nuw iork, iN. Y. I'artial interior view. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AiSTD DOCKS. 167 Structural shop. Navy Yard, Philadoipnia, fa. Interior of plate shop, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa. 168 WAll ACTIVITIKS or lURKAl- OK YARDS AND DOCKS, Mold loft in structural shop, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa. Slriirtural shop, Navy Yard, Maro Island, Calif. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BIKEAX' OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 169 6,000 tons for each of these buildings except at New York) was fabricated for the Norfolk shop by the McClintic-Marshall Co., of Pittsburgh. Pa., and that for the other shops by the American Bridge Co. Foundries. — The typical foundry building comprises a high center aisle, SO feet wide; two lower side aisles, one of 55 feet width with a mezzanine floor, and one of 45 feet width; and a 100-foot material and flask yard adjacent to the latter. The material yard is served by an overhead traveling crane of 10 tons capacit}^ and 40 feet lift. The adjacent side aisle, into which materials are moved from the open yard, or from bins opening directly into the foundry, is of one story for the greater part of its length, 32 feet high to bottom chords of roof trusses. This aisle contains the cupolas and the various converters, furnaces, etc. At the cupolas a second floor is provided for charging, with an intermediate floor to house the blowers for the cupolas. The single-story portion of this side aisle is provided with 2-ton and 5-ton traveling cranes. The center (main) aisle, in which the large castings are molded, poured, and handled, is 75 feet high to bottom of roof trusses, and is provided with three tiers of cranes — an 80-ton bridge crane of 63 feet lift, two 15-ton cranes of 50 feet lift, and two traveling wall cranes of 5 tons capacity on each side of the aisle. The 55-foot side aisle, with a gallery floor 22 feet above the main floor, houses mold- ing machines, crucibles, cleaning and grinding apparatus, etc., and is served generally by monorail cranes of -^-ton capacity and by 2-ton traveling bridge cranes. A foundry of this type, 408 feet in length, was constructed at the navy yard, Norfolk, and one 648 feet in length at the navy j^ard. Philadelphia. Both of these buildings are designed and located for extension to an ultimate length of 1.000 feet. On the recommendation of yard officials a modified design for walls and roof was used at Philadelphia, with inclined side walls of steel sash and glass for the main bay, and continuous top-hung ventilat- ing sash for the upper portion in lieu of the usual design (see illustration). Both of these buildings were constructed under contract — the one at Norfolk by George E. Wyne, of Washington, D. C. and that at Philadelphia by Warren, Moore & Co., of Philadelphia. At the navy yard, Boston, the foundry and machine-shop group (building 42) was remodeled and extended, the former copper, test- ing, and pipe shops and building 43 being demolished and replaced with modern construction. A further extension to the foundry, con- sisting of a lean-to building and a flask yard, is now nearing com- pletion. The remodeling and extension work was done under con- 170 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. tract with the Evatt Construction Co., of Boston, and the lean-to and flask yard under contract Avith Coleman Bros., of Chelsea, Mass. At the Portsmouth (N. H.) yard the existing foundry was ex- tended. Pattern shop and storage huildings. — The type pattern shop and storage building is of four stories, the lower three stories of rein- forced-concrete flat-slab construction, used for storage of patterns, and the upper story of steel framework wath adequate daylighting, ventilating, heating, etc., and light crane facilities for shop purposes. Such a building, 126 feet wide and 211 feet long, designed and located for extension to about 550 feet in length, is being constructed adjacent to the new foundry at the Norfolk yard, and a similar one, 105 feet wide, 230 feet long, and three stories in height, designed and located for extension to 400 feet in length and increase in height to four stories, has been constructed adjacent to the new foundry at the Philadelphia yard. A smaller reinforced-concrete building of the same general type was constructed at the Charleston (S. C.) yard. These buildings are fireproof and modern in every respect, and are provided with electric elevators and handling equipment and steel racks for the storage of patterns. The Philadelphia building was constructed by M. H. McCloskey, of Philadelphia, and the Charleston building by the navy yard public works force. The Norfolk building is being constructed by the Boyle-Robertson Construction Co., of Washington. Machine shops. — The type plan for the machine-shop group con- templates, for heav}^ and medium machine shops, a mammoth build- ing with two main (center) aisles for heavy machine and erection work, each 80 feet wide and 88 feet high to bottom chords of roof trusses, and each equipped with two 150-ton traveling bridge cranes of 70 feet lift and two 15-ton cranes of 68 feet lift; also two side aisles for lighter machine work, each 50 feet wide, equipped with 20-ton traveling bridge cranes of 26-foot lift for the main floor, and with a mezzanine floor provided with 5-ton cranes of 18-foot lift. The ultimate length contemplated is 1,000 feet. The necessary shop offices, tool rooms, toilets, wash rooms, substations, etc., are housed in lean-to structures. The enormous lifting capacities for the main aisles of 150 tons for a single crane and 300 tons for the two together are based on the greatest loads expected to be handled, such as a modern turret for two 16-inch or three 14-inch guns, completely assembled, with its armor and turning mechanism, weighing altogether about 290 tons; a 16-inch 50-culiber gun weighing approximately 200 tons; a com- pletely assembled boiler; a section of 14-inch side-armor plate of 64 tons; or a completed basket mast for a battleship. AVAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 171 172 WAR ACTIVITIES OF lU'ltKAT or YAIIDS AXD DOCKS. Foundry, N.nv.y Yai'rt, I'liilaili Iphia, l*,i. Fouiiilr.v. .\:ny 'i'ard. Pliiljidclpliia, I'a. Interior view. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 173 Fdiiiulry, Navy Yard. Boston, Mass. First extension. Foundry, Navy Yard. Boston, Mass. r>econii extension. 174 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Pattern shop and .>i(ii;i.L;t.' huildini,', Xavy Yard, rbiladeliihia, I'a Pattern shop, Navy Yard, Charleston, S. C. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 175 The type machine-shop group provides also for a multiple-story light machine and electrical shop adjoining the structure just de- scribed. Of the heavj^ machine shops actually constructed, those at Norfolk and Philadelphia most closely follow the type design. At Norfolk one-half the width of the type building, one 80-foot main aisle and one 60-foot side aisle, a 30-foot lean-to, and 600 feet of length have been constructed. This building is capable of being extended later- ally to the full width of the type. The crane service is as described for the type building, except that only one 150-ton crane has been provided to date. An interesting feature of this building is the end door of the main aisle, which was designed to permit the passage of the 150-ton cranes, with maximum load, in order to move heavy assemblages from the erecting floor direct to barges for immediate transfer to the fitting- out crane and installation aboard ship. This door is 88 ieet high and 79 feet wide over all, but for structural reasons it is divided into three main parts, approximating, roughly, the silhouette of the crane with a maximum loading. These largv^r parts are further subdivided, and the whole system is arranged for motor operation with conven- ient control. The Philadelphia machine shop forms a so-called " extension," 325 feet long, to the old machine shop. Their relative magnitude may be judged from the accompanying photograph. The new structure is of the same general cross section as the Norfolk shop. It is capable of being extended laterally to the full width of the type shop and to a length of 675 feet. At the New York yard the main part of the old machine shop (building 128) was extended a distance of 235 feet. This exten- sion was made along the lines of the existing structure, with the addi- tion of a mezzanine floor in one of the side aisles. Building 128 was also extended by roofing over an adjacent courtyard. At the New York yard a six-story light machine and electrical shop, 94 feet wide by 393 feet long, was also constructed, the materials being steel frame and brick. At the Boston, Portsmouth, and Mare Island yards important ex- tensions were made to existing machine shops. Of these, only the extension to machine shop No. 1 at Mare Island closely approximates the type construction described ; the design of the other yards named, which were not otherwise equipped for the construction of capital ships, being such as to meet local conditions and requirements. The provision of a large and modern machine shop for the naval station. Pearl Harbor, was taken up shortly after the armistice. The machine shop buildings mentioned were all constructed under contract^the building at Norfolk by George E. Wyne, Washington, 37022—21 12 176 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. D. C. ; at Philadelphia by the McClintic-Marshall Construction Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. ; at New York by Post & ^McCord, New York City ; at Boston by the Evatt Construction Co., Boston ; at Portsmouth by Levering & Garrigues, New York City; and at ]\Iare Island by George Wagner, San Francisco. Galvanising plants. — The first of the modern galvanizing plants constructed for naval requirements was at the Philadelphia yard. This building is of one story, 62 by 122 feet in plan, and 53 feet high over all. It is equipped with a 6-ton traveling bridge crane of 25-foot lift running lengthwise of the shop, and with a 3-ton jib crane for handling material from cars and over one of the vats. On account of the corrosive action of gases and acids present in a shop of this character, the entire building framework, including roof trusses of 62- foot span and excepting only crane runway girders, was designed and constructed of reinforced concrete. A plant of the same type but somewhat larger — 82 feet wide by 152 feet long and 62 feet high over all — Avas constructed at the Nor- folk yard. As at Philadelphia, the wall framing is of reinforced concrete, but on account of the greater span, steel roof trusses coated with "gunite" (Portland cement mortar applied by compressed air) were used. Oxygen-hydrogen-acetylene generating plants. — Because of the very extensive use of oxygen, hydrogen, and acetylene in cutting and welding in connection with ship construction and repair, it has been found desirable and economical for the principal 3^ards to maintain their own plants for generating these gases. Fireproof buildings of reinforced concrete, brick, and tile were constructed to house these activities at the Philadelphia, Norfolk, and Mare Island yards, and one is now under construction at the Charleston yard. The Mare Island building, as a typical instance, is 38 feet wide and 135 long, one story high. For safety the various activities, such as oxygen and hj^drogen generating, oxygen charging, hydrogen charg- ing, acetylene generating, and acetylene charging are all separated by fire Avails. The gases are stored in steel holders outside of the building. Boat shop. — At the navy yard, Philadelphia, an addition to the boat shop, 80 by 400 feet, 46 feet high to underside of roof trusses, and equipped with two 15-ton traA^eling bridge cranes, Avas con- structed. Miscellaneous huildings. — At the larger yards it AA'as also necessary to construct various auxiliary buildings, such as engine and loco- motive-crane houses, toilet and locker buildings, etc. Power plants. — To take care of the great expansion of industrial activities at the yards equipped for s]iip])uilding, extensions to power- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 177 Machine shoj}, Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va. Macliuic -ii.'j , Navy Yard. Norfolk, Va. Interior of main aisl< 178 WAll ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAllDS AND DOCKS. Machine shop (center) and "extension" (loft), Navj' Yard, I'hUadeliihia, I'a. Maine aisle ol machine-shop extension, Navy Yaril, I'liiladelpliia, I'a. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 179 Light machine and electrical shop neai'ing completion, Navy Yard, New York, N. Y. itum fi»^ ^ffP^Sli f 1^ -. / ■ ■ .r! — „'*■ '^ . ; Interior of extension to heavy machine shop. Navy Yard, New York, N. Y. 180 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUKEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. plant buildings, and additions to power-plant eqiii]inient were neces- sary in nearly all cases. At Philadelphia and at Norfolk, where entirely new industrial areas were created and existing power plants were too small and too restricted as to location to permit of expansion (as Avell as some- what remote from the new center of load), it was considered neces- saiT that new power plants be constructed. The buildings housing these two plants, which were constructed from the same plans and under the same contract, consist of a generator room 77 by 102 feet, 67 feet high to roof, ]iump room 35 by 114 feet, and a boiler room 84 by 157 feet, Avith a continuous overhead coal bunker of 2,600 tons capacity, 94 feet high from basement to roof. An outside coal storage and handling plant Avith couA^eyor system from storage to bunkers is provided at each yard. The outside coal storage capacity is 18,000 tons. Further discussion and description of these plants aa^II be found in another chapter. The poAver-distributing lines for industrial deA'elopments, carried in a system of tunnels and trenches, are also reserved for separate treatment. The buildings Avere constructed under contract Avith the M. J, Roche Construction Co., of Cincinnati, Ohio; the Philadelphia coal- handling plant by the Guarantee Construction Co., of New York City; and the Norfolk coaling plant by R. H. Beaumont & Co., of Philadelphia, Pa. Gun shop^ Ncn^d Gun Factory, Wai^Jiinr/toiK D. C. — This project unusually interesting from an engineering standpoint, Avas handled in connection with the shop design described in this chapter. The building, Avhich has cranes of extraordinary capacity and lift (300 gross tons; 40 and 100 foot lifts) and a shrinkage pit 100 feet deep, is described elsewhere in connection with the bureau's naval-ordnance projects. SHIPBUILDING SLIPS. General. — The ucav shipbuilding slips, by Avhich term is desig- nated the Avhole Avaterfront structure and forebay devoted to the construction and launching of a vessel, AA'ere designed in accordance with the re(iuii-ements of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and of the shi[)l)uilding yards as to principal dimensions and clear- ances, launching Aveights, weights to be handled by cranes, etc., and in accordance Avith the specific requirements of the locality as to foundation conditions, s)>ace available, range of tides, and the like. The assumptions for tlie ultimate cai)acity of the ])lants for the constructicm of capital ships have been mentioned heretofore. The building slips Avere, of course, designed Avith these assumptions WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU CF YARDS AND DOCKS. 181 Power plant, Navy Yard. Philadelphia, Pa. View showing coal handling plant (left), taken from crane runway of shipbuilding slip. Genei-ator-room, end of power plant, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa. 182 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. (;ii;il li.-ijhlliiiL; iiistallaliuu at powrr plant, ^"av.v Yard, I'hiluiklijhia, i'; Ovci)ira(l coal liunkers in power plant, Navy Yard. Philadcliiliia, I'a. BUREAU or YARD^ » DOCK5-NAVY DEPT. ° GENERAL PLANS us M%Y YA RD N ORFOLK. VA. SCALE liNOi ' AOfEET llNCn • ZOfEET 37022 — 21. - 30/LER. ROOM BUREAU OF YARDS 6- DOCKS" NAVY DEPT. POWLE PLANT ■3C/IL£3 /wcfi- 3o»2o r^£T. TiOTl — :J1. (To face page 182.1 No. o J J 5 n a I U' ' ■ U' MF.7.z^mMF^ ^n.ooe^ plan —f -B j"; F^ F^ "I .^&S£/fOpA^ji/l/V 'WillUU ITTTTfnTlTTnTI 1 1 riT ~JECTIOM^jH^_Jir^j'MITOR ROOM UU 11 1, Li.l JllijiJ ,1 Q lOLJOLn-^n.! POWER. PLANT Oi WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 183 in mind, although the initial construction in each case is for the type of ship immediately assigned to the yard; thus slips at yards where battleships have been assigned have been constructed for vessels of a length of 700 feet, and at yards where battle cruisers have been or may be assigned, for ships of a length of 900 feet ; but all ways for capital ships are capable of being extended for ships up to 1,000 feet in length. The general plans illustrating this chapter show typical designs for shipbuilding slips and indicate the general arrangement, construction, dimensions, and loads. Launching ways. — The typical layout for shipbuilding slips for capital ships provides for launching ways (by which is meant the floor or platform on which a ship is built up and launched) of the usual " declivity " type capable of carrying enormous loads under the keel blocks and groundways and served by electrically operated trav- eling bridge cranes operating above the ways on high steel structures. A lower crane runway structure is provided at the inboard end of the slips to serve the area in which bulkheads, frames, etc., are assem- bled before being placed in the hull. The construction of the launching ways proper varied at the difi^erent yards at which slips were constructed on account of founda- tion conditions, type of ship to be constructed, desires of the yard, and expediency, but crane runways and cranes were constructed according to uniform plans. Crane rumvays and overhead cranes. — The clearance between the towers supporting the crane runways is in each case made 130 feet to allow for the construction of a ship of maximum beam, with the necessary staging, working platforms, and supports for shores. A standard-gauge railroad track serving the slip is located under the portals of the outer towers, and two tracks are placed under the towers between slips. The legs of these towers toward the slips slope outw^arcl, so that the inside width is increased from 130 feet at tops of portals to 150 feet at the crane-runway level. This allows the cranes to plumb the railroad tracks under the towers as well as the entire width of the slip. The cranes operate in two tiers — a lower tier of two cranes of 40 tons capacity, 151-foot span, and about 135-foot lift above mean low water ; and an upper tier of four cranes of 10 tons capacity and about 155-foot lift. These upper cranes operate on tAvo longitudinal runways of about half the Avidth of the slip, the rails at the center of the slip being supported on a structure suspended from the trans- verse trusses which connect and brace the towers. In order that the 10-ton crane service may cover the entire width of the slip with- out a gap at and on each side of the center supports, the two cranes on one runway are of the " underslung " type ; that is, the crane trolley operates on the bottom chord of the crane girders, which extend 184 WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. under the supporting structure far enough to allow the trolley travel to overlap that of the cranes on the other half of the slip. The design of the runways is of unusual engineering interest, be- cause of the magnitude of the structures, the multiplicity of forces due to cranes and wind, and the statical indeterminacy of stresses in the component parts of the structure. The original detail design was prei:)ared by the American Bridge Co., of New York, on the basis of the bureau's outline drawings and specifications, and was checked in detail by the bureau. The single runway for the single battleship slip at Norfolk contains 4,045 tons of structural steel ; the double structure, with bulkhead handling runways for two battle- ships, at New York, 7,4G7 tons ; and the double structure for two battle cruisers, at Philadelphia, 9,948 tons. Five of these crane runway structures have been constructed from the same plans, the two at Philadelphia by the American Bridge Co. and the one at Norfolk and two at New York by the McClintic Marshall Construction Co. The 40 and 10 ton cranes for all of these ways were constructed by the Niles-Bement-Pond Co., of Phila- delphia. Philadelphia ivays. — The first designs for the two building ways at Philadelphia contemplated a reinforced-concrete deck structure inboard of the intersection of grade and mean low water, supported on timber piles cut off at the permanent ground-water level. The permanently wet outboard portion of the ways was to have been of timber, as in the design finally adopted. Bids were taken on this concrete-deck design, but the cost was found to be excessive in view of the work it was necessary to accomplish with the funds available. Because of the greater expense and time required for permanent concrete construction, and on the assumption that the more or less temporary construction above the wet line' could be permanently replaced after a number of ships had been launched, the department made the decision to install all-timber construction. The type of construction varies somewhat witli the load, but con- sists in general of close transverse pile bents, well braced in both transverse and longitudinal directions, capped with heavy oak and yellow-pine timbers, and decked over with heavy yelloAv-pine plank- ing. The piles are, of course, densely spaced under keel and ground- way supports and much more sparsely spaced in outer areas, where only the lighter loads of staging, -working platforms, and shores are supported. The ground-way supports from the pivoting point out- board are carried on piles spaced 2 feet center to center both ways. Passageways for men and materials are provided under the ways to save time ordinarily consumed in going around the head of the slip. Space has been conserved by installing such necessary facilities as WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 185 •■■- i i jS -s . ; f ,j^, iiv • - rl ^^^^^^^^T.fl r* W:/ " - •'l.-.j K lii'^^BliMvn^^^^ mfg:-:S N^ 2 riAVy >ARP. PMILADELPMIA PA. - -40 r-EBT 37022—21. (To face page 198.) No. 1 i,i„ t ^*MWti''tttitt«tMwttttttte^«»mtffliittffii'fM s nSHIPBUILDING WAY5 N^ 2 U.S. /lAVy VM^D. PMILADEJ-PMIA PA. ^ r sbipbuiiiiiiiK sii[) : I \ BUREAU OF YARD5 & DOCKS NAVY DEP'T » GENERAL PLANS riTTINGOUTPlER U-5 NAVY YARD NOREOJJ^.VA SCALE ll~c-.50Ii-T M~=H -ZOfBiT lUcH-lDftc 37022—21. (To face page 198.) No. 2 GENERAL PL/AIMS- — FIttingoutPier U 5 NAVY YARD NORFOLK, VA f^^ \^^- ^]- ) — -^5- - ^ ;1 ^^ */ Bu/khead Storage X- r-+- i ' ^ /oo'-o'fok/r ^ Bay^ (?■ jqq . ^qq-q' p TiV C/e/i,^ Tap flail ^ 15 Ton Crane S/eK /SJ-o-y- ^AM/\^' dA!/V^^I Top Masanry £t /aj-Ot ^ e Bays (? /ao ■ ^a^p'o ^ i ^ 35- O' ,^ ff7'-0^^ •<5-^ J, -45-0 ->} ^ — T* 5ECWN 'f'f- J.Hk Xc :;. Navy Vaid, riiiladrlphia, I'a. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 211 reach of approximately 91 feet, and lift of 65 feet above ground and 50 feet below ; auxiliary hoist, 15 gross tons at a reach of approxi- mately 130 feet, and lift of 90 feet above ground and 50 feet below. The reaches for the New York crane are somewhat less because the dry docks at that yard are smaller than those more recently con- structed. It is to be noted that a capacity of 50 tons is generally ample for cranes serving dr}' docks, where overhauls of a relatively minor nature are executed. The capacities of floating and fitting-out cranes are, as has been seen, much larger in important cases. MARINE RAILWAYS, General. — In order that the numerous smaller vessels of the Navy (such as patrol boats, submarines, minesw^eepers, destroyers, gun- boats, barges, tugs, etc.) may be conveniently and economically taken out of the water for repairs or overhauling, a marine railway of suit- able capacity is an essential part of the equipment of any station whose mission includes the care of such vessels. At a yard where only the larger dry docks are available, a suitable marine railway is desirable because of its economy of operation and the probability of more urgent need of the docks for major vessels; and at a station where docks are not available, the marine railway becomes an indis- pensable requisite. The shortage of equipment of this nature, both at naval and commercial plants, was recognized prior to the war; and, needless to state, the increases in the Navy of recent years have greatly emphasized this necessity. Appropnations. — The act of October 6, 1917, contained an appro- priation of $350,000 for " Marine railways at navy yards and sta- tions." The naval appropriation acts of March 4, 1913, and July 1, 1918, made specific appropriations for marine railways at the naval station, Pearl Harbor. Hawaii, and the Naval Fuel Depot, San Diego, Calif., respectively. (The naval appropriation act of June -1, 1920, made additional specific appropriations for the completion and in- crease in capacity of the Pearl Harbor and San Diego marine rail- ways.) Marine railways consi/ructed. — Under the appropriation first named, marine railways for ships up to 2,000 tons displacement were constructed at the navy yards, Boston, Mass., and Charleston, S. C. Under the appropriations of March 4, 1913, and July 1, 1918, con- struction of 2,000-ton marine railways was started at Pearl Harbor and San Diego. In completing these structures, however, the ca- pacity of each is being increased to 2,500 tons, and the latter will be removed from the site at the fuel depot to a much more advantageous 212 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUKEAU OF YARDS AXI) DOCKS. Marine railway, Navy Yard, Charleston, S. C. Cradle submerged. Marino railway, Navy Yard, Charleston, 8. C. Cradk' ashore. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 213 location at the recently acquired naval repair station at San Diego. A marine railway of 250-tons capacity was constructed at the Cape May, N. J., section base, and two of 90 tons each were constructed for the section base at Corfu, Greece. These latter were fabricated in the United States, but had not been shipped abroad at the time the armistice was signed. One has subsequently been installed at the naval training station, Newport, R. I., and the other stored at the naval training station, Great Lakes, 111., where it will be installed as an important auxiliary of the harbor development project authorized for that station. The Charleston and Boston railways were constructed by the Crandall Engineering Co., of Boston, and Mr. James L. Crandall was of assistance to the bureau in the preparation of the designs of the four large railways mentioned. The San Diego railway is under con- struction by the Eoss Construction Co., of Sacramento, Calif. The Pearl Harbor ways and machinery house were constructed by the Hawaiian Contracting Co., and the cradle and hauling machinery are being furnished under contract with the same concern. The Cape May railway was constructed by Cramp & Co. of Philadelphia. The 90-ton railways were fabricated by the Vanderstucken-Ewing Con- struction Co., of Bethlehem, Pa. Characteristics. — The 2,000 and 2,500-ton railways mentioned are all of the same type and, except for length of ways, of the same di- mensions. A general description of the design follows : Ways: The ways consist of built-up wood stringers (set on a slope of about seven-eighths inch per foot), supported by piles; at Charleston, San Diego, and Pearl Harbor there are two inclined runways 16 feet center to center, and at Boston three runways 15 feet center to center. The inshore end of the ways at Pearl Harbor is of concrete construction supported on rock. Cradle : The cradle consists of a structural steel framework at Charleston. San Diego, and Pearl Harbor, and of timber framework at Boston. All are provided with wood decks and walk ways, and with all necessary fittings, such as keel blocks, bilge blocks, winches, cleats, etc. The cradle travels on two (three at Boston) ranks of rollers, one rank being supported on each runway of the ways. The cradle is constructed in two sections bolted together, making it self-docking for repairs and painting purposes. Hauling mechanism : The cradle is hauled both in and out of t-lie water by an electrically operated chain hoist housed at the head of the ways. There are four main hauling chains, attached to a drawhead near the center of the cradle. The hauling and l)ack-hauling chains are endless, and are provided with suitable equalizing sheaves to take up unequal strains. 214 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. The principal characteristics and dimensions of these railways — as well as of others, new and old, in the naval service — are shown in the following table : Marine railicays at United States navy yards and naval stations. Yard or station. Pearl Harbor. San Diego... . Boston Charleston Key West Cape May Guantanamo. , Washington. . Newport (ireat Lakes... Cavite' Do.i Do.i Do.i Do.i Year constructed, Capaci- ty. 1918-1920 191S-1920 1918 1918 1910 1918 1913 1853 1919 Projected Gross torn. 2,500 2,500 2,000 2,000 750 500 500 500 90 90 300 100 40 40 25 Length of ways. Feet. 738 700 652 729 647 520 322 493 350 350 Length cradle i^^'^f '^ be *" Width of cradle, iween i Q^,gj. ^^ aJl. extreme keel blocks. tween staging. Feet. Feet. 332 332 332 332 161 160 101 104 104 363 363 363 363 177 172i 109' 211 110 110 Feet. 42 42 42 42 32 26 Width of cradle over all. Feet. 52§ 52i 52i 52J 42 34i 32 Depth of keel blocks to mean high water. Feet. 18 18 18 18 15 15i 15 12 7 7 1 Data lacking. CHAPTER IX. SHIPYARD AND INDUSTRIAL PLANT EXTENSIONS. GENERAL. Necessity. — Early in 1917 the Navy found itself face to face with the problem of expediting construction on its war fleet, of which torpedo boats, submarines, and smaller craft in general formed the large mass. This represented actual emergency building, super- imposed on the six-year program inaugurated the year before. The process which was to place the United States second in the list of naval powers began at the outset to tax to the utmost the facilities of the commercial shipbuilders, and even to exceed their capabilities of early expansion. Character of assistance. — It was seen that aid, direct or indirect, w^ould have to be extended to many of these concerns by the Navy itself, and the engineering resources of the department and requisite moneys were made available. The magnitude and character of the requisite plant extensions were determined by the Secretary of the Navy in consultation with and on the recommendation of the chiefs of the bureaus interested. The respective bureaus made the neces- sary contracts for the construction involved, and were responsible for the proper expenditure of and accounting for funds allotted, except that for all extensions in connection with contracts for ships the Compensation Board w^as the agency designated by the depart- ment to perform some of the functions of this character, as described in the respective ship contracts. The necessary technical supervision and inspection of work in- cluded in these plant-extension projects, especially as to general efficiency of layout and arrangement of detail and inspection of con- struction work, were assigned to the Bureau of Yards and Docks by the Secretary of the Navy in August, 191T. This authorization applied, in general, to the public- works features to be provided, which covered the rnajor portion of the total cost. Rear Admiral H. H. Rousseau (C. E. C), U. S. N., was designated project manager for the whole undertaking. Mr. Henry B. Seaman, a consulting engineer of New York City, was called to the bureau to assist in the execution of the projects involved, and resident engineers with neces- sary assistants were appointed, 215 216 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. This activity of the bureau is not to be confused with its regular work of nav}^ yard improvement, the war-time phases of which have been discussed at some length in the chapter " Shipbuilding and repair facilities." Cost. — Some 45 projects of this character, involving a gross outlay in excess of $71,000,000, were carried through to successful comple- tion under various contracts. As will be understood from a study of the " rental " agreements explained hereinafter, the above total exceeds bj^ a large amount the net expense of these improvements to the Government, since liquidations will refund a total of more than $30,000,000 in payments and appraised usable equipment. Placing the net outlay (conservatively) at $41,000,000, one is struck with the relative smallness of the sum as compared with the $812,000,000 worth of naval vessels whose construction was either made possible or mate- rially expedited through its expenditure. On this basis less than 6 per cent of the cost of the additional fleet units has actually to be charged to the account of the plant extensions. Rental agreements. — The extensions financed by the Government to provide for the construction of hulls and machinery can be classed in three general groups, as follows : (1) Special rentals "A" : These facilities are and remain the prop- erty of the contractor. Their cost was divided between the ship- building contractor and the Navy Department, tentatively, at the time of approving the special rental, and is being finally fixed by appraisal upon the termination of the contract. The Government's share of the cost of these items is allowed as a special rental or depre- ciation, and is charged to the cost of the ships, but no profit thereon is allowed the shipbuilder. (2) Plant extensions (under the naval act of October G, 1917) : These belong to the Government, their whole cost being defrayed by the latter. Upon the completion of the work some or all of the items may be taken over by the contractor, as determined by him, at their value as appraised at that time — the others being removed by the Government or abandoned, as the Government may decide. No part of the cost of these items is charged to the cost of the ships. (3) Special rentals "B": These resemble "plant extensions," in that the Government defrays their entire cost, and that they are and remain the property of the Government. They are subject to the Government's disposal at the conclusion of the contract. They resoin])le special rentals "A" only in that their cost is charged to the cost of the vessels concerned. Other extensions were financed by the Government on lines similar to the above. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 217 Projects. — The plants whose facilities were increased through naval assistance are tabulated below, together with the construction calling for added facilities, and the expense involved in each extension : Plant. Construction making exten- sion necessary. Approximate cost of exten- sion. Alabama Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co., Mobile, Ala Baltimore Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co., Baltimore, Md. Bath Iron Works (Ltd.), Bath, Me Chester Shipbuilding Co., Chester, Pa Wm. Cramp & Sons" Ship & Engine Building Co., Phila- delphia, Pa. (other than at Cramp plant). Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Co., Akron, Ohio De La Vergne Co., East Chicago, Ind Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn Ford Motor Co., Detroit, Mich , Ford Motor Co., Kearney, N. J , Bethlehem Shipbuilding' Corp., Fore River, Mass , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Squantum, Mass Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., BulTalo, N . Y Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Providence, R.I Worthington Pump & Machinery Co., East Cambridge, Mass. Falk Co., Milwaukee, Wis Sturtevant Co., Hj-de Park, Mass Edward Valve Co., East Chicago, Ind Chapman Valve Co., Indian Orchard, Mass Consolidated Mfg. Co., Bridgeport, Conn Gas Engine & Power Co., Morris Heights, N. Y Griscom Russell Co., Massillon, Oliio Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, Conn New Jersey Dry Dock & Transportation Co., Elizabeth- port, N. J. Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va. New York Shipbuildmg Corporation, Camden, N. J Pennsylvania Shipbuilding Co., Gloucester, N.J Pusey & Jones Co., Wilmington, Del Staten Island Shipbuilding Co., Staten Island, N. Y Sun Shipbuilding Co., Chester, Pa Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp, (Union), Potrero- Alameda , Cahf. Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. (Union), Potrero-Alameda and Risdou, Cahf. Columbia Steel Co., Pittsburg, Cahf AUov Steel Forging Co., Carnegie, Pa C. &"0. Ry. Co., Newport News, Va Inland Ordnance Co., Bedford, Ohio Poole Engine & Machine Co., Woodberry, Md Walter Scott Co., Plainfleld, N.J Tioga Steel & Iron Co., Philadelphia, Pa Virginian Ry. Co., SewaUs Point, Va Lang Products Co., Whitestone, Long Island Erie Forge Co., Erie, Pa Alhs-Chalmers Co., Milwaukee, Wis. Pollock Steel Co., Cincinnati, Ohio.. 3 minesweepers.. 7 minesweepers., 11 destroyers ■1 minesweepers. Various vessels. Equipment for destroyers Various vessels Submarijies 100 Eagle boats do Various vessels Transportation improvements, 35 destroyers , 35 turbine sets for destroyers. , 112 Yarrow boUers for destroy- ers. 150 sets pumps for destroyers.. Gears for destroyers Turbine sets for destroyers. . Valves do Safety valves 5 minesweepers Equipment for destroyers . . . 12 submarines 3 minesweepers Various vessels. do 2 minesweepers do 8 minesweepers, 6 seagoing tugs. 3 minesweepers Various vessels .do. do 4-inch gun forgings Coal storage Gun forgings 500 4-Lnch guns 250 antiaircraft-gun mounts. . . Gun forgmgs Coal storage Airplane propellers 4-inch giui forgings and de- stroyer shafting. Rotor drums and destroyer shafting. Gun forgings $60, 434. 53 128,117.35 417, 768. 28 105, 662. 65 4,404,210.98 1, 246, 1,500, 192, 3, 500, 2,000, 2, 796, 494, 13, 787, 2,907, 1,052, 748. 54 000.00 552. 00 000.00 000. 00 820. 32 000.00 285.00 000.00 500.00 2,897,633.00 800, OOa 00 190, 000. 00 140,000.00 20, 000. 00 6S, 000. 00 156, 253. 92 325, 000. 00 423, 305. 52 72, 188. 80 9, 323, 773. 00 4,043,773.48 14, 971. 82 7, 583. 75 1,175,320.64 8, 230. 60 1,668,010.12 2, 668, 800. 00 135, 000. 00 375, 111. 51 324, 800. 00 210, 771. 00 535, 360. 00 159, 810. 39 1, 800, 000. 00 382, 254. 00 229, 385. 65 7, 700, 998. 00 557, 106. 00 732, 600. 00 Thirty-four of the foregoing plants were engaged in the construc- tion of torpedo-boat destroyers, scout cruisers, submarines, mine- sweepers, and accessories for these vessels, and of the Eagle boats (built by the Ford Motor Co.), two have provided for the storage of coal ; one for the production of airplane propellers, and eight for the production of shafting and ordnance material. Many of the above plants were substantially completed and used in the calendar year 1917, and practically all of them were in successful operation before the expiration of the fiscal year 1917-18. The three largest 218 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU Oi' YARDS AND DOCKS. plants were the toi'i^edo-boat- destroyer plant of the Bethlehem Ship- building Corporation (Ltd.) at Squantum, near Quincy, Mass., cost- ing nearly $14,000,000; the extension to the plant of the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., costing over $9,000,000 ; and the Erie Forge Co. plant, at Erie, Pa., costing nearly $8,000,000. PARTICULARS OF PROJECTS. Squantum flant. — The plant proper occupies about 97 acres of land at the north end of a tract of 700 acres, commandeered by the Navy Department, located about 5 miles north of Quincy, at the mouth of the Neponset River. It consists of a fabricating and as- sembling shoj^, with 10 building slips under roof, and 6 wet berths, also under roof, and the necessary auxiliary shops, storehouses, Avharf, wet basin, launching ways, railroad tracks, streets, street rail- way connections, etc. The plant is adapted to the rapid construction of light-draft hulls and the installation of the machinery and fittings for such vessels. It is entirely Navy owned. This plant was authorized October 6, 1917 ; construction work began immediately and progressed during a winter of extreme severity. The fabrication of the shipwork by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation (Ltd.) began at the plant in January, 1918; five keels were laid in April, the first boat was launched in July, and delivered to the Navy on November 30, 1918. The plant was substantially completed in May, 1918, seven months after it was authorized. Up to May 1, 1920, 35 destroyers had been built and launched at this yard by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp- oration (Ltd.), of which 33 were entirely completed. This plant has been turned over to the jurisdiction of the commandant, navy yard, Boston, for ultimate use as a repair base for destroyers and sub- marines. It is designated as the " United States destroyer and sub- marine base, Squantum, Mass." In connection with destroyers con- structed at this plant the department constructed a boiler shop at Providence, R. I., and a turbine shop at Buffalo, N. Y., both of which were also operated by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation (Ltd.) in conjunction with the Squantum plant. Tlie turbine shop furnished 35 sets of turbines for the destroyers built at Squantum, and the boiler shop furnished the boilers and the condensers. The structural part of the turbine shop, constructed at Buffalo, N. Y., has been sold, and the tools have been transferred to navy yards. The boiler shop at Providence has been transferred to the city for the fiscal year 1920-21 for use as a receiving, storage, and transit station in con- nection with the operation of a proposed steamship line between Providence and other points, reimbursement to the Navy Department to be in the sum of $10,000. The building will ultimately be re- moved to South Boston to the naval dry -dock property. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 219 Squantuni tlestioyer plant. General view during construction. 3MMUM' JU&fk. ■•?*t^"' "^ ^^Mi-^ Shore end of building slips at Squantum destroyer plant. 220 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Wet slips and building slips at Squantum destroyer plant. Intriiui- view of wet slip, Sguaiitiim destroyer plant. WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, 221 Newport Neivs Shiphuildiyig & Dry Dock Co. — This plant occupies approximately 120 acres, and the yard consists of 13 shipways, 3 of which are being used for battleships and large commercial vessels ; 2 ways, not yet completed, will be used for battle cruisers; and 8 ways are used for destroyers. There are three dry docks — No. 1 is 600 feet long and 90 feet wide ; No. 2 is 800 feet long and 95 feet wide ; No. 3 is 525 feet long and 100 feet wide. The plant also includes the necessary buildings, yards, and equipment for light and extra heavy shipbuilding work. Before the additions were made to the yard through the use of Navy funds, there were seven ways, and these were large enough to build any vessel up to and including the largest bat- tleships of the type of the Mississippi. There were no ways available for battle cruisers, nor for laying down the large number of de- stroyers which the yard had been ordered to build. The Navy contract calling for the emergency plant extension was for the construction of an additional number of destroyers, making a total of 31 in all. The total estimated cost of the ]Savy contracts for the 31 destroyers, 2 battle cruisers, 2 battleships, 8 tankers, and 2 troopships is nearly $150,000,000. The total cost of special rentals and plant extension authorized on account of these items amounts to approximately $10,000,000. The United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation had in addition contracted with the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. for some tankers and troopships, and had authorized new plant extensions to the extent of $800,000. The Navy plant extension consists of a large addition to the north end of the old yard, upon which a large amount of dredging had to be done, a sea wall built, and four shipways with connecting rail- waj^s and handling facilities constructed. These four shipways are known as Nos. 10 and 11, each unit having two shipways under its respective number. There were also various smaller items of equip- ment and tools. These ways added to the facilities of the yard so that more destroyers could be worked upon. Shipways Nos. 8 and 9 are large ways 900 feet long, with submerged outer ends protected by caissons and served by very high towers supporting runways car- rying heavy electric cranes, and also by a complete layout of angle and plate yards, with the working shops for these materials and handling facilities for the ways.' These two latter ways and the ex- tension to Pier No. 1 will not be completed before the middle of the calendar year 1921. Construction of this plant extension work began in 1917 and is all in use with the above exceptions. Title to the plant extension is to be transferred to the shipbuilding company upon completion of the destroyers, in accordance with an agreement already executed. There will remain outstanding at this plant as the property of the contractor a large number of " special rental " 222 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BlUKAT OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. Ship fabricating; shed, Xavy extension to plant of Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va. General view of Navy extension to plant of Erie Forge Co., Erie, I'a. BUfLOfNGS 1 USE a /^a,n Oifict. Qidg Sm^c^s/oo A. c ^h.pS^ctf M»t for-je ^tof* £xU/^s'on £ P,pe. 5»iv» r Mu:l fitpeir- Sfio^ G fiaci'.en Sh,p^mji f*» Z ^ii frecf,^^ S^eo J 3Aop *<»'- PlaArs 4 9^cp*A K Cfeine ^u/rnf^^ /( Sub 5/errvS'e>n C.A 0. Y>M?D GEAEBAL LAYOUT IPBUILDING PLANT /NEWPORT /1EWS bM]PBUILDl/SQ ^ DRYPOGK GO. 37022—21. (To face page 222.) ^3 ^ OC/JCBAL LA/OUT SHIPBUILDING PLANT /lC\-/POET /-1E\«'S 5rtlPBUILDI/\F?EHOUSEr D n-r-oux Shop E Fit-out Sked F Fire: Pump House G Ti?ANSFOF?MER House H BoiuEF? Mou3e: 1 Septic Tank >T Receiving Room K Transfer Tabi_e L Launching Slip 1 Watef? PRESsuRt Tank a Gen. Offices: Naw; Ford Co. Christman Ca ^ Sheds: American Bwd&e: Ca; Cement .SLimEj A. 5 NAvr&Ei-ECTRiCAi- Stock Room. [Sheds Oii_ Smed fi Material Shed 7 »°i .S ." in II Watchman's House il Christman Tooi-SHeD Note Buii-DiNe3 "ero^lS andF*G AreTemrorav Bco'q's. HaTCHEO BuiUDINSS Ip-IDICATE BlJil_Dlro'-o\ fo--o~ . . ■i'-°' . u*-- ■^o-o~ 1 ^^ . sm E^ Oeparfm^nt of th« Navy Bureau of Yar^ls 8 Docks " GliMIlRAL PLANS ° Drv^Docks No.4 U5NAVYYARD MORrOLK,Va SCAUE 1 incm'-^Oftet J7022 — 21. (TofacepaseiSS.) J •GENCR/^L PLANS- Drv^DocksNo.4 U5NAWYARD WORfOLK.VA ^ G WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 239 added to the Naval Establishment in 1920, so that the Navy now reckons 27 graving docks of a permanent character and 2 floating docks as available for its needs, 6 of the former being capable of receiving the largest war or merchant vessels existing or contemplated at the present time. The activities of the bureau devoted to the secur- ing of such facilities during the emergency period will be touched upon in the succeeding paragraphs. Dry Dock No. 4, Norfolk, Va. — This was the first of the five major docks above mentioned to be put in commission. Its construc- tion was well begun before the declaration of war, contract having been let on November 6, 1916; and substantial completion was at- tained on April 1, 1919, 212 days ahead of the maturity of the con- tract. Measured from the head of the dock to the side of the caisson, the usable length of this dock is 1,011 feet. Its width at the coping is 144 feet, and its depth over the keel blocks at mean high tide is 40 feet — the entire height of the walls being over 50 feet. The con- crete floor was placed to a minimum thickness of 20 feet, this great mass being sufficient to overcome any hydrostatic buoyancy to which the structure as a whole might be subjected. The dock has been called the most complicated piece of mass concrete construction ever built in this country, save for its duplicate at Philadelphia, dis- cussed elsewhere in this chapter. Around the margin extend three lines of standard-gauge railway track, two of which carry the trucks of the 50-ton service crane, the middle track being used for yard locomotives and cars, easily cleared through the portal of the crane. By this system, any materials required may be quickly handled from shop to ship or vice versa. The entrance caisson is of steel, and was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. All other features of the dock were provided under public works contracts. Flooding is accomplished by means of a tunnel built in the south wall having numerous openings throughout the lower part of the dock — the destructive effects of a few large masses of water in motion being thus minimized. The pumping plant consists of three Worthington centrifugal pumps, electrically driven, situated at the bottom of deep wells in the south wall of the dock, and of two smaller drainage pumps. The main centrifugals have a rated capacity of 14,400 cubic feet per minute each, and are capable, working together, of unwatering the entire dock in two and one-half hours. All pumps draw water from a suction chamber situated below the foundation of the main units. Heavy rectangular sluice gates or " valves " 8 and 9 feet high, hydraulically operated, control the floAV of water in the pumping and flooding operations. 37022— 21-^lG 240 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. A tunnel built in the upper part of the walls accommodates elec- tric cables, fresh and salt water lines, and compressed-air pipes, such services being provided for the proper functioning of the dock when ships are under repair. The amount of concrete poured in the execution of the whole proj- ect was 184,000 cubic yards, and 625,000 cubic yards of earth were moved in the course of the excavations. Foundation conditions at the site were favorable, allowing work to proceed " in the dry." Two drag-line excavators were used, part of the removed material being carried out to sea in scows and the rest being used for swamp reclamation in the yard vicinity or for the back filling of the dock walls. The sides of the excavation held at the moderate slope of 1 on 1, so that no excessive amount of earth had to be handled. The form work involved in the placing of the concrete was of un- precedented magnitude and complexity for such a project and re- quired careful planning and supervision. Many individual wall courses were poured continuously to a height of 28 feet. One such course was 41 feet high, and the maximum section was successfully completed when a wall form 51-J- feet high and 60 feet long, contain- ing 2,000 cubic feet of concrete, was erected and filled as a true mono- lith, no interruption in pouring the aggregate being permitted during the seven days required for the operation. The interior of this form was a maze of water passages, pipes, stairways, electric ducts, rein- forcement, and anchor bolts, with a concrete beam system for the railroad tracks to be laid above. No form work of equivalent magni- tude and complexity is recalled in connection with any drj^-dock project previously undertaken by the bureau. It is impressive to note that the keel and bilge blocking required for Dry Dock No. 4 amounted to 850,000 board feet of solid oak timber mechanically joined to the floor of the structure by the proper clamps and slides. All features of this project are now in working order, and it is a matter of record that its first ship, the U. S. S. Wisconsin, was docked with appropriate ceremonies 26^ months after the beginning of the excavation — an achievement unprecedented in the history of docks of comparable magnitude. The cost of the entire project, whose construction went forward under all the difficulties of war conditions, was a little less than $5,000,000. Dry Docks Nos. 6 and 7, Norfolk, Va. — Two docks of smaller size were built adjacent to Dry Dock No. 4 at the Norfolk yard, beginning about the middle of 1918. These were built by the Emer- gency Fleet Corporation and paid for out of its funds, and were developed to meet the requirements of the merchant marine. They are each 471 feet long. They were constructed concurrently by WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 241 Dry Dock No. 4, Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va. U. S. S. Wisconsin, the first vessel docked, entering. Dry docks at Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va., with vessels docked. Left to right : No. 3. U. S. S. Jupiter; No. 6, S. S. Dioj No. 7, S. S. Eastern Victor j No. 4, U. S. S. Mount Vernon. 242 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AISTD DOCKS. Dry Dock No. G, Navy Yard. Norfolk, Va., before first flooding circinoiiial. Looking toward head end. Dry Dock No. 7, Navy Yard, Norfolk. Va. Looking toward caisson. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 243 the contractor for Dry Dock No. 4, and the training received by his force in the building of the latter was of value in the construc- tion of the smaller docks. Work on these proceeded rapidly, and they were both completed Avithin 18 months from the beginning of excavation. Their initial flooding took place in the presence of the King and Queen of the Belgians, the Queen acting as sponsor. Since excavation for these twin docks began seven months before the completion of Dry Dock No. 4, the unique spectacle was afforded of work proceeding simultaneously on three docks in one group. A featiu"e making for speed in construction and efficiency in the operation of this plant is the interconnection existing between all three docks and the pumps of No. 4, so that one pumping plant serves for the unwatering of all three. Arrangements between the Navy and the Emergency Fleet Cor- poration provide for the joint use of Dry Docks Nos. 6 and 7 under such conditions as will inure to the benefit of both parties. Mer- chant vessels have prior claim on these docks or on equivalent dock- ing facilities, but military considerations have preponderating weight in time of war. The latter proviso justly entitles these docks to a place in the list of those fully available for naval purposes, especialh' in view of their advantageous location. Dnj Dock No. S, Philadelphia.'^ — This structure is a duplicate in all essential respects of Dry Dock No. 4 at Norfolk, and its comple- tion Avill add a vital link to the strategic chain of naval docks on the Atlantic coast. The bureau's contract for the work was let about three weeks after the declaration of war by the United States, with an original time limit of 870 days. Conditions at the site indicated that the excavation could be accomplished by simple suction dredging, but subsequent develop- ments made necessary the division of the whole area into a number of sheet-pile cofferdams, some of which were extremely difficult to hold, and to revise the design of the dock walls from a cellular section to one with a relieving wing base. Construction on the project began with the contractor's dredge working behind an earth cofferdam built across the proposed dock entrance. After carrying the excavation down to about half the final depth required, the dredge was unable to make further prog- ress, owing to the inflow of material from the sides. Investigation at this point developed the fact that a deep stratum of water- bearing sand had been reached, and that dredging in this material 1 Engineering details of the following account have been abstracted from an article by Lieut. Commander Charles A. Lee (C. E. C), U- S. N., in Engineering News-Record for Apr. 15, 1920, p. 748. 244 WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. simply allowed the water to wash more in from the sides, thus causing the banks to recede further and further. The inflow was really equiv- alent to that of a river 2,000 feet wide. Further dredging under these conditions would have resulted in an area of constant depth and ever-increasing width. The dredge was removed in the early part of 1918, and construc- tion Avas discontinued for nearly a year, until revised plans could be prepared by the bureau. The method subsequently^ employed was to subdivide the area into sections by means of heavy steel sheet-piling, so that excavation and construction could go forward in these compartments. The piling had to withstand severe punisliment in being driven through strata of compacted sand or in striking large bowlders, many of these heavy steel members having been bent and twisted com- pletely out of shape. Naturally a great deal of water found its way into the sheeted compartments, and pumps were constantly employed in removing from 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of water per minute from the excavation. In spite of all difficulties, however, the work has progressed satis- factorily under the new design. Bottom excavation was handled by two 20-ton traveling derricks operating heavy orange-peel buckets, by which material was dumped into skips placed on standard flat cars. These skips were lifted from the excavation by derricks, and the material was either spilled over the cofferdam or used for back- fill as the walls were completed. Concreting of the floor proceeded by sections 10 to 30 feet long and usually' of full width. Foundations for the side walls were con- creted as soon as the floor sections had set, and the side walls were poured in 50-foot lengths and four "lifts" or courses, varying in volume from 350 to 1,300 cubic yards. The setbacks encountered in the execution of this project resulted in considerable delay and expense, but the dock and all accessories are expected to be complete and in operation by the early summer of 1921. For a description of the dry-dock cranes installed at Phila- delphia, Norfolk, and elsewhere the reader is referred to tlie chapter on shipbuilding and repair facilities. The total cost of Dry Dock No. 3, Philadelphia, will run to ap- proximately $6,300,000."^ Dry Dock No. 1, Pearl Harhor^ Haioaii. — Perhaps the most in- teresting engineering construction carried over from the prewar period and continued during the war was the Pearl Harbor Dry Dock. The history of the dock up to the time reconstruction was started, in 1915, is given very completely in the paper prepared by Civil Engineer H. R. Stanford, then Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, and puljlished with discussion by other engineers in the WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 245 Dry Dock No. 3, Isavy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa., under construction. View talcen from cofferdam at entrance. Dry Dock No. 1, Naval Station, IN arl Harbor, Hawaii. Interior view after ihst pumping, showing rock ballast before completion of floor. 246 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Dry Dock No. 1, Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. View of completed structure at formal opening. Dry Dock No. 1, Naval .Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. General view of interior from head end. WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. 247 Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Volume LXXX, year 1916. The present Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks was as- signed to duty as public Avorks officer at Pearl Harbor to take charge of the reconstruction. The original contractors, the San Francisco Bridge Co., continued the Avork, the actual construction being handled by the Hawaiian Dredging Co. It having been found impracticable to construct a dry dock at this location by any of the usual methods, an entirely new and theretofore unsuggested plan was covered by the new agreement. Brie%, this consisted of dividing the 1,000-foot dock into 16 sec- tions and constructing the shell of each section base on a floating dry dock, this shell being 1.52 feet long (corresponding to the width out-to-out of the finished dock floor), 60 feet wide (16 sections to the 1,000-foot dock), and 16 feet high, with the floor of the shell about 8 feet thick and sides of varying thicknesses. There were 7 steel trusses in each section, approximately 150 feet long and 14 feet deep. This shell of concrete, together with its embedded steel trusses, weighed about 7,000 tons, with a displacement of about 4,000 tons. The floating dry dock on which each section base was constructed had a lifting capacity of about 3,500 tons. As each sec- tion shell was concreted, the floating dry dock was submerged, and rhere was floated in over the concrete shell a steel ballast tank of out- side dimensions corresponding to the length and width of the con- crete base ; this steel ballast tank was then bolted to the upper chord truss and brace channels along the outer perimeter of the concrete shell, canvas and rubber hose being used for packing to secure a water-tight joint. When this steel ballast tank was pumped out, the concrete base attached to the bottom of the tank was lifted and the whole towed to its location in the dock. Then, by adding water to interior compartments of the ballast tank, the section was sunk on a prepared foundation of piles covered with 1 foot of broken stone. This steel ballast tank was so designed that when pumped out it formed a steel cofferdam with interior water ballast compart- ments, which permitted the remaining concrete in the floor and side walls of each section to be deposited in their final location " in the dry." Following this, the bolts connecting tank and base were backed out, the water was pumped from the ballast compartments of the tank, which was raised and floated free. Certain steel doors were then removed from the inshore side to clear the tops of the concrete section side walls, and the tank was towed back to the floating dock to pick up another base section. This method applied to all sections except the first or head, where because of the side walls being on a curve, the}^ could not be constructed inside the steel cofferdam. On the first section and on a part of the second the side 248 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. walls were constructed ashore of monolithic blocks, weighing each about 115 tons. The blocks Avere reinforced H-shaped shells. They were set in place by means of the station 150-ton floating derrick. The first section of floating dry-dock pontoon was launched on June 22, 1915. The steel ballast tank was launched February 12, 1916. Steel erection of section 1 of the dry dock was started in the floating dock during the last week of April, and on July 7, 1916, this first sec- tion of dock was lifted free from the floating dock and sunk in its final location the following day. On September 8, 1916, the second section was landed. On January 25, 1917, the fifth section ; on July 14-17, the tenth section, and on January 3, 1918, the fifteenth section was landed. After the fifteenth section was placed, the public works officer was detached and ordered to the Bureau of Yards and Docks as chief, with rank of rear admiral, and the public works officer at Great Lakes, Commander Geo. A. McKay (C. E. C.) , U. S. N., was detached on January 26, 1918, and ordered to Pearl Harbor to continue the work. The construction at that time was about 80 per cent com- pleted. When the sixteenth section was sunk and concreted it was necessary also to set the outer granite sill for the caisson gate before the tank could be released. This interfered in part with some of the interior steel bracing, which was cut away by acetylene torch as necessary. All of the work was performed " in the dry " inside the steel cofi^erdam or ballast tank, at a de^^th of about 40 feet below water. After the sections were set there remained the work of concreting joints between the bases and side walls before the dock could be unwatered. This was accomplished by means of tremie concrete to seal the bottom of joints, tliis tremie concrete being about 6 to 8 feet thick. The joints of the side walls between sections and between the head blocks at the curve of the dock were then covered with wooden cofferdam shutters, rubber hose being used for gaskets, the joints pumped doAvn, and concrete deposited " in the dry " to above mean low water. The joints in floor were left sealed with about 6 to 8 feet of tremie concrete until after the dock was entirely unwatered. To keep the stresses in the dock within safe limits and to provide a factor against flotation, the earth all around the side walls was back filled before unwatering. Piles of rock ballast were also placed in the center of each section of an amount sufficient to offset the stresses from reduced weight due to the omitted 18 inches of the top of the concrete floor. The steel cofferdam ballast tank could not be used in the con- struction of the pump well, which was 96 feet long by 45 feet wide, and designed to rest on piles 5| feet below low water. The pump- well floor was 3 feet thick, while the walls varied from 5^ feet thick WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 249 Dry Dock No. 1, Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Pump well before launching from floating dock. Dry Dock No. 1, Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, ruinp wvU after launching from floating dock. 250 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. Dry Dock No. 1, Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Admitting water through caisson for testing pumps. Dry DocI< No. 1, Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. General view during construc- tion, showing sections In place. WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 251 at base to 3 feet thick at top. There were five interior compartments for pumps. The lower 17 feet of the pump well was constructed on the floating dry dock, and on this concrete base was built a wooden cofferdam approximately 102 by 51 by 40 feet high, of 6 by 12 inch timbers. The floating dry dock was then submerged and the pump well concrete base with its wooden cofferdam, drawing about 29 feet, was floated off on September 10, 1918, and moored over its final site. It was then sunk by building up the concrete walls inside the floating cofferdam. It weighed about 8,000 tons when landed. The final settle- ment w^as obtained by admitting water and flooding the interior to below the concrete-wall level. The walls, which were then about 8 feet below Avater, were carried to above the high-water level and the cof- ferdam was removed. After final settlement was attained the inte- rior was unwatered. There were several leaks and a few small, slightly porous areas where seepage occurred. These were all re- paired against the water pressure by concentrating the leaks at small pipe inserts, which pipes Avere then plugged. The caisson was seated on March 25, 1919, and pumping of the dock started on March 31. Unwatering was completed on April 10, 1919. With tlie removal of water load the dock rose as a monolith three-sixteenths inch, owing to the elasticity of piles and soil. The floor deflected upward one-sixteenth inch. Following this, the inte- rior dock floor joints were completed; the upper 18 inches of concrete floor with imbedded cast-iron chains was laid; stairs, rails, keel blocks, etc., Avere finished ; small leaks were closed ; and the dock was completed. It was anticipated that because of the many joints in walls and floor there might be considerable leakage, but the dock proved to be remarkably tight. The largest leak was in the caisson gasket at one point on the bottom. The entire leakage, including this, was less than 30 gallons per minute distributed over main points, all of which were closed without difficulty. The pump-well machinery Avas installed by station labor, the con- tractors, the Alberger Pump Co., supplying a general superin- tendent. Considerable interest Avas attached to the formal opening of the dock on August 21, 1919, by the Secretary of the NaA^y. The Gov- ernor of Hawaii declared a special holiday, and the opening was attended by about 7,000 people. The chief of the bureau accompanied Secretary Daniels to the islands. Instead of docking a ship, which would have necessitated having the dock full, with a tAvo-hour pump- ing period before the bottom Avas exposed, it was decided to haA^e the dock empty so that it might be viewed, and to admit water through all sluiceways. After appropriate ceremonies Mrs. Daniels pressed an electric button, which opened the three large sluice gates, which 252 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. in turn admitted the water to the dock, making a particularly spectacular sight. The total cost of the Pearl Harbor Dock in all its stages, from 1909 to the date of completion, has been $5,004,500. South Boston Dry Dock. — In a special act dated October 17, 1918, Congress authorized the purchase from the Commonwealth of Mas- sachusetts by the Navy Department of a graving dock, which was at that time nearing completion, together with adjacent lands, at South Boston. This dock had been undertaiven by the Common- wealth as a feature contributory to the modernization of the port, and is the largest structure of its kind in the United States, being 1,1TG feet long, 149 feet wide at coping, and 43 feet in depth from mean high water to the top of keel blocks. Its acquisition by the Navy has added a most important dock on the eastern seaboard. It was completed by the Commonwealth after its purchase by the Navy had been agreed upon, and is now in full operative condition, save for a dock crane and the completion of the rimway for same, which features will be provided for under a naval appropriation already made. This dock is of concrete construction with granite lining, and is of a type comparable in every respect to those of the most recent construction for naval 'purposes. Di^y Dock at Hunters Point., Calif. — The naval appropriation act for the fiscal year 1915 contained a provision authorizing the Sec- retary of the Navy to enter into a contract for the use by the Gov- ernment of dry docks at Hunters Point, San Francisco Bay, Calif., one of which docks was to be capable of receiving the largest vessel capable of passing through the locks of the Panama Canal. The con- struction of such a dock was to be undertaken immediately upon the consummation of the contract as contemplated, and the dock was to be completed within 24 months thereafter. The terms of the con- tract were to provide for the payment of a minimum rental of $50,000 per annum to the owner by the Navy in return for docking rights, whicli should become paramount in times of war. Docking of vessels retjuiring a charge in excess of $50,000 for any one year was to be paid for by the Navy at rates not exceeding those for commercial tonnage. The contract to the above effect was to cover a period of six years from the date of completion of the dock. Such a contract was drawn on February 24, 191G, between the Navy Department and the Union Iron Works Dry Dock Co., of San Francisco. The construction of the dry dock contemplated in the act of Congress was undertaken at once, and has been carried to a successful conclusion. Destroyers were docked therein on Octo- ber 14, 1918. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 263 This structure is of the same general type as the other maximum naval docks herein described. It is 1,005 feet long, 153 feet wide at coping, and 114 feet wide at the bottom. Its site proved especially advantageous, consisting of practically solid rock and permitting the use of a relatively thin lining of concrete within the excavation. Summing up, the Navy has obtained during the war period or shortly thereafter, either by construction, purchase, or preferential rental, the use of five dry docks of the largest size — three on the Atlantic coast and two at points on the Pacific. Furthermore, two docks of very useful moderate size have been added to the navy yard at Norfolk for merchant use. The strategic advantage of such an expansion needs no comment here ; but it may be remarked that in the event of a future war this Government will hardly be faced with an embarrassment similar to that experienced in the recent one, when the ex-German ship Leviathan had to be sent across the Atlantic for docking, owing to the absence of any dock to acoommodate her within the continental limits of the United States. CHAPTER XI. POWER PLANTS. The power problem at navy yards throughout the emergency period has been intimately connected with the requirements of the expanded shipbuilding and industrial program, and many details of the present chapter are to be considered in relation to the chapter dealing with that program. The power-plant section of the Bureau of Yards and Docks was charged during the war with the design and erection of new plants, the extension of existing ones, and the installation of all their dis- tribution systems for light, heat, electric power, compressed air (high and low pressure), hydraulic power, and gas (illuminating, hydrogen, and acetylene) ; fire-protection systems, elevators, and electric cranes of all characters were also under the cognizance of this section. Its work was done under a civilian (Mr. L. W. Bates) as project manager, with a force of 3 aids, 5 clerical assistants, and 60 draftsmen. For strictly power-plant projects 140 public-works con- tracts were awarded between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918. The scarcity of electrical and mechanical draftsmen available for Government work necessitated the acceptance of assistance tendered by private consulting engineers having large drafting forces in their offices. The work incident to the design of the elec- trical and mechanical features of the first naval training camp at Hampton Roads, Va., and later of the naval training camp at Pel- ham Bay Park, N, Y., was intrusted to Henry C. Meyer, jr., of New York. To Charles L. Reeder, of Baltimore, was given the design of additions and alterations to the plant at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and Francis R. Weller, of Washington, rendered assist- ance in the design for the central power plants at Norfolk, Phila- delphia, and New London. Norfolk and Philadelphia. — Undoubtedly the two largest and most important projects carried out by the section were the new central power plants at the navy yards at Norfolk and Philadelphia. Even prior to the entry of the United States into the war it was realized that extensive additions to the power-generating facilities at these yards would be required in connection with shipbuilding and in- dustrial expansions then contemplated and now realized. 37022—21 ^17 255 256 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. The existing central power plant at Norfolk was situated in the older section of the yard, and could hardly be sufficiently enlarged to meet the new demands. A complete study, with detailed esti- mates, was made in order to determine whether it would not be more economical and convenient to construct an entireh^ new plant in that section of the yard devoted to new developments, rather than to attempt the enlargement of the old plant. The correctness of this supposition was ampl)' proved, and recommendations were made that a new power plant be constructed, to be designed in accordance with modern practice and to contain power-generating apparatus of high efficienc}^ witli space for future expansion. These recom- mendations were approved, and while the detailed design of the building structure was carried out by the shipbuilding and yard development section, the power-plant section prepared the plans and specifications for the apparatus, which required the award of 16 contracts. These contracts covered turbo-alternators of 11,250 kilovolt-amperes total capacity, reciprocating air compressors sup- plying 13,000 cubic feet per minute, and turbo-compressors of 16,000 cubic feet per minute. There were also included water-tube boilers of 7,200 horsepoAver rated capacity at an operating pressure of 200 pounds per square inch with steam at 100° F. superheat ; underfeed mechanical stokers capable of operating the boilers to 300 per cent of normal rating when necessar}^ ; surface condensers for turbo- alternators and for air compressors, with accompanying circulat- ing, condensate, and air pumps; aftercoolers for the air com- pressors; heaters and pumps for the yard heating sj'stem; forced and induced draft fans for the boilers ; pumps for various services ; switchboard, wiring, motors, and other electrical equipment ; heaters, tanks, draft apparatus, meters, recorders, and other mechanical appa- ratus. Piping for all services was provided. A complete system for coal handling was designed, which permitted the delivery of coal from cars either to outside ground storage or into the power-plant bunkers; and the reclaiming of coal from outside storage and its delivery into the bunkers. The handling of ashes was minimized by making the boiler-room basement of sufficient height to permit standard-gauge ash cars to be run through and to receive direct dumping from the stoker ash pits. For the Norfolk and Philadelphia power houses a design was adopted which eliminated objectionable interior columns, although it somewhat increased the cost owing to the supporting of the coal bunker and roof by the side-wall columns. The buildings were con- structed with no columns within the boiler-room area. The propor- tion of window area was made considerably greater than is commonly employed in other works of similar character, so that the interior might be as light as possible. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 257 General view of power plant at Philadelphia Navy Yard, showing coal and ash ha. plant. Ash-romoval system at power plant, Navy Yard. Philadelphia, Pa. 258 WAR AC'TIVITIKS OF BI'REAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. View of power plaut from south. Navy Yard, Norfolk. Va. Battery of boilers in power [ilant at Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 259 The two power-plant buildings at Xorfolk and Philadelphia are exact duplicates, and were built by the same contractor; the Phila- delphia building, however, was completed in advance of the one at Norfolk, owing to labor difficulties at the latter yard. The air-compressor equipment in these plants is considerably dif- ferent from that employed heretofore in bureau practice, on account of the use of both the old type of massive reciprocating compressors and the comparatively recent development of a rotary compressor driven by steam turbine. The latter is lighter in w^eight, occupies considerably less floor space, can be installed on structural-steel foundations, and requires less attention and maintenance than the reciprocating compressors. A further advantage is secured from the use of the turbo-compressors in that the turbines are of the mixed- pressure type. These are capable of being operated on the low- pressure exhaust steam of the reciprocating units ; when a deficiency in the latter occurs, high-pressure steam is automatically admitted to the high-pressure stages to meet the load. The economy thus effected is considerable. When the reciprocating unit is not in opera- tion, the turbo-compressor operates entirely on high-pressure steam. The boiler equipment in each of these plants consists of twelve 600- horsepower water-tube boilers equipped with superheaters, mechani- cal stokers, forced and induced draft apparatus, soot blowers, bal- anced draft regulators, draft gauges, and automatic flue-gas analy- zers and meters. The boilers are set in two rows, facing a firing aisle. As before stated, the boiler equipment is designed for operation at 300 per cent of rating when necessary, so that a maximum capacity of 21,600 horsepower is possible with the present equipment; and, since space is available for the installation of four additional boilers of the same capacity, the possible maximum output with all units in operation would be 28,800 horsepow^er, a capacity considered adequate to meet the power demands for some years to come. Three 3,750- kilovolt-ampere turbo-alternators have been installed, with space for a future unit, wdiich w^ould give an electrical generating capacity of 15,000 kilovolt-amperes. These units generate 3-phase, 60-cycle energy at 2,300 volts, which is standard navy-yard practice. Two 6,500-cubic-foot-per-minute reciprocating air compressors and two 8,000-cubic-foot-per-minute turbo-compressors have been installed, which provide for a total capacity of 29,000 cubic feet of free air per minute when compressed to a pressure of 100 pounds per square inch. At Norfolk only one turbo-compressor has been installed, on account of the somewhat smaller air demand expected. Charleston, S. C. — The navy yard at Charleston, S. C, had had no additions made to its power plant since the plant's construction, in 1907, so that the increase in yard activities beginning in 1917 necessi- tated considerable new equipment. The building had been so de- 260 WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. signed as to provide space for future installations, so that it was possible to increase the capacity without the necessity of extending the building. The original generating equipment consisted of two C25-kilovolt- ampere turbo-alternators and the boiler installation included four 350-horsepoAver boilers. Beginning early in 1917, these generator and boiler capacities were increased 100 and 50 per cent, respectively, by contracts for the instalhition of the following new units: One 1,250-kilovolt-ampere turbo-alternator, with 2,T00-square-foot sur- face condenser and turbine-driven circulating and condensate pumps, with air pump ; one 5,000-cubic-f oot-per-minute rotary air compres- sor with 3,800-square-foot surface condenser, turbine-driven circu- lating and condensate pumps, an air pump, and an aftercooler; and two 350-horsepower water-tube boilers with superheaters, mechani- cal stokers, and all accessories. As at Norfolk and Philadelphia, a mixed-pressure turbine was employed to drive the new rotary com- pressor, and the piping from the two existing reciprocating compres- sors and the auxiliaries w^as rearranged accordingly. The increase in compressor capacity was over 200 per cent. Portsmouth^ N. 11. — The power plant at the navy yard, Ports- mouth, N. H., is the only one which contains direct-current generat- ing apparatus exclusively, and when extensions were required it was found expedient to install new equipment of the same type. In order to provide for the increase of power required for shipbuilding pur- poses, recommendations were made for tlie installation of an addi- tional generating unit and a new air compressor. These recom- mendations were approved by the chief of the bureau, and contracts were awarded for a 1,000-kilowatt direct-current turbo-generator and a 5,000-cubic-foot-per-minute turbo air compressor, together with their accompanying auxiliaries of surface condensers, pumps, and piping. The old equipment in the plant consisted of generating units and air compressors, all of the reciprocating type ; but, in order to provide space for new apparatus, it w^as decided to liave the new units of the rotary type, which would admit of their installation Avithout the necessity of extending the building. Alternating-current turbo-generators had been in use for years in tlie majority of the na-vy-yard power plants, but the new 1,000- kilowatt unit purchased for Portsmouth was the first direct-current turbo-generator of any size to be installed at any yard. The underground salt-water suction and discharge tunnels for fur- nishing condensing water to tlie power-plant units were found to be insufficient in size to supply the increased amount of water re- quired. New tunnels were therefore constructed of reinforced con- crete, and arrangements were incorporated in the design to permit, by proper manipulation of large sluice valves at certain points, the WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 261 reversal of flow of water through the conduits. This scheme allows warm water from the condensers to flow through the intake tunnel, the action of such water being to kill and dislodge the marine growth attached to the walls of the conduit which would reduce the flow of water if allowed to. accumulate. In 1918 an additional 1,000-kilowatt direct-current turbo -generator was purchased to provide capacity for the increasing load and to re- place an old 500-kilowatt reciprocating-generator set which had been completely wrecked. The new unit with its accompanying auxil- iaries had not been installed when the armistice was signed. Washington^ D. C . — The power plant at the navy yard and naval gun factory at Washington, D. C., contained direct-current gener- ators driven by vertical and horizontal steam engines. The con- templated increase in activities, together with additional areas to be served, brought vc^ the question of a change from that system to alternating-current generation and distribution. Certain large hy- draulic pumps were being purchased by the Bureau of Ordnance at that time for installation at the cartridge-case shop, and recommenda- tions were made that two 2,300-volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle alternating- current motors be purchased to drive these pumps, and that new gen- erating equipment placed in the power plant be of the alternating- current type to furnish energy to these motors and to all new projects in the yard requiring electrical energy. Either type of generating equipment would have required a considerable period of time to manufacture, but the decision as to the type to be employed appar- ently became automatic when it was learned that there were certain alternating-current generating units and other power-plant appara- tus, under contract by the Treasury Department, which were available for almost immediate shipment, admirably meeting the requirements of the Washington yard. The chief of the bureau, upon being ad- vised of this fact, made a personal call upon the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and requested that a transfer of this equipment be made. This request was made in view of the fact that immediate war needs of the Navy should take precedence over the requirements of a project which merely provided a more economical and satisfac- tory method of furnishing service to Government office buildings. The Treasury Department agreed to waive its prior claim under con- ditions that permitted a later compliance with its own pending con- tract. Specifications were then prepared covering the apparatus known to be available, and bids were received from two concerns. As only one of these bids was based on apparatus which was nearly completed in the manufacturer's shops, that proposal was accepted. By this method the equipment was obtained months in advance of the date 262 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. which would have had to be set had all apparatus been manufac- tured after the award of the contract. The material obtained in this manner consisted of two 4,000- kilovolt-ampere, 2,300-volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle turbo-alternators; two jet condensers for the above-mentioned turbines, complete with air pumps and tail pumps ; two 100-kilowatt, 125-volt exciters, one driven b}' a noncondensing steam turbine and the other by a 2,300-volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle induction motor; engine-driven underfeed me- chanical stokers, with the necessary forced-draft equipment, for nine of the existing 300-horsepower Babcock & AVilcox boilers; switch gear consisting of a high-tension alternating-current structure, oil switches, alternating-current and direct-current control for existing and future generators, tie switch, feeders, and exciters; and all wire, cable, conduits, control wiring, instrument transformers, bus bars, and interconnecting apparatus necessary for the complete plant. Additional boilers were not installed at this time, but the capacity of the existing ones was largely increased by the removal of old stokers and the installation of the modern type, permitting much larger overloads being carried on the boilers. At a later date an additional 4,000-kilovolt-ampere turbo-alternator was purchased and installed, together with its condenser and other auxiliaries. Also an increase in the boiler capacity was determined upon ; but, as there Avas no available space in the boiler room, it was necessary to extend the building to house two 1,000-horsepower boilers, which were up to this time the largest units purchased for any navy yard plant. The compressed-air capacity of the plant was increased by the purchase and installation of two 5,000-cubic-foot-per-minute mixed- pressure turbo-compressors, wdth condensers, pumps, and after- coolers. The piping to these units was arranged to take exhaust steam from the vertical reciprocating engines of the old generating units, or steam at high pressure if no exhaust were available. These power-plant improvements required such an increase in river circu- lating w^ater for condensing purposes that it became necessary to construct a new concrete tunnel from the quay wall to the engine room. On account of the importance of continuity of electrical supply at this yard, it was considered desirable to make arrangements for an auxiliary electrical connection w^ith the Government power plant serving the Capitol, Congressional Library, and Senate and House Office Buildings. Permission was obtained from the Superintendent of the Capitol for this connection, and an application for permission to install an underground conduit line through the city streets be- tween the navy yard and the Capitol power plant was approved by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. The characteris- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. 263 tics of the electrical energy generated by the Capitol power plant were different from that generated by the navy-yard plant, so that it was necessary to purchase frequency-changers to convert the 6,600- volt, 3-phase, 25-cycle current from the Capitol plant to 2,300-volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle current suitable for yard use. These frequency- changers were installed in a substation at the yard located some distance from the power plant, so that an accident in the plant could not affect the substation equipment. Switching arrangements were provided so that the outside supply of electrical energy could be furnished to the main switchboard in the central power plant at any time, in case of accident to any unit, or to take care of temporary abnormal power demands. Power can be transferred in either direc- tion in case of necessity, so that it is possible for the navy yard plant to furnish energy to the Capitol plant. Training camps, Newport, R. I. — None of the war projects of the Navy required such rapid expansion as the training camps for the enlisted personnel. The cost-plus-percentage contracts awarded in several cases of the kind permitted construction work to proceed while plans were in course of preparation, thus saving considerable time. At the naval training station, Coasters Harbor Island, New- port, K. I., it was decided to construct an entirely new power plant rather than attempt t6 expand the old one, which contained obsolete equipment and was located disadvantageously. A cost-plus-per- centage contract was therefore awarded not only for a new power plant but also, at a later date, for a complete distributing system for light, heat, and power from the plant to the new barracks buildings, and for the lighting and heating of the various units comprising the enlarged training camp. The new power plant contained two 600- kilovolt-ampere turbo-alternators, two 125-kilovolt-ampere units brought from the old plant, three 500-horsepower water-tube boilers, and various auxiliaries, such as condensers, pumps, heaters, fans, switchboard, etc. At the request of the Bureau of Navigation this plant w^as designed to burn fuel oil instead of coal in order that the enlisted personnel might be trained in handling oil-burning equipment before being assigned to ships in which such equipment was used. Storage ca- pacity for 500,000 gallons of fuel oil was provided in the form of an underground reinforced-concrete tank located some distance from the power plant, with pipe lines to the plant and a filling line to the wharf. During the progress of the work on this contract, it was decided to construct a camp for reserves at Cloyne Field. This site was located at such a distance from the power plant that extension of the dis- tributing systems would not have been economical. A separate boiler plant was therefore included in the camp contract to provide steam, 264 WAR ACTR'ITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. and electrical energy was purchased from the local public utility company. In 1918, when it became evident that the Newport training station would require a further enlargement to provide facilities to meet the rapidly increasing demands for training personnel, it was decided to construct another camp at Coddington Point on the mainland opposite the Coasters Harbor site. (See chapter " Training camps.") On account of the area included in this development and the relative positions of the units, three separate boiler houses were con- structed with a total installed capacity of 5,000 horsepower, sectional cast-iron boilers being used for supplying low-pressure steam for the heating of buildings, and horizontal return-tubular brick-set boilers being utilized for the smaller amount of high-pressure steam re- quired for cooling, laundry, sterilizing, and water-heating purposes. The mechanical equipment contract included the three boiler houses, boilers, heaters, tanks, f)umps, piping, the complete distributing sys- tems from the boiler houses to all barracks, and the heating system within the barracks buildings. A complete plant for refrigerating and ice-making purposes was -also included in the main contract, and a separate contract was awarded for the electrical distribution sys- tem for the camj). This project was considerably curtailed after the armistice, and the changes necessitated a redesign of the distributing system and the omission from each boiler plant of a portion of its equipment. Pelham Park, N. Y. — Another large training station was con- structed at Pelham Bay Park, N. Y., the mechanical equipment of which consisted of two boiler plants and the heating system of the camp buildings, with necessary interconnecting steam mains. Elec- trical energy for this camp was purchased from the public utility company. Hampton Roads, Va. — The original camp at the naval operating base, Hampton Roads, Va., required for steam-making purposes a complete boiler plant containing six 500-horsepower, water-tube boilers with mechanical stokers, forced and induced-draft fan equip- ment, pumps, heaters, piping, etc. The bureau purchased the main items of equipment as extras on existing contracts for boilers and stokers for other yards in order to save the time required for prepa- ration of separate specifications and for advertising. All minor items, however, and the complete disti-ibuting system were included under a cost-plus-percentage contract in order to expedite the work. The main steam-supply line from the boiler plant was installed underground on account of its size and location; all branth lines, however, from this main to the various buildings were carried over- head on pole lines, and the condensate from the pipe lines and ra- diating surfaces was wasted to the sewers. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, 265 The second training camp at Hampton Roads, known as the East Camp, was started in 1918, but not completed until after the armi- stice. Complete plans and specifications were prepared by the bureau for the electrical and mechanical equipment. The boiler plant con- tains ten 400-horsepower horizontal return-tubular boilers with chimneys, pumps, heater, and piping. The heating contract, in addition to the boiler-house equipment, included the distributing system, which consists of steam supply lines carried overhead on poles to all buildings, with the return mains installed underground to return the condensate from the various buildings to the boiler plant. This was said to have been the largest vacuum-heating con- tract ever awarded in this country and involved an expenditure of about a million dollars. There were about 400 buildings to be sup- plied with steam, and an approximate idea of the magnitude of the project may be realized when it is stated that there were installed 113 miles of pipe, 400,000 square feet of radiation, 5,000 valves, and 6 miles of wood pipe-covering and trenching for the return pipes in the ground. During 1918 the main camp at the naval operating base had also been increased, and as this required during the winter months more steam than could be furnished by the original 3,000-horsepower boiler plant, the temporary demand was met by the construction of a wood-frame boiler house containing boilers which were immediately available as excess stock from other projects. This temporary plant has a capacity of 2,800 horsepower, and it is expected that its con- tinued operation will be unnecessary when the underground intercon- necting piping has been installed between the original boiler plant and the new permanent one located in the industrial section. The permanent boiler plant at the base is located near the center of the industrial section and contains modern equipment designed for economical operation. The present apparatus consists of four 600-horsepower water-tube boilers with mechanical stokers, chimney, forced-draft fan apparatus, heaters, pumps, and piping. The de- sign is such that the normal capacity of 2,400 horsepower may be raised to 6,000 horsepower by operating the boilers considerably over their rating, and provisions have been made for doubling the installed capacity by the addition of four more 600-horsepower boilers facing the first row. After the award of the contract for this plant, the fifth naval district recommended that the building be increased to provide space for electrical generating equiprnent for furnishing electrical energy to the entire base. This proposal, how- ever, was abandoned on account of the lack of necessary appropria- tions. Torpedo station^ Newport^ R. I. — With the rapid expansion of the torpedo station at Newport in 1918 it was decided to construct an 266 "^VAE ACTIVITIES OF BntEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Boiler plaint for industrial soction of Xaval Opcratins Ease. Ilaiiiptou Roads. Va. J'Mwr iiliiiii :it S:i\:_i\ 'I'. .I'li. . |. , Si.-iijnii, Newport, R. I. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. 267 entire new power plant rather than to attempt to enlarge the old one, which contained obsolete equipment, was located in such a position that extension would have been difficult, and was installed in a build- mg whose utilization for manufacturing purposes was desirable. The project was undertaken at the request of the Bureau of Ord- nance, whose insistence upon the urgency of the situation led the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks to obtain the Secretary's authority for the award of a cost-plus-percentage contract covering the entire work, building, equipment, coal and ash facilities, and com- plete distributing systems for light, heat, and power. The main equipment of the plant now consists of two 2,500-kilovolt- ampere turbo-alternators, four 600-horsepower boilers, underfeed stokers, forced and induced draft fan equipment, condensing appa- ratus, switchboard, two large rotary converters, and all necessary auxiliaries. The old power plant generated direct current, but to conform to modern navy-yard practice the design of the new plant called for turbo-generators arranged for 2,300-volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle current. It was therefore necessary to purchase rotary converters to obtain the necessary direct current for the operation of old motors in the shops. New motors which have subsequently been purchased are of the alternating-current type, so that the electrical energy gen- erated may be used without conversion. An extensive distributing system has been installed from the new power plant to the various buildings and shops. This includes direct and alternating current for light and power, steam for industrial purposes, hot water for heat- ing, water for industrial use and for fire-fighting purposes, and com- pressed air at low pressure (100 pounds), intermediate pressure (1,200 pounds), and high pressure (3,500 pounds per square inch), the last being used for torpedo charging. The new phmt also required a complete coal and ash handling system. Coal is handled from barges either to ground storage or direct to the bunkers in the power house, and is also reclaimed from ground storage to the bunkers. Suhinariiie base, New London, Conn. — Plans were made early in 1917 for the development of the submarine base at New London, and these naturally contemplated the provision of a central power plant. It was found that there was an existing coal shed, not utilized in the new scheme of development, w^hich had a heavy concrete floor on pile foundations and was located in an advantageous position for the required plant. A new superstructure was therefore designed for installation on the old foundation, the latter being of such size that it Avas found possible to add a machine-shop building. The power plant was provided with three 1,875-kilovolt-ampere turbo-genera- tors, furnishing 3-phase, 60-cycle electrical energy at 2,300 volts, and also three 823-horsepower water-tube boilers, superheaters, oil-burn- 268 XAVY ACTIVITIES BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. ing equipment, air compressors, condensers, pumps, tanks, heaters, a switchboard, and other necessar}' auxiliaries. This project also included the installation of large reinforced-concrete storage tanks for fuel oil required for the operation of the power-plant boilers, as well as tanks of similar character for the storage of Diesel oil, heaters, and a piping sj'stem for handling these oils between the storage tanks, the power plant, and the different piers at which the submarines are berthed. Special high-pressure air compressors were installed for torpedo charging. These machines have a capacity of 50 cubic feet of com- pressed air per hour at a pressure of 3,500 pounds per square inch. A later contract included complete distributing sj^stems for fresh water, salt water, air, fuel oil, Diesel oil, hot water, and electricity from the power plant to the various buildings, shops, and piers. Part of the distributing system for furnishing heat to certain buildings was required well in advance of the design of the per- manent S3^stem. Pipe lines for the purpose were therefore installed above ground and supported by poles. Naval Aircraft Factory^ Philadeljjhia. — The establishment of this factory in the Philadelphia Navy Yard and its location in the unde- veloped section at a considerable distance from the new central poAver plant, together with the comparatively large amount of steam required by it for heating and industrial purposes led to the deci- sion to construct an independent boiler plant to serve the needs of the project. This plant contains six water-tube boilers having a total rated capacity of 4,328 boiler horsepower. It was designed for oper- ation at a pressure of 200 pounds per square inch with no superheat, as no prime movers are installed — the steam generated being used only for heating and process work. The boilers are equipped with imderfeed stokers, forced-draft fans, and a radial brick stack, all of which adjuncts enable the equipment to be operated at 200 per cent of its rating when necessary. The plant contains the usual auxiliaries, such as heaters, tanks, pumps, meters, etc., together with a complete coal and ash handling system, comprising overhead coal bunker, track hopper, crusher, bucket conveyer, ash cars, and conveyer for ashes discharging into an outside reinforced-concrete ash-storage tank. Electrical energy for lighting and power requirements in the air- craft factory could not be supplied by the old central power plant of the yard, and the new power plant under construction would not be in a position to furnish such energy in time to meet the demand. Arrangements were therefore made for the construction of a 13,000- volt transmission line from the nearest high-tension feeder of the Philadelphia Electric Co., and a brick building was constructed to serve as a substation, the voltage beiuL'" transformed to 2.300 for dis- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. 269 View in engine room of power plant at Submarine Base, New London, Conn., sliowinj mechanical equipment. Elevated and underground distributing systems, Submarine Base. New London, Conn. 270 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. tribution throughout the various buildinirs of the factory. Intercon- nection was also made to the switchboard of the central power plant, in order to provide breakdown service in the event of accident to the yard's generating apparatus. At a later date, when the new central power plant was placed in operation, the amount of energy purchased from the public utility company was gradually decreased, until all of the current required by the aircraft activities was supplied by the yard plant ; but the connection with the outside source of supply was maintained as a breakdown service. Navy yard, New York. — At this yard, additions were first made to the engine room, which necessitated no extension to the building proper, and an 800-cubic-foot-per-minute turbo air compressor was installed on a structural-steel foundation in available space. A 2,500-kilovolt-ampere turbo-alternator was placed in the space for- merh' occupied b}' a 500-kilowatt vertical generator, which was trans- ferred elsewhere. The turbo-compressor was designed for operation with either high- pressure steam, exhaust steam, or both high and low pressure steam at the same time. This compressor required the installation of cer- tain auxiliaries — a 4,800-square-foot surface condenser with its ac- companying circulating, condensate, and air pumps, and a 2,000- square-foot aftercooler. The 2,500-kilovolt-ampere turbo-alternator installation required a 6,000-square-foot surface condenser w^ith condensate and air pumps, and both units required extensive changes in the piping system. The addition of these prime movers and the installation of new buildings in the yard required an increase in the boiler-room equip- ment. No additional space was available in the boiler room, and it was therefore found necessary to construct an addition to the build- ing to contain four COO-horsepower water-tube boilers operated at a pressure of 200 pounds and equipped with underfeed stokers, over- head coal bunker, coal and ash handling equipment, forced-draft fan, flue, new stack, piping, meters, and gauges. On account of the importance of continuity of electrical service at this yard, it was considered desirable to install an auxiliary connec- tion with the public utility supply. A temporar}^ substation build- ing was constructed several hundred feet from the poAver plant, and two 2,500-kilovolt-ampere frequenc3'^-changers, transformers, and a switchboard were installed therein, with underground cables from the power company's plant and to the main switchboard in the yard power plant. As noted in the case of the emergency electrical con- nection at the Washington navy yard, the characteristics of the current generated by the outside company were different from those of the yard supply, so that frequency-changers were necessary in the WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDB AND DOCKS. 271 conversion of 6,600-volt, 3-phase, 25-cycle Edison current to 2,300- volt, 3-phase, 60-cycle yard current. Naval Academy. — At the Naval Academy, Annapolis, the increase in the number of midshipmen, the extension of Bancroft Hall, and the construction of new buildings necessitated a considerable enlarge- ment of the power plant, which furnished light, heat, and power throughout the Naval Academy reservation as well as to the hospi- tal and Marine barracks. Additional power-plant units which were added at first did not require an extension to the building. This equipment consisted of two turbo-generators^— one T50-kilowatt direct- current dynamo to furnish electrical energy to the Naval Academy proper, and one 125-kilovolt-ampere alternating-current generator to furnish additional energy to meet the increasing needs of the hospital. These generators were installed on structural-steel founda- tions, and were provided with jet condensers, pumps, heaters, tanks, and other auxiliaries. Considerable additions were also made to the main switchboard to provide for the increased demands. In the boiler room only one additional 400-horsepower water- tube boiler was installed, owing to space conditions. The capacity of the old boilers was greatly increased, however, by the replacement of an old type of stoker equipment under the seven existing 400- horsepower boilers with new and modern stokers of the forced-draft underfeed type, permitting the operation of the boilers at consid- erable overloads. This increase in boiler output was greater than the capacity of the stack could handle, so that duplicate turbine- driven induced-draft fans were installed to augment the chimney uptake. At a subsequent date, when additional academy buildings were to be constructed, it was found necessary to increase further the boiler capacity. This was accomplished by an extension to the boiler rooni and the installation of three 400-horsepower water-tube boilers with underfeed stokers, a new stack, and other auxiliaries. All of these changes necessitated extensive changes in the piping, the addition of minor equipment, a new ash-handling system, and a considerable increase in the outside distributing systems for light, heat, and power. Boston. — Power-plant improvements at the navy yard, Boston, Mass., consisted in general of a new generating unit of a capacity of 3,750 kilovolt amperes, with surface condenser and circulating, con- densate, and air pumps ; four 600-horsepower water-tube boilers with underfeed stokers capable of operating the boilers at 300 per cent of rating in case of necessity; and two 2,500-cubic-foot-per-minute and one 5,600-cubic-foot-per-minute air compressors of the recipro- cating type; with condensers and auxiliary pumps. The installa- 37022—21 18 272 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 750-kilowatt turbo-generator as installed in Naval AcacU'my power plant, Annapolis, Md. lieriproraiiu^; air compressor ((;.r,(Hi . niu. ii ct per minute) in power plant, Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 273 tion of the air compressors required an extension of the engine room, but all other equipment was installed within the existing building. Minor improvements were also effected to improve the operating conditions, such as a revision of the main switchboard controlling the generating apparatus and the outgoing feeders, the installation of a steam- jet system for conveying ashes from boiler pits to an elevated tank outside the boiler room, and the provision of new coal weighers of the traveling larry type which receive coal from the overhead bunker, measure and record its weight, and discharge it into the individual hoppers located over the stokers of the several boilers. Mare Island. — The two main navy yards on the Pacific coast — Mare Island, Calif., and Puget Sound, Wash. — as well as the naval station at Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, operate their boiler plants with fuel oil instead of coal. During the war the power-plant facilities of these yards were not increased to the same extent as those of the eastern yards. At Mare Island a 3,T50-kilovolt-ampere turbo-generator and an 8,000-cubic-foot-per-minute air compressor were installed, together with surface condensers, circulating pumps, condensate pumps, air pumps, and an aftercooler. By moving one of the old air compres- sors of small capacity, it was possible to install this equipment in the existing engine room. At a later date a o.OOO-kilovolt-ampere turbo-generator and auxiliaries were purchased, and a 1,000-horse- power water-tube boiler was transferred from the contemplated nitrate plant at Indianhead. Md.. but the actual installation of these units was not effected until after the signing of the armistice. To increase the direct-current facilities in the plant, two old, worn- out, engine-driven current generators were removed and in their place were installed two motor-generator sets and a controlling switchboard. Pvf/et Sound. — The boiler capacity at the navy yard, Puget Sound. Wash., was increased by the addition of two 600-horsepower water- tube i3oilers with su]:)erheaters, soot blowers, and oil-burning equip- ment : and the engine room had added to its equipment a 3,700- kilo volt-ampere turbo-generator with surface condenser, pumps (cir- culating, air, and condensate), piping, heaters, and foundations. To supplement the electrical energy as required, this yard pur- chases a considerable amount of current, hydraulically generated, from the public utility company at very advantageous rates. Pearl Ilarhor. — Xew equipment which has been purchased for in- stallation in the central power plant at the naval station, Pearl Harbor, consists of a 2.500-kilovolt-ampere turbo-generator and a 3,000-cubic-foot-per-minute reciprocating air compressor with sur- 274 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. face condensing apparatus, including circulating, condensate, and air pumps, an al'tercooler, heaters, piping, foundations, etc. In the boiler room the capacity was increased by two 600-horsepower water- tube boilers with superheaters, soot blowers, and oil-burning equip- ment. All of the above-mentioned equipment was purchased dur- ing the war, but had not been completely installed before the armi- stice was signed. Xew Orleans. — A new power plant was constructed at the New Orleans naval station to meet the increasing demands for light, heat, and power. A Iniilding and stack had been built several j-ears previously for the purpose of providing an adequate central power plant, but it had never been used and contained no equipment. Apparatus was therefore purchased for this building, consisting of two 625-kilovolt-ampere turbo-generators, one 2,500 and two 500 cubic-foot-per-minute air compressors, jet condensing apparatus, aftercooler, pumps, heaters, boilers, oil-burning equipment, tanks, meters, switchboard, engine-room crane, etc. It was also found feasible to transfer four of the water-tube boilers from the old power plant, and these four were combined into two units and reinstalled. This plant is arranged for burning fuel oil, and operates con- densing with circulating water obtained from the Mississippi River. In order to avoid any interference with the levee on account of the installation of large pipes, a pump house containing motor-driven centrifugal jDumps was constructed in the river. The discharge line from the pumps was carried up over the levee and thence along the ground to a reservoir adjacent to the power house, whence water is obtained for the jet condensers of the prime movers. Pensacola. — The power plant at the naval air station, Pensacola, Fla., was modernized, increased in capacity, and converted from a direct-current generating plant containing small and inelTicient ap- paratus to an alternating-current station with modern turl)o-gener- ators and auxiliaries. On account of the limited appropriation available for the contemplated improvements, it was thought at first that these would have to be curtailed; but iuA'estigation disclosed that there were available for transfer a 500-kilowatt turbo-generator, with surface condenser and auxiliary pumps, and a hydraulic accu- mulator at the navy yard. New York; a 750-kilowatt turbo-generator at the plant of the American Radiator Co., Bayonne, N. J., which u-as the property of the Bureau of Ordnance ; and a surface condenser at the navy 3'ard, Norfolk, Va. All of this apparatus was obtained without charge, and was transferred and installed in the central power plant at Pensacola. Other improvements effected were the relocation of a 300 and a GOO cubic-foot-per-minute air compressor, and the installation of WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 275 Boiler installation at power plant. Navy Yard. Mare Island, Calif. P.ciilei- installation at po wtr plant. Xav.v Yard. l'in;t't S.nind. Wasli. 276 WAR ACTIVITIES 0¥ BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Turbo-alternator in power plant. Navy Yard, Tugct So'uud, Wash. 7,500-kilovoU-ampere turbo-generator in power plant at Naval Proving Ground and Smokeless-Powder Factory, Indianhcad, Md. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 277 condensers, pumps, foundations, piping, feed-water heaters, tanks, meters, etc. Upon approval by the Secretary of the Navy, permission was granted the local street railway company to install rotary converters at the naval station, Auliich changed alternating current from the railway company's feeder into direct current for trolley operation, thus materially improving the street car service to the station during the morning and evening rush hours. Indianhead, Md. — Probably no other plant required a more rapid expansion of power generating equipment on account of the war than that of the naval proving ground and powder factory at Indian- head, Md. Before the war, demands w^ere met by three 625-kilovolt- ampere turbo-generators in the central power plant. To meet war requirements there were added in rapid succession a 1,875-kilovolt- ampere turbo-generator obtained by commandeering, the unit hav- ing been intended for the city of Richmond, Va. ; a 3,750-kilovolt- ampere unit purchased from the Penn Seaboard Steel Corporation, which they were prevailed upon to release hj a special arrange- ment negotiated through the War Industries Board; and finally a 7,500-kilovolt-ampere turbo-generator. This expansion involved an increase of over 600 per cent in generating capacity. The 7,500- kilovolt-ampere unit is the largest installed in any navy yard power plant. It was, of course, necessary to extend the engine room, not only for the turbo-generator additions above mentioned, but also for new air compressors, operated both by steam and synchronous motor power. All of these prime movers naturally required a large increase in the amount of steam available, and two 600-horsepower water-tube boilers with superheaters, stokers, soot blowers, and other auxiliaries, were added in an extension to the boiler room. Subsequently four 1,000-horsepower boilers were installed to replace smaller boilers, and the boiler room again had to be enlarged. Other improvements consisted of an additional cooling tower, a large spray pond for cooling the condensing water required by the larger turbines, two new radial brick chimneys, jet condensers, pumps, heaters, tanks, piping, rotary converters, exciters, and a new switchboard. CHAPTER XII. PUBLIC WORKS AT ORDNANCE STATIONS. The immediate necessity accompanying a state of "v\'ar is the assur- ance of adequate and suitable weapons. At such a time matters related to ordnance are of primary importance, both for defense and aggression. When American participation in the World War became inevitable, the Bureau of Ordnance surveyed existing estab- lishments and took such steps toward the extension of ordnance facilities as availabilitj^ of resources would permit. The increased demand for ordnance equipment and supplies of all natures created by the enlargement of the Navy and its entry into a belligerent status, together with the arming of merchant ves- sels and transports, necessitated the extension of existing facilities and the construction of new buildings for the manufacture, as- sembly, storage, and issue of such materials. With the tremendously expanded scope of the industrial activities at ordnance stations it became necessary to construct or expand the accessory facilities, including railroad systems, water supplies, and water-front and handling facilities, and to provide housing for increased personnel. Before the American entry into the war the Bureau of Ordnance was manufacturing guns of various sizes, torpedoes, mines, and other ordnance equipment, and had contracts for the manufacture of quantities of ammunition. In the earliest stages of the war the de- livery of these supplies and equipment for assembly, storage, and issue made mandatory the most rapid possible expansion of the ordnance stations. Also, the production program outlined by the Bureau of Ordnance required the utmost speed in the construction of public works at the naval gun factory and the other manufac- turing plants operated by the Navy. Most of the ordnance stations are remotely located, because of the very nature of the activities carried on, and a large proportion of the personnel consists of trained and experienced workers. Hence the provision of housing facilities within the confines of the stations themselves, without dependence upon the surrounding regions, is essential, and it was necessary to construct additional quarters for the greatly increased number of officers and enlisted and civilian workers assigned to or procured for such duties. The state of war 279 280 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS A:ND DOCKS. necessitated the assignment of an adequate marine guard to each station, especially in view of the hazardous nature of the materials to be handled. The marine guards at ordnance stations were placed under the administrative jurisdiction of the inspectors of ordnance in charge, so that barracks for the guards were constructed or enlarged. AMMUNITION DEPOTS. Major ammunition depots are located in the general vicinity of the naval bases. The elements entering into the assembly of am- munition are shipped in bulk to these depots, where they are assem- l)led and loaded and made ready for issue. Other depots provide facilities for the storage of the bulk materials and loaded or as- sembled ammunition. The raw materials for the ammunition details when they are received at the ammunition depots must be stored separately and u.nder various conditions requiring a variety of storehouses. Build- ings of various characteristics are also required for loading the fuses and primers, for filling the shells, for sewing and filling the powder bags, and for other purposes connected with the assembling of am- munition. After the ammunition or ammunition parts are assem- bled, provision must be made for storage and issue to ships. The major ammunition depots, at which facilities exist for the conversion of the raw materials into loaded and assembled ammu- nition, are located at Hingham, Mass. ; lona Island, N. Y. ; Fort Mif- flin, Pa. ; St. Juliens Creek, Va. ; Puget Sound, Wash. ; Mare Island, Calif.; and Kuahua, Hawaii. In addition to these, there are minor ammunition depots which provide for the storage of the bulk mate- rials and the storage and issue of assembled ammunition, situated at New London, Conn. ; Fort Lafayette, N. Y. ; Lake Denmark, N. J. ; Charleston, S. C. ; Olongapo, P. I. ; and Cavite, P. I. There are also located within various naval stations facilities for the storage and issue of ammunition, as at New Orleans, La. Necessarily, the great- est expansion during the war occurred in the depots located on the Atlantic coast. The considerations governing the design of buildings for like pur- poses were essentially identical for all depots, and the greatest pos- sible expedition of construction was necessary. The development of standard designs for various structures was therefore considered ex- tremely advantageous, and good results Avere effected along this line. Besides the buildings of standard designs, which were applicable to a number of stations, there were, of course, buildings constructed to fulfill local conditions and purposes peculiar to one station. It is believed that the tremendously augmented facilities at ammunition WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YAEDS AI^D DOCKS. 281 depots may be best illustrated by a discussion of the two classes thus demarked. The standard design which was applied to the greatest number of projects was that of a building for the storage of powder, shells, or fixed ammunition. The essential requirements in this case were ease of handling, protection against high temperatures, sparkless floor construction, and resistance against exterior disturbances, such as flying sparks. The designed superimposed floor loads, adopted after consultation with the Bureau of Ordnance, were 750 pounds per square foot for magazine buildings and 2.000 pounds per square foot for shell houses and fixed-ammunition storehouses. The buildings are one story in height, owing to the comparatively large floor loads, requiring floors to be laid on the ground. In some instances pile foundations and reinforced concrete floors were neces- sary, but the design of the buildings above the floor level is identical in any case. A standard width of 50 feet was adopted, with a height of 14 feet from the floor to the underside of the roof framing, and the lengths vary up to 250 feet by the addition of typical interior bays. The standard construction consists of terra-cotta hollow-tile walls, stuccoed on the outside, steel columns, steel roof trusses span- ning the entire width of the building, asbestos shingle roofing on wood sheathing, and steel doors opening on a loading platform which extends the full length of the building and is served by a depressed railroad track. No windows are used in this design. Two types of floors were installed in various instances to obviate the danger of sparks being struck by the wheels of the hand trucks. Either an asphalt mastic floor or a blind-nailed maple floor on sleepers, above the concrete slab was adopted toward this end. and the relative economy of the types depended upon local conditions. It was essential that the contents of the building be protected against high temperatures caused by the heat of the sun. Induction ventilators in the roof were installed in alternate baj'S, and, for sit- uations having climatic conditions equivalent to those which exist on the Atlantic coast south of Hampton Eoads, a ceiling was sus- pended from the lower chords of the roof trusses, with vents into the air space under the roof. It has been observed that the temperature inside these buildings during the heat of the day is considerably less than that outside. A lightning-protection system was installed in connection with each building. More than 100 buildings follow- ing this standard design were constructed at various depots. A standard magazine storehouse was developed for the storage of ammunition details and miscellaneous materials. These buildings are constructed of the same general materials as the standard maga- zines, but are two stories in height, because of the lighter floor loads. They are provided with elevators between the two floors and have 282 W.VP. ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. windoAvs and heating and electric lighting systems, since work is to be carried on in them. Buildings of this design were constructed at four stations. Black powder, guncotton, and other particularly hazardous mate- rials are stored underground for reasons of protection, isolation, and equality of temperature. For such storage subsurface magazines of several sizes, but of identical constructional characteristics, were designed. The subsurface magazines have reinforced concrete walls, floors, and roofs, and are built in sidehills. A steel door affords en- trance into each building, faced with concrete wing walls where necessary. Consideration was at first given to constructing the roof of each subsurface magazine in a very heaA^y manner, to confine a possible explosion. It was concluded, however, that such a construction might subject surrounding property to damage from flying pieces of concrete, and that it would probably be impracticable to construct a roof strong enough to confine the explosion entirely. The roof is, therefore, covered with about 3 feet of fill, and is designed strong enough merely to support the fill and any superimposed load on the ground, on the theory that an explosion will follow the lines of least resistence and will probably blow out the door and break the roof into small parts. Subsurface magazines have been built at most of the ammunition dejiots. Designs were standardized for a number of other buildings in addition to the above, and the preparation of estimates, plans, and specifications was considerably expedited thereby. Only a portion of the work, however, which was performed at ammunition depots as a part of the war program permitted stand- ardization. The opposite condition prevailed in connection with water-front improvements, office buildings, quarters, central power, lighting, and heating systems, railroads, etc. The railroad systems serving several of the depots w^ere exten- sively augmented by additional track, and the water approaches in certain instances were deepened and widened to allow access to larger ships, in order to permit the issue of ammunition to vessels without rehandling. New piers and other water-front improvements were also constructed to increase berthing space for ships and lighters receiving or discharging ammunition. At ammunition depots, where immense quantities of very hazard- ous materials are stored, the matter of fire protection is a serious and, in fact, critical item. At the outbreak of the war several of the depots which were to be greatly expanded were almost entirely devoid of proper fire protection, and several extensive systems had to be constructed, notaljly at Ilingham, ]\Iass.; Lake Denmark, N. J.; Fort WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 283 Lafayette, N. Y.; St. Julians Creek, Va.; Fort Mifflin, Pa.; and Charleston, S. C. It was usually possible to procure a fresh water supply from near-by municipal or navy-yard systems, but, in the cases of St. Juliens Creek and Charleston, salt water is used. In two instances it was necessary to develop new water supplies for fire protection. Permanent barracks for the Marine guards were built at all of the larger depots, including Hingham, Lake Denmark, and Fort Mifflin, in pursuance of the adopted policy of designating the Marine guards at such stations as units under the administration of the com- manding officer of the depot. In addition to projects of the nature specifically mentioned, mis- cellaneous construction of various descriptions was necessitated by the expansion of ammunition depots occasioned by the ordnance pro- gram for the war. The funds expended on public works at such depots to keep pace with this program aggregated $11,000,000. TORPEDO STATIONS. In spite of the fact that the use of the torpedo by the American Navy during the war was restricted by lack of opportunity, its use by the enemy demonstrated its merits as a potent weapon. During the years preceding the war, the Bureau of Ordnance had developed the design and details of torpedoes to a very high degree, so that at the beginning of the war plans were on hand for the plac- ing of contracts for the manufacture of large numbers of torpedoes. This condition made necessar}?^ the provision of additional assembly, overhaul, and storage facilities. Torpedo activities of the Navy are centered at the naval torpedo station, Newport, R. I., where the repair, overhaul, issue, and prov- ing of torj^edoes are performed and where the larger part of the reserve supply is stored. Experimental and development work and the training of torpedo officers is also carried on at Newport. The plant at this point was largely increased during the war to increase production and to provide additional facilities for the handling and storage of spare parts and reserve supplies. All of the space avail- able on Goat Island, the main torpedo station, and on Rose Island, intended for the storage of explosives, was early filled with new structures, and it became necessary to extend the development of the station to Gould Island. Altogether, the additional construction at Newport completed or initiated during the war entailed an ex- penditure of over $1,500,000. The old power plant on Goat Island was entirely inadequate for the increased demands. A new power plant was therefore built 284 WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. ill the industrial area, at a cost of $800,000. (See chapter '' Power plants.-') Quarters for seaman gunners, with dormitoiy and classi-oom facili- ties, were built to care for the large classes to be trained at Newport, and barracks were constructed to provide for an increase in the marine guard. Considerable alterations Avere performed in connection with the existing buildings on Goat Island. N-ew buildings, including a boat- house and miscellaneous storage buildings, were constructed in prac- tically every available space on the island, until the facilities there comprised a well-arranged and self-contained industrial establish- ment, with all facilities for the care and development of torpedoes. The storage for war heads and other explosive materials on Rose Island was increased in proportion to the increased torpedo storage on Goat Island. The construction on Gould Island, effected at a cost of about $180,000, includes a storehouse with racks for 880 tor- pedoes and a corresponding number of gyros, two war-head store- houses, office space, a reinforced-concrete pier, a narrow-gauge rail- road system, and water-supply and fire-protection systems. An existing house was converted for use as quarters for the Marine guard. Difficulty in the construction of the pier Avas presented by the fact that the shale bedrock occurred at a very shalloAV depth. This diffi- culty Avas overcome by placing riprap around tlie precast reinforced concrete piles. It is satisfactory to note that the enlargement of the public-works facilities and the increase in ordnance personnel enabled the au- thorities at the torpedo station to keep ahead of the torpedo program. At the beginning of the Avar the Pacific coast torpedo station. Key- port, Wash., Avas ecjuipped only to store, overhaul, and effect minor repairs to torpedoes. During the Avar, storage facilities there Avere increased by the construction of an additional building, but it Avas not necessary to augment the other facilities. The lessons of the early stages of the Avar emphasized the idea, long existent Avith certain ordnance officers, that it Avould be both economical and expedient for the Navy to have a torpedo-assembly plant Avhicli Avould operate in times of peace, and which could be transformed to a Avar basis at times Avlien hostilities advised the immediate increase of production. Sucli a plant would be in a position to assemble parts Avhich could be economically made by various manufacturers. In the summer of 1918 tlie Secretary of the Navy approved the project for the construction of such a plant, and a site on the Potomac RiA-er at Alexandria, Va., was selected by the Bureau of Ordnance. Steps Avere taken to acquire the property, and the Bureau of Yards and Docks prepared plans for the plant, in consultation Avith the Bureau of Ordnance, to include a 4-story WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 285 Torpedo storehouse at Naval Magazine. St. Juliens Creek, Norfolk, Va. Typical torpedo racks and crane as designed by the Bureau. 286 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AIS^D DOCKS. WAK ACTIVITIES UE BUREAU OF YAKDS AND DOCKS. 287 assembly building 300 by 240 feet, a 2-story storage and office build- ing 240 by 110 feet, a timber pier and bulkhead, dredging, and other auxiliary features. The buildings are of reinforced-concrete con- struction of the flat-slab type, and are considered to be particularly pleasing architecturally. The floors are designed for heavy loads imposed by machines necessary to the making of air flasks and the assembly of parts. The plant has been completed, and provides facilities for the assembly of torpedoes to meet the needs of the Navy. The total expenditure for construction at Alexandria has been about $1,300,000. The manufacture and assembly of torpedoes require such a period of time that it is essential that a sufficient number be on hand at the beginning of hostilities to fulfill immediate needs. The Bureau of Ordnance has accordingly completed a number of torpedoes, in fulfillment of the war program, which must be stored either ashore or afloat. New torpedo storehouses were built during the war, or construction started, at New London, Conn. ; Newport, R. I. ; St. Juliens Creek, Va. ; Hampton Roads, Va. ; Charleston, S. C. ; Pensa- cola, Fla. ; Coco Solo, Canal Zone ; Keyport, Wash. ; and Mare Island, Calif. In addition to the new storehouses, racks for the storage of torpedoes have been installed in existing buildings at Alexandria, Va., and Kuahua, Hawaii. The Bureau of Yards and Docks, in consultation with the Bureau of Ordnance, has designed standard torpedo storehouses, either with or without overhaul space, and standard war-head storehouses. Formerly torpedoes were stored on chocks, which practice tended toward inconvenient handling, requiring the moving of a number of torpedoes to get at those at the bottom of a stack. Standard racks have been designed, which materially increase the capacity of the storehouse and permit the handling of any one torpedo without dis- turbing others. Methods of transfer and stowage have been de- veloped which minimize time and labor and which practically eliminate manhandling. In regard to the provision of facilities for the assembly and stor- age of torpedoes and accessories, the Bureau of Yards and Docks has kept ahead of the requirements of the Bureau of Ordnance, so that the production program has been enabled to proceed without inter- ference on this account. A large factor in the speed of construction is attributable to the standardization of design which has been effected. MINE DEPOTS. The detailed plans formulated by the Bureau of Ordnance for the North Sea barrage contemplated the manufacture and placing of about 100,000 mines, of a type especially developed by the Bureau of Ordnance for this purpose. The numerous parts of the mines were 37022—21 19 288 ^^'AR activities of bureau of yards axd docks. manufactured by a number of firms, and it Avas decided to ship the parts abroad for assembly. The larger part of the mines were loaded with their charges of T. N. T, at the mine-filling plant, St. Juliens Creek, Va., which was built during the early part of the war. The construction of this plant was conceived after the manufacture of parts had been started, and great speed was necessary in order that the completion of the plant should not hold up the entire project. It was proposed to build a plant to receive, load, and ship 1,000 mine cases per day, which was an undertaking entirely without prece- dent in the United States.' Its design was accomplished by the Bureau of Ordnance and the Bureau of Yards and Docks in consulta- tion. It included the layout of an extensive conveyor system to handle the mines. A lump-sum contract was placed and actual work was started shortly before the 1st of November, 1917. In spite of very severe weather and labor troubles, the plant was in an operative condition in March, 1918, as soon as the facilities were needed, the project for the mine barrage not being retarded on this account. The cost of construction was about $500,000. The group comprising the mine-filling plant consists of 22 build- ings and a wharf. The type of construction in general was steel frame with galvanized metal siding, which permitted rapid erec- tion. The conveyor system proved to be excellently planned, and the handling of over 22,000,000 pounds of T. N. T. in the loading of more than 73,000 mines was performed without mishap. The rated capacity of the plant was exceeded in operation. Shortly after the beginning of the war, construction was started on a small mine depot adjacent to the submarine base, New London, Conn. This depot was completed in accordance with the original intention, namely, to provide for the storage of mines for planting the waters in that vicinity. In 1918 the Bureau of Ordnance presented plans to the depart- ment for the establishment of a large mine depot on the Atlantic coast, to be used for the storage, assembling, loading, testing, and issuing of mines to meet all probable future needs. The project was approved, and the vicinity of Yorktown, Va., was chosen as the site, for military and other reasons. About 11,000 acres of land for this purpose were commandeered by presidential proclamation, under authority issued by Congress, and the preparation of plans was begun for the establishment, which was designated as the Na\^ Mine Depot. There has been completed at the Navy mine depot a filling plant essentially similar to the one at St. Juliens Creek, although of a more permanent type of construction. There were also built five mine- storage buildings, each 100 feet by 500 feet, and one story in height. These buildings were made thoroughly fire resisting. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 289 For the storage of T. N. T. 10 magazine buildings were erected at points on the reservation remote from each other. The character of the terrain facilitated segregation for the storage of explosives, each building being located in a ravine separated from other buildings by high land. The inaccessibility of the site, which is highly advantageous from a military standpoint, was overcome industrially by the construction of a railroad system, about 10 miles in total length, making connec- tion with the main line of the C. & O. Railroad near Lee Hall, Va., and by the construction of a pier, 2,000 feet in length, extending into the York River to a draft of 30 feet at mean low water. The railroad is carried over the pier, and sidings serve the mine-filling l^lant and other buildings. The transportation difficulties have been overcome further by the construction of an 18-foot concrete road, constituting a highway from the railroad station at Lee Hall to the depot and to the village of Yorktown. It forms a continuation of a concrete road extending all the way to Newport News. This depot was established as a war activity, but construction was just started before the cessation of hostilities. Construction was con- tinued, however, to the entire scope originally contemplated, and the industrial facilities have been completed, together with quarters for officers and enlisted men, an office building, a heating plant, and electrical transmission lines. The development is being continued further by the construction of water-supply and sewerage systems, a dispensary, a power plant, and additional railway. The total cost of the whole development is about $2,700,000, exclusive of the cost of land. In addition to the above facilities for the manufacture and loading of mines, storage has been provided at certain naval stations, so that loaded mines may be kept on hand ready to place immediately as needed. For this purpose a standard mine-storage building was designed, having a capacity of 1,008 mines. This building has con- crete foundations and floor, steel framing, brick or tile walls, a steel- skeleton mezzanine floor, and built-up roofing on wood sheathing. The small flanged wheels on the mine anchor fit the gauge of channel tracks, which are laid on the floor and on the mezzanine, extending the length of the building, and the units are stowed in this manner. A crane extends over the adjoining railroad track, so that the mines may be carried from the cars to the tracks inside the building with- out manual effort. More than 20 of these standard storage buildings, costing about $800,000, were erected at various stations. 290 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. NAVAL PROVING GROUND AND SMOKELESS POWDER FACTORY, INDIANHEAD, MD. The activities of the Bureau of Yards and Docks at Indianhead practically began with the declaration of war, as prior thereto the public-works projects undertaken there from time to time as part of a gradual development were carried out under the cognizance of the Bureau of Ordnance. At the beginning of the war the facilities for proving guns and testing shells and armor plate had been devel- oped to a point where only a small amount of public- works construc- tion was needed to cope with the greatly increased demands on the actual proving and testing equipment. These demands, however, necessitated enlarged facilities for the handling and transportation of guns, shells, supplies, and equipment, and a considerable increase in housing accommodations for additional officers, enlisted men, and civilian employees. That part of the station designat-ed as the smokeless-powder fac- tory had been developed to a maximum capacity of 20,000 pounds per day. Immediately following the outbreak of the war it was de- cided to double this capacity, and construction work was started accordingly. As preparations for actual warfare progressed, how- ever, it appeared that the enormous requirements of the Army would absorb the total output of all private powder-manufacturing con- cerns, and that the Navy would have to depend upon its own facilities to supply its needs in this respect. It was therefore decided further to increase the capacity of the factory at Indianhead. Under this program there were constructed a large number of buildings to house the additional special equipment required in the various manufac- turing processes, together with storehouses for raw material, build- ings for drying and blending powder, extensions to the power plant, and steam, water, and electric distribution systems, and additional railroad and water-front facilities. As practically all of the employees of the station are quartered on the Government reservation, the enlargement of the powder factory necessitated the construction of additional officers' quarters, cottages, boarding houses, and barracks, and the improvement of roads, walks, and other facilities tending to the comfort and welfare of the per- sonnel. Among the buildings directly related to the expansion of the powder factory were : Four storehouses for nitrate of soda, constructed of concrete and steel, with an exterior covering of corrugated galva- nized steel. These storehouses are connected in pairs by a wing in which freight cars are spotted. Each pair of build- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 291 iiigs is equipped with a monorail hoist system for loading and unloading. The combined capacity is 25,000 tons. Five cotton storehouses of construction similar to the above, but of smaller capacity. A one-story building of steel construction for use as a labora- tory. A storehouse of concrete-and-steel construction for the storage of sulphur. Two blending towers of brick and steel-covered frame con- struction. Four solvent-recovery buildings of brick construction, each consisting of four units and each unit having its separate condenser house. Two magazine buildings of brick construction. One pulping and poaching house of brick and steel construc- tion. An ammonia-compressor building, a dehydrating house, two cotton dry houses, and three picking houses, all of concrete and brick construction. An ether house of heavy frame construction, coA^ered with cor- rugated galvanized steel. Twenty-five powder dry houses of brick construction, 10 of which had been completed when the armistice was signed, work then being stopped on the other 15. Most of the powder dry houses were erected on a newly acquired tract of land, which was of rough topography and heavily wooded, thus necessitating considerable clearing and grading. Approxi- mately 2 miles of railroad had to be built to tie in this tract with the rest of the station. Among the projects of a general character were: Bridge over Mattawoman Creek. Steel fence inclosing a portion of the reservations. Machine shop. Carpenter shop. Public works office building. Storehouse for Marine Corps. Thirty-room hotel. Three 10-room boarding houses. Garage for seven trucks. Annex to dispensary. Laboratory office building. Chemical laboratory. Post office. Bachelor officers' quarters. 292 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Group of 30 frame buildings comprising mess halls and cot- tages for employees. Extension to a development of the United States Housing Corporation, comprising 45 cottages and including roads, walks, and sewer and water facilities. Group of cottages as nucleus of a village for colored em- ployees. At the beginning of the war the station's supply of fresh water was obtained from nine artesian wells, having a combined capacity of 1,600,000 gallons per 24 hours; but with the suddenly increased requirements of the powder factory and the added personnel, includ- ing more than 2,000 building mechanics and laborers, this capacity was soon overtaxed, and at times the shortage of water presented a serious problem. To meet this situation five additional artesian wells were drilled, and a test made at their completion showed that the station's water supply had been more than doubled. Unfor- tunately, the completion of these wells was delayed beyond the expected date of completion, and the full benefit of the increase was not felt until near the end of the period of the station's greatest activity. Almost from the date of the establishment of the naval proving ground the lack of rail communication had been a cause of great delay and inconvenience, the nearest railroad being about 14 miles distant, and reached by a road which was usually in such poor con- dition as to negative the benefit which might otherwise have accrued. This condition enforced dependence on tug and barge transporta- tion between Indianhead and the Washington navy yard. Funds for better facilities became available only during the war. After the necessary authorization was granted a standard-gauge single- track railroad approximately 12 miles in length was constructed between the proving ground and White Plains, Md., at a cost of $850,000. It makes connection at White Plains with the Popes Creek branch on the Pennsylvania Railroad, which joins the main line at Bowie, Md., some IT miles northeast of Washington. While not making direct connection with Washington, this trackage has admirably fulfilled the purposes for which it was projected, namely, the avoidance of transfers of carload shipments to the Washington yard and thence to lighters for Indianhead, the elimination of delays due to congestion at railway yards, and the saving of time and expense generally. While this railroad is a facility built, owned, and oi)erated by the Government, its advantages have been made available to private com- merce by the construction of sidings at convenient points for the han- dling of shipments of tobacco, pulp wood, and farm products in gen- eral. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCJKS. 293 294 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AIS^D DOCKS. Blending towei' at Naval Proving Ground and Smokeless-rowdor Factory, Indianhead, Md. iii -^)iu|i. Navy VnnK Wasliington, D. C. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 295 The powder- factory terminal of this railroad was electrified (on the overhead system) in order to minimize the dangers incident to the emission of sparks by steam locomotives. Along with the construction of the railroad, additional locomotives, flat cars, and section cars were purchased. Prior to the war, the water-front facilities at Indianhead consisted of a merchandise pier on the Potomac River and a small coaling pier on Mattawoman Creek. The Potomac pier and the main battery of guns are located within 100 yards of each other. This arrangement presented no difficulties until, owing to the development of long-range guns, it became necessary to fire downstream instead of across the river. This change caused firing to be directed across the pier and the railroad track thereupon, and put a stop to wharf operations at such times. To remedy this condition, a new concrete bulkhead and timber pier were constructed about 1| miles upstream from the old landing, to- gether with a single-track railroad connection. Approximately 30,000 cubic yards of material was dredged from the area in front of the bulk- head to secure a depth of 24 feet below mean low water. The railroad to the new pier was constructed with great difficulty, owing to the fact that a large portion of the line skirts the high banks along the river shore, where the character of the soil was such as to cause frequent slides during construction and after initial completion. In one instance, after this line was placed in operation, a slide from one of the upper slopes required the removal of more than 10,000 cubic yards of earth. At the Mattawoman Creek wharf the bureau constructed a concrete and timber bulkhead and enlarged the coal storage area to a capacity of 25,000 tons. It is estimated that the cost of the work performed at Indianhead under the cognizance of the Bureau of Yards and Docks up to the signing of the armistice was $5,000,000, and that $2,000,000 additional was subsequently expended on projects which were started there dur- ing the war. NAVAL GUN FACTORY AND NAVY YARD, WASHINGTON, D. C. The scope of activities at the naval gun factory was practically doubled during the war. To permit the carrying out of this increased program, old structures were extended and new industrial and storage buildings were erected at a total cost of approximately $7,000,000 ex- pended under 55 contracts. The land available within the former boundaries of the navy yard would not permit the expansion projected during the war, so that ad- 296 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. ditional tracts to the east and west were acquired, practically doubling the yard area. Most of the public works executed at the naval gun factory during the war comprised shop facilities, although transportation, water- front, communication, and municipal improvements were performed to supplement the industrial expansion. At the beginning of the war this establishment was supplying the larger proportion of the guns for the Navy, and was working at maxi- mum capacity. This function was continued without break, and the very earliest war program included extensions of buildings and facili- ties to enable the gun factory to fulfill the greatly increased demands made upon its resources. Plans were prepared and work was begun without delay on the following projects: An immense gun shop ca- pable of assembling and machining naval guns of the greatest caliber ; a brass foundry ; a steel foundry ; a forge shop ; a pattern shop ; an optical shop with its range-finder testing tower ; and a five-story ma- chine shop for miscellaneous work. From an engineering standpoint, one of the most interesting of the shop buildings constructed by the bureau during the war is the new gun shop. This structure and its crane equipment are laid out with a view to the economical and efficient manufacture and handling of 20-inch 50-caliber guns. Its width, 241 feet, was determined by the length of the lathes required for turning and boring the guns, the lathes being installed crosswise in the building. The height (to the bottom chords of the roof trusses) and width of the two main aisles, 6U and 86 feet, respectively, were determined by the clearances needed for handling guns over the lathes and by crane dimensions and clearances. The length of the building is 567 feet. The two main aisles are equipped with overhead traveling bridge cranes of unprecedented capacity, namely, 300 gross tons each, with a 40-foot lift. This capacity is based on the weight of a 20-inch 50- caliber gun, including its jacket and trunnions. Each crane is pro- vided with an auxiliary trolley and hoist for handling smaller loads. For 168 feet at one end of the main aisle the roof trusses are raised to a height of 121-;^ feet above the floor, and an additional 300-gross- ton crane, with a lift of 100 feet above the floor, is provided. This great height and lift are provided in order that the maximum gun may be handled in a vertical position in and out of the shrinkage pit, which is located in this aisle. On account of its unusual height, a small electric passenger elevator is provided for access to this high crane runway. The low portion of one of the main aisles is equipped with 10-ton and the 36-foot north aisle with 25-ton traveling cranes. One main aisle is provided with a 40-ton crane, operating on the 300-ton crane WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 297 runway, for economical handling of smaller loads. Offices, tool rooms, and toilet and locker rooms are provided in the 31-foot south aisle. A storage yard 65 feet wide, served by an 80-ton traveling crane, is placed on the north side of the building. On account of the very heavy crane loads and lateral thrusts, due to cranes and wind, it was necessary that especial care be taken and the most accurate practicable methods used in designing the struc- tural steel framework and bracing of this shop. (See Bulletin No. 29, Public Works of the Navy, for a full engineering discussion of this and similar problems.) The shrinkage pit mentioned above is in itself an extremely inter- esting engineering work. This pit, 35 feet by 68 feet in inside hori- zontal dimensions, with walls 5 feet thick and having an inside depth of 95 feet, was sunk by the open-caisson method. The walls were constructed in successive lifts above the floor level and the structure was gradually let into the ground at a rate keeping pace with the addition of lifts by excavating the earth inside and under the cutting edges. Owing to the imperviousness of the soil at the site, which is a very hard clay, little water was encountered and no difficulty was experi- enced in keeping the bottom dry enough, by comparatively little pumping, for economical sinking. The only difficulty of note in the entire operation was that due to encountering layers of bowlders, in which cases the sinking was aided by blasting. Upon final placement of the caisson the bottom was sealed with a heavy slab of reinforced concrete. The inside of the pit is divided into 15 vertical compartments. Six of these, 12^ feet square, are open throughout their entire depth, and it is in these that the casings are shrunk on the guns. The other compartments contain stairs, an electric passenger elevator, piping and valves, machinery, pumps, motors and shafting, etc. A number of column foundations adjacent to the pit, placed imme- diately after the sinking operation, were constructed on concrete piles in order to minimize the danger of settlement. To permit the performance of the tremendous amount of tool and miscellaneous work required on the numerous parts of guns and torpedoes, a new machine shop was built in the western extension of the yard. This building is five stories in height, 500 feet long, and 160 feet wide, with a central court roofed over at the first floor. It is among the largest buildings ever constructed for such purposes. The structure is of reinforced concrete throughout and is equipped with 15-ton cranes on the first floor, where the heaviest machines are located. The crane girders are of reinforced concrete. The foundation conditions in this part of the yard are very poor, the ground consisting: of the filled bed of the historical James Creek. 298 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. A pile substructure was used, and it was necessary to straddle two large sewers which underlie the side and could not be diverted. Wood-block floors were laid throughout the machine shop to the extent of 36,000 square yards. This type of floor has been found to serve its purpose here in a very satisfactory manner. Before the war the steel and brass founding were carried on in a general foundry building. In the early part of the war a separate brass foundry was built, and the general foundry building was ex- tended for use in steel founding alone. The new brass foundry is one story in height, with a two-story clear height in the main aisle, and is of steel-frame construction throughout. The length is 340 feet and the over-all width is about 145 feet, including a! lean-to containing rooms for locker, storage, pattern, and office purposes. The building contains complete mod- ern equipment, including crucible furnaces and core ovens. A large molding and casting floor is provided, consisting of 4 inches of mold- ing sand on a clay base. A separate building, 170 by 33 feet, is provided for cleaning and finishing castings. It is of the same type of construction as the brass foundry. Extensive bins for the separate storage of the sev- eral kinds of foundry sand are provided. The extension to the general foundry is about 200 by 139 feet in plan and one story in height, with a two-story clear height in the cen- tral aisle. This building is of steel-frame construction, with steel sash, brick walls, and sandstone trimmings. In order to provide proportionate facilities auxiliary to the new foundries, a pattern and joiner shop was built, which is four stories in height, 321 feet long, and 137 feet wide, with a central court. The construction is of reinforced concrete of the flat-slab type, with steel sash and brick curtain walls. The columns are hollow, and a system of forced ventilation is carried up inside them. A blower system is installed for the removal of sawdust and shavings. This shop is adjacent to the machine shop and has pile foundations. Passenger and freight elevators are provided in both the pattern and machine shops. The freight elevators in the former have plat- forms about 20 feet square for the handling of large patterns. Practically all the optical work for the Navy is carried on in the Washington yard. The facilities for the manufacture, repair, and testing of ojjtical instruments were augmented by the construction of the optical shop and range-finder testing tower in the eastern ex- tension to the yard. A notable feature of the tower mentioned is the fact that, although it forms a part of the optical shop, it is con- structed with foundations and framing entirely separate from the latter in order to minimize vibrations, which would militate against accuracy in testing. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 299 Machine s-hop. Navy Yard, Washington, D. C. i'aueiii shut), Xavy Yard. Wasblngtou. D. C. 300 WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Other buildings for various purposes were erected during the war, or completed thereafter, to take care of the expansion of the ordnance program. Such buildings include extensions to the forge shop, sight shop, erecting shop, and broadside-mount shop, besides a new model- storage building, a proof shop, lumber-storage sheds, a mine-labora- tory building, and a dry kiln. The old power plant and boiler house was enlarged to a consider- able extent, and two new brick chimneys, 250 feet high, were built to take care of the increased boiler capacity. (See chapter " Power plants.") Immense weights are handled throughout the yard, including as- sembled guns, mounts, and parts, and a number of outside cranes were built during the war. The heaviest of these has a capacity of 200 gross tons, with an 80-ton auxiliary, and serves the park where finished guns are stored. This is the largest outside crane of the traveling-bridge type at any naval establishment. It has a span of 85 feet and a maximum hoist of 31 feet, with a travel of 740 feet. It weighs 526,000 pounds and transmits a maximum wheel load of 89,000 pounds. Its heavy steel runway is supported by concrete foundations on piles. At one end the crane travels over a slip, so that guns may be loaded on barges for shipment to the naval prov- ing ground. A brick building containing complete living and classroom facili- ties was erected for the large classes of seaman gunners who are trained at the Washington Yard. Auxiliary to the increased industrial facilities at the naval gun factory, miscellaneous accessory items were constructed or extended, including additional railroad, paving, a quay wall, electric ducts, sewers, fuel-oil storage, storehouses, a garage, etc. New structures were built at the naval magazine, Bellevue, D. C, to provide facilities auxiliary to those at the navy yard for the storage of gun mounts and the like. The naval magazine was fur- ther improved by the construction of a fuse and primer-loading house, a central boiler plant, a fire-protection system, a fence, and a pier. The war expansion has placed the Washington navy yard and naval gun factory among the largest establishments of the kind in the world, and the improvements proceeded at all times with such rapidity as to permit the fulfillment of its accelerated demands. CHAPTER XIII. ARMOR AND PROJECTILE PLANTS, CHARLESTON, W. VA. After many years of controversy and discussion as to the making of battleship armor by the Government, Congress, in August, 1916, made an appropriation for the establishment of a Government armor plant. Steps were taken early in 1917 to establish this plant, when the entry of the United States into the war caused a postponement of the undertaking. The project was resumed during the middle of 1918, after a great gun- forging plant had been added to the enter- prise. The first important decision to be made in regard to the armor plant was its location. The Secretary of the Navy notified the cities of the country to submit briefs giving their advantages for the loca- tion of such a plant. The result was gratifying, as over 200 cities responded. They presented a mass of data" demanding most careful consideration. The department therefore appointed a board of offi- cers known as the armor-plant board, consisting of Rear Admiral F. F. Fletcher, U. S. N.; Commander (now Captain) F. H. Clark, U. S. N. ; and Commander (now Captain) R. E. Bakenhus (C. E. C), U. S. N. The board found it necessary to visit 25 of the cities which had presented data. A truly remark- able spirit was exhibited by the various communities under con- sideration. It led them to study their own resources and advantages and set them forth as had never been done before. Volumes of information were made available, showing the great extent of undeveloped resources in the United States. The board carefully weighed the labor conditions and tabulated the technical data as to freight rates, cost of fuel, pig iron, and other commodities enter- ing into the manufacture of armor, and finally recommended that the armor plant be placed in the Pittsburgh district, and also called attention to the advantages of placing such a plant near Washington, D. C. The law, however, required that the armor plant be built within a safety zone, to be determined by the General Board. The safety zone excluded Pittsburgh, as being within 200 miles of the Great Lakes. The board having recommended Charleston, W. Va., as the most suitable place within the safety zone, the department announced the selection of that place. In the meantime, in preparation for the impending entry into the war, Congress had appropriated the sum of $2,080,956 for the estab- 301 302 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. lishment of a projectile plant. On account of the close relation be- tween the manufacture of projectiles and armor it was decided to construct the projectile plant on the armor-plant site at Charleston. About one million dollars of the funds were allotted to the Bureau of Yards and Docks for the design and construction of the plant, exclusive of machinery and furnaces, which were provided by the Bureau of Ordnance. The plant was designed under close coopera- tion between the two bureaus involved. Capt. E. E. Bakenhus (C. E. C), U. S. N., was designated as project manager of the armor and projectile plants in addition to his duties as assistant manager of the Division of Shipyard Plants of the Emergency Fleet Corporation and later as Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks. Mr. Roger M. Freeman was appointed assistant project manager and had detailed charge of the designs. The foundry and forge shop is a building 138 feet long by 565 feet wide, the machine shop is 140 feet long by 400 feet wide, and the heat-treatment building is 92 feet long by 153 feet wide. In the foundry and forge building particular attention was paid to lighting and ventilating, with distinct success. The monitors, with inclined sash, are of a new type, affording a greater percentage of daylight in the middle of the building than is obtainable with the ordinary arrangement. The ventilation is excellent, and the smoke which comes from the electric furnaces during certain periods of their operation rises directly and passes out through the monitors, keeping the air in the shop fresh and clear. The walls of the building are constructed of a new type of tile particularly designed to avoid expensive plastering on both the outside and the inside of the building and yet maintain a perfectly dry wall. The projectile plant is located directly on the banks' of the Great Kanawha River, on the smaller of the two tracts into which the armor-plant site is divided. The larger site, immediately adjoining the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, was reserved for the armor plant. The whole site comprised over 200 acres and was donated by the citi- zens of Charleston. During the summer of 1918 the bureaus received instructions from the Secretary of the Navy to proceed with the construction of the armor plant. A total sum of $8,318,600 was allotted to the Bureau of Yards and Docks for the purpose of constructing the plant, ex- clusive of the open-hearth furnaces, heat-treatment furnaces, machine tools, and other similar manufacturing equipment, which were pro- vided by the Bureau of Ordnance. The well-organized personnel of the Bureau of Yards and Docks was made available for development of the project, with additions such as were found necessary during the course of the work. The plans were developed by the Bureau of Yards and Docks in close WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 303 *11J ''''""''''"' ""*: . ^ . Forqe and Fun Gun TreoT ^ Machine Shop. Bidg Cross Section Through Buildings Open-Hearth Building. Plot plan of Naval Armor and Projectile Plants, Charleston, W. Va. [Reproduced by permission of American Society of Mechanical Engineers.] 37022—21 20 304 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS.' Machine shop at I'lojcctUe I'laut, Charlosion, W. Va. Projectile I'lant, Charleston, W. Va. General view. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 305 cooperation with the Bureau of Ordnance, Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, U. S. N., chief of bureau; Commander Logan Cresap, U. S. N., in charge of armor desk; and Rear Admiral C. B. McVay, jr., chief of bureau since June 19, 1920. The problem presented unusual diffi- culties. An inspection of the three existing American armor plants at Pittsburgh, Mid vale, and South Bethlehem indicated at once that none of them could be used as a model or precedent. These plants had all been developed as a part of larger steel-manufacturing estab- lishments, and the arrangements were in many cases undesirable. Plans of foreign plants, including those of the Krupp Co. and the plant at Ansaldo, were carefully studied, but could not be followed. It was therefore necessary to make entire!}^ original studies. Unfor- tunately the site was intersected by two rather deep gulleys, which made a free development impracticable. However, the gulleys were utilized in part as a site for a sedimentation and storage reservoir and in part as disposal areas for waste materials which will result from the operation of the plant. Features originally disadvantageous were thus turned to good account. During the progress of the war it developed that the great-gun manufacturing capacity of this country was insufficient for providing the Navy's needs, and it was therefore decided to add to the armor- plant facilities for the manufacture of large-caliber naval guns. This further complicated the problem. The manufacture of armor and guns consists of several principal divisions, which differ somewhat for the armor and guns, as follows : (a) The manufacture of steel in the open-hearth electric furnaces for both armor and guns. (&) Forging of ingots for both armor and guns. (c) Heat treatment for armor and guns. (d) Carbonizing and and special heat treatment for armor plate. (e) Vertical heat ti'eatment of gims. (/) Heavy machine tool work for armor plate. (g) Heavy lathe and machine tool work for guns. The armor plant will turn out completed armor plate and bolts ready for installation on board ships, but for the guns will turn out only the rough forgings, the finishing work being done at the Wash- ington Navy Yard, as has been done in the past. A thorough analysis of the process of manufacturing armor plate and guns was made by the bureau to the extent necessary for making the layout of the plant and the designs of the buildings. It soon de- veloped that transportation of the great masses of armor steel from the open-hearth building to the heating furnaces, thence to the forging press, back to the furnaces, then to the straightening press, then to 306 WAlt ALTIVITIHS OF 13LKKAU OF YAIIDS AND DOCKS. the carbonizinor furnaces, the quenchino- tanks, and machine shop, formed one of the principal problems. AVith the guns, the masses of steel are longer and more difficult to handle, but the transfers are not so numerous. Obviously the plant should be so arranged that the transportation and handling of these enormous weights could be done with the least expenditure of time and power. Many studies Avere made of the relative arrangements of the furnaces and the heavy forging presses. It has been customary in other plants to have the forging presses in one building and the heat-treating furnaces in another building, and the original layout for the present armor plant contemplated such an arrangement. The studies made led to the adoption of a plan wherein the presses are in the center of a building in an H shape and the furnaces are in the two sides of the H. The general layout of the plant is shown on the accompanying drawings. Further to facilitate transportation a " backbone " track has been provided, leading in a straight line from the open-hearth building through the foundry and forge building to the machine shop. The bulk of the weights can thus be transferred without recourse to the railroad system of the yard. Each of the buildings is equipped with giant cranes for handling the materials within the building. These are conveniently listed in the following table : Crane number . Open hearth building. Forage and furnace building. Location . Capacity (net tons): Main hoist Auxiliary hoist ...... Speed (feet per minute): Main hoist Auxiliary hoist Bridge Trolley O.H. pouring slide. 250 40 10 20 200 75 O.H. pouring slide. 125 25 10 23 200 75 O.H. pouring sUde. 75 15 14 30 200 100 O.H. pouring slide. 5,6 7,8 Stock yard. Main aisle. 25 10 23 30 250 150 15 None. 50 300 150 200 25 23 200 75 9.10 Main aisle. 100 25 10 23 200 100 Forge and furnace building. Machine shop. Heat treatment building. Orane number .... 11,12 13,14 15 16,17 18,19,20,21 22 23,24 Location if Press j\ room. Press room. Capacity (net tons): Main hoist 250 75 15 14 30 200 70 150 25 75 15 75 None. /Hoist 53 75 Auxiliary hoist 25 15 Speed (feet per minute): Main hoist i 7 1 10 14 23 . 30 200 200 100 100 X 14 Auxiliary hoist . .. 30 30 Bridge .... 150 ....| 50 1 100 200 Trolley 50 100 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 307 roiiring aisle in open-hearth building:, Armor Plant, Charleston, W. Vn. Charging floor of oncn-hearth building. Armor Plant, Charlesiuu, >*. \ a. 308 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AKD DOCKS. Administration building, Armor and Projectile Plants, Charleston, W. Va. North aisle of for>;e and furnace building. Armor Plant, Charleston, W. Va. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 309 It will be noted that the hot-metal cranes in the open-hearth building on the pouring side have capacities from 75 tons to 250 tons. In the machine shop and furnace building the cranes have a capacity of 100 tons to 200 tons, and in the press room of 250 tons. In the machine shop the capacities are not as great, as the ingots are reduced in weight before reaching the finishing stage, the maximum capacity of cranes there being 150 tons. The open-hearth plant is of the most modern design, and com- pares favorably with the recent plants at the best steel mills. The weights to be handled are, in general, greater than at the majority of the steel plants. Two 60-ton open-hearth furnaces are provided, and two electric furnaces of 30-tons capacity each. By loading all furnaces to their maximum capacity, about 250 tons of molten steel may be had for one pouring. There is space for the addition of a third 60-ton open-hearth furnace. The stockyard immediately ad- joins the open-hearth building and has two overhead traveling bridge cranes, equipped with magnets, for handling pig iron and scrap. The plant will utilize the scrap metal from all of the eastern navy yards. The tracks on the charging side of the furnace are so arranged that a train of cars containing a complete charge can be handled on the floor. The stock bins for nickel, ferrochrome, man- ganese, and the fluxes are beneath the charging floor in convenient locations. A low-type charging machine is provided. The open- hearth furnaces are at present supplied with natural gas, which it is estimated may last for 10 to 15 years. Provisions have been made so that gas producers or powdered-coal installation may be pro- vided when the gas gives out. In the ordinary processes the steel will first be melted in the open- hearth furnaces and then will be refined and further treated in the electric furnaces. One open-hearth charge is sufficient to charge both electric furnaces. The ingot is poured into cast-iron molds in the casting pit. When the ingot is solidified and cooled the cast- iron mold is stripped off and the ingot transferred to the preheating furnaces for the forging process. The crop of the ingot, that is, the top where the poorer quality of metal collects, is cut off and the ingot is then rough-forged to its approximate shape. After a further heating and reforging the ignot is sent to the carbonizing furnaces, where carbon is absorbed by the outer surface of the metal in a process requiring from 16 to 20 days. The plate is then chilled to harden it. The forge and furnace building contains one 14,000-ton press, operated hydraulically, but of the steam-intensifier type; and one 6,500-ton press. There are three ingot-heating furnaces, eight armor plate heat-treatment furnaces, five armor plate carbonizing furnaces, three annealing, two hardening, one rectifying, and three 310 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. reforging furnaces for armor plate, all interchangeable to a certain extent. For guns there are two annealing and four heating fur- naces. The vertical gun-treatment furnaces in the heat-treatment building are additional. The forge and furnace building has two main aisles, each with a crane span of 100 feet. This is more than that provided in the commercial armor plants, but is done to give a more ample storage space for plates that are in process of manufacture or awaiting de- livery for erection on the battleship. The furnaces are placed in lean-tos on both sides of the main aisles. There are thus four rows of furnaces. The presses are in the center part of the building, re- quiring a much greater head room than any part of the furnace building. In fact, the great head room required for the presses was one of the reasons for not putting them in the furnace-crane aisles. Particular attention was paid to ventilation. The peak of the roof from the center of the building is left open, having over it a monitor with open sides and flat roof. It was at first contemplated having no monitor whatsoever, leaving only the open slot in the roof. This would undoubtedly have been successful, but was considered to be too great an innovation. The open-hearth building is 516 feet long and 225 feet wide; on the pouring side it has an aisle 100 feet wide and 516 feet long. The sides of the building from the ground to a height of 8 feet are left open. A monitor on the roof also has open sides, resulting in very perfect ventilation and freedom from smoke or gases in the working spaces. The building is provided with an escape gallery for the crane operator in the event of severe accidents in pouring. The machine shop has three aisles, each having a crane span of 100 feet and a length of 560 feet. The building has an over-all width of 324 feet and a length of 560 feet. It was desired to have the most perfect possible natural lighting in this building. This was accomplished by the use of monitors with inclined sides. The moni- tor over the center bay has lighting on both sides. The monitor in the side bays has lighting on one side only. Very careful studies were made of natural lighting, and the proportions of the monitors,, the amount of glass, and their arrangement are based on these stud- ies. The completion of the building has shown a most satisfactory light throughout, in spite of the fact that the building is over 300 by 500 feet in area. The gun-treatment building proved to be a problem of some mag- nitude. The guns are treated in a vertical position in electrically heated furnaces. A quenching tank is provided for the cooling of the gun immediately after treatment. The gun must be lifted ver- tically above the tank and lowered into the tank. As the guns measure 90 feet or more, the total travel is approximately 219 feet. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 311 Press room, forge and furnace building, Armor Plant, Charleston, W. Va. 312 WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. South aisle of machine shop, Armor Plant, Charleston, W. Va. Main aisle of macliino shop, Aimor Plnnt. fhuiicsdin. W. A';i. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 313 The necessary crane clearances make the total height of the build- ing, from the floor of the pit to the top, approximately 254 feet. To obviate a building of extraordinary height, it was decided to place the furnaces and quenching tank in a pit of approximately 50 feet depth. When erected, the gun-treatment building will be of monu- mental character and, on account of its height, it will dominate the valley of the Great Kanawha River for miles. The bureau, in designing this plant, made particular efforts that it should have not only the maximum of usefulness with the greatest economy in construction, but that it should also be of pleasing ap- pearance and durable in character. The plans of the engineers were all required to pass muster before the bureau's architectural commit- tee, consisting of Commander F. W. Southworth, (C. E. C), IT. S. N. R. F., chairman, Mr. Philip Hiss, Mr. Wm. Partridge, and Mr. W. H. Fenton. The committee passed on the character of material to be used for the outer walls, as well as upon the architectural fea- tures. The result has been very gratifying, as the buildings are dignified in appearance, and pleasing to those who may have only a casual glimpse of them from the train, or to those who see them daily. The exterior walls are built of a specially designed block with air cells so arranged that moisture can not pass through. The blocks are strong and have been used in a wall of 8 inches thickness for a height of 80 feet without lateral support except from the steel frame. The exterior faces of the blocks are large, measuring about 5 by 12 inches, and have a rough exterior texture. The satisfactory architectural appearance did not involve any additional cost ; in fact, the suggestions of the architectural committee actually reduced the cost to some extent due to the simplification of the designs. The practice of requiring all building designs to pass the architectural committee has been extended to all of the bureau's projects on ac- count of the success gained at the armor and projectile plants at South Charleston. It was decided in the late summer of 1918 to proceed with the con- struction work. Three courses were possible: Cost-plus contract, lump-sum contract, or day labor. Most careful thought was given this matter. The cost-plus form of contract was at the time in evil repute in the Government service as there appeared to be no way in which minimum cost could be assured. It must be remembered that at the time the rates of wages and the costs of materials were continually rising, and it would have been futile to expect to secure a contractor to prosecute the work on a lump-sum contract. The only course left open was to construct the work by direct employment of day labor. The bureau was not unmindful of the responsibility which it was undertaking to construct a plant under such unfavor- able conditions, bv dav labor, on the basis of estimator ma do in 314 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF Y.\EDS AND DOCKS. 1912 and 1913, yet, based on the recommendation of the project manager, this course was recommended to the Secretary jointly by the Bureaus of Yards and Docks and Ordnance. Secretaiy Daniels showed his confidence in the naval organization b}^ approving the day-labor method. Active construction work btgan on the site in July, 1917. The designing force, in part, under the immediate supervision of Mr. Thomas Callahan, with Mr. Freeman in charge, were transferred gradually to Charleston to direct the construction work. Almost insurmountable difficulties presented themselves due to shortage of labor. There was almost no local labor and no vacant housing for imported labor. Barracks were therefore first constructed with messing arrangements, and labor was then brought in from distant points. There was a heavy turnover. Salvage construction plant and building material were secured from the Erie Forge Plant, from the new Navy Building in Wash- ington, and elsewhere. The armistice came while the work was in progress. This brought with it the opportunity to secure further salvage material from other points. These materials as well as plant were utilized to the greatest possible extent. Contracts were let for 50,000,000 pounds of steel framework, the gypsum of nearly 20 acres in area, the steel sash 267,000 square feet in area, and the roof covering of about 20 acres, but the excavating, the concrete foundations, the building walls and floors, the railroad track S3'stem, and the distributing systems were done by day labor. The power problem was one of the most serious of all. Little data could be obtained upon which to base designs, and draftsmen and engineers could not be had in sufficient numbers to make the designs. The power-plant work was in charge of Mr. H. M, Cogan, electrical and mechanical engineer, reporting direct to the project manager. It was always the desire to have an electric generating station on the armor-plant property, but it developed after the armis- tice that the Army, in connection with the development at Nitro, had placed power-plant apparatus in the plant of the Virginian Power Co. at Cabin Creek, about 15 miles up the valle3\ This re- mained the property of the Army, but due to the closing of the Nitro project was of no further use to the Army. Accordingly a three-part contract was made between the Army, the Navy, and the Virginian Power Co., transferring the plant and necessary trans- mission lines to the Navy. While this was not so desirable as a power station on the site, it was most fortunate for the armor plant as it saved an investment of some $3,000,000 which the armor-plant appropriation could not have afforded. There are duplicate trans- mission lines by entirely different routes. Ti '1 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 315 For operating- the forging presses a complete steam boiler plant was secured from the Army powder plant at Old Hickory, Tenn. The projectile plant w^as constructed by contract. Mr. F. D, AVarren, supervising engineer, was the representative of the bureau at South Charleston, and was the first representative of the Navy Department on the ground for any purpose in connection with the naval ordnance plant. Work was begun in August, 1917, and sub- stantially completed in May, 1918. The plant began operations under the direction of the Bureau of Ordnance in September, 1918, for the manufacture of 4-inch and 6-inch gun forgings, as well as air flasks for torpedoes, wdiile Commander J. B. Rhodes, U. S. N., was inspector of ordnance in charge. Capt. George R. Marvell, U. S. N., was inspector of ordnance in charge during the principal construction work on the armor plant. Mr. W. E. Hayes has been in charge of the cold-metal division since the beginning, and his advice has been invaluable. Mr. W. J. Priestley, in charge of the hot-metal department, came to the plant in time to be of valuable service in the final features of the design. The plant already has an order for armor for ships on the 1916 program, construction of which Avas delayed due to the World War. It is fortunate that the plant is ready for service, inasmuch as the capacity of the civil armor-making plants is not sufficient to supply the demand at the present time. This is true also of large-size guns. It is the policy of the department not to drive the privately owned armor plants out of business, but to use the Government-owned plant as a check on what should be reasonable prices for armor and gun forgings, to supplement the total capacity of the country, and to use the Government plant for experiments in improving the manu- facture of armor and other forgings under the direct supervision of the Government. CHAPTER XIV. STORAGE FACILITIES. GENERAL CONDITIONS. Necessity for additional facilities. — As the demand for storage space, long prior to the war, exceeded that available, the need of additional facilities to provide for the storage of supplies for in- creased shipbuilding and general industrial activity and for a far greater number of ships was taken account of in connection with the development plans begun as a result of the preparedness program of 1916. Type plans. — Studies of the needs of the yards were made, and type sketches for storage buildings for general supplies, lumber, steel, boats, etc., were worked up in consultation with a representa- tive of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, and the plans for a typical permanent general storehouse were submitted to the various yards for comment. Certain specific appropriations for storage facilities were secured from Congress by act of March 4, 191T. First new general storehouses. — At the outbreak of the war the enormous and immediate increase in the Navy's ships, industries, and personnel made quick action imperative. Accordingly, allot- ments of funds were made by the department from the naval emer- gency fund to supplement the comparatively small specific appro- priations, and plans and specifications were prepared for large rein- forced-concrete general storehouses for the industrial yards and more important stations, such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Mare Island, Puget Sound, New London, Hampton Roads, Charles- ton, Pearl Harbor, and Washington. Contracts were awarded dur- ing 1917, in the order named, for all of these buildings. Fleet supply bases. — At the primary bases for operations on the Atlantic coast. New York and Hampton Roads, it was also neces- sary to provide millions of square feet of space for the storage of supplies for the fleet. The navy yard at New York providing neither the storage space nor the requisite room for expansion, it was necessary to look else- where on the water front for a location for an adequate fleet supply base. The requisite site was found in South Brooklyn, and the emi- nently successful construction operation carried through at this 317 318 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. point will be discussed in some detail at another place in this chapter. The reasons for locating the other fleet-supply base at Hampton Roads were similar to those which determined the location of the Brooklj'n supply base — the Hampton Roads site was more to be preferred for operating reasons; space at the Norfolk yard was already restricted and needed for industrial purposes, and although no storage facilities were already available at Hampton Roads, the space and water front were more than ample for the immediate and future development. At this location, besides the general storehouse started in 1917, a large cold-storage and ice-manufacturing plant, various provisions for the open storage of nonperishable materials, and a large frame temporary storehouse were started or completed in 1917 and were followed in 1918 by additional large temporary storehouses and further provisions for open storage, and in 1919 by still further temporary buildings and three additional permanent storehouses — a six and a one story general storehouse and a three- story airplane storehouse. Teuiporaiy storage facilities. — In naval appropriation and defi- ciency acts passed during 1917 and 1918 Congress took account of the necessity of a general fund for the provision of emergency storage by appropriating a total of $5,700,000 under the heading "Temporary storage facilities. Navy." With this fund a number of large emergency timber storehouses were rapidly erected at Norfolk, Philadelphia, and New York; the development of the supply base at Hampton Roads was continued to a great extent, and a large number of storage projects of a mis- cellaneous character were carried out at practically all yards and stations of any importance, thus greatly ameliorating conditions but by no means affording entire relief. General results. — Although funds in excess of $30,000,000, granted under specific and general appropriations, have been expended for storage purposes and about 30 large permanent buildings and over 100 temporary and minor structures have been erected since 1916, providing in all 15,000,000 square feet of storage area, and although considerable storage space in addition was rented at various locations and space was used in Army supply bases, it is a significant fact that the need for space is still urgent at most sta- tions, and it is probable that practically all of the storage facilities installed merely as " temporary " or " emergency " projects will be used advantageously for many years to come. The foregoing figures, the following list of specific appropriations for storage purposes, and this chapter generally, do not cover stor- age for ordnance and ammunition, fuel (except emergency coal WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 319 37022—21 21 320 WAR ACTIVITIKS OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. /-Cm dt ^l«v. t iQl • THoor • T^larv- aa--o" J. ao'o" ^ t o-Q' l M'o" J BUREAU OF YAKD5 &- DOCKS- NAVY DEPT. = GENERAL, PL^^^S • ^General Storehouse (DUILONGN? ) llNCH'30reET 37022 — 21. (To face page 320.) ^ WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARD^; AND DOCKS. 321 depots), and fuel oil, nor medical supplies, which facilities are treated under other headings. Appropriations. — These are best presented in tabular form, as follows : Specific ui)i>ropri(itions for storage .since IDIG (not includiny ordnance, fuel, and medical storage). Date of ap- proval of act. Oct. 6, 1917 Appropriatioii. Mar. July Nov. Julv Mar. June 28, 191S 1,1918 4.1918 11.1919 4.1917 4, 1920 Aug. 29,1910 Mar. July 4,1917 1, 1918 July 11, 1919 Aug. 29,1916 Julv 1,1918 June 4. 1920 Julv 11,1919 Mar. July Mar. Mar. July July July 4,1917 1,1918 4,1917 4,1917 1,1918 11,1919 1,1918 Mar. 4,1917 July 1,1918 July 1, 1918 Julv 11,1919 June 4, 1920 Oct. (1.1917 No. 298 298 298 298 21.5 218 218 218 219 219 219 219 219 220 221 221 221 221 222 222 227 229 229 229 2.30 Mar. 4.1917 232 247 2.53 270 270 274 Title. Temporary storage fa- cilities. do do do Navy yard, Portsmouth. Navvyard, New York.. do No. Su>)head. Title. .do. Navy Yard, Philadelphia .do. .do. .do. -do. Na%T yard, Washington ., Xavv vard. Norfolk do^ do ; do Navv vard, Charleston. . . do 1 Navy yard, Puget Sound. i Naval station, Guam ' .do I do j Naval station, Guanta- ' namo. Naval station, Pearl Harbor. Marine barracks, Phila- delphia. Naval Academy, An- napolis. Naval .station, Tutuila, Samoa. do Naval fuel depot, San Diego. Naval operating base, Hampton Roads. 168 Lumber yard and storage 229 Storage facilities 233 Storage facilities for gasoline and ' turpentine. 230 Steel storage, etc 200 Quartermaster's depot, Marine Corps. 204 do 208 Depot of supplies 209 Additional land for above 213 Pattern shop and storage 115 Model storage 234 Steel and luratjer storage 244 steel storage 241 Paint and oil storehouse 242 Pattern shop and storage 109 ' Storage facilities 114 Boat storage 220 Storage facilities 27 do 31 Cold storage 1 36 Lumber shed 14 Storage facilities 63 Storehouse . 4 Advance base storage... 19 General storage building 27 Storehouse 30 Lumber storage 3 S torehouse and fleet landing 2 Cold storage Amount. $1,000,000.00 500,000.00 1,000,000.00 3,200,000.00 30,000.00 500,000.00 6,000.00 200,000.00 175,000.00 200,000.00 35, 000. 00 41, 240. 23 400,000.00 05,000.00 400,000.00 220,000.00 75,000.00 400,000.00 50,000.00 10,000.00 500,000.00 5,000.00 40,000.00 5,000.00 20,000.00 100,000.00 80, 000. 00 100, 000. 00 15,000.00 5,000.00 400,000.00 300. 000. 00 Emergency fueling plants. — Particularly urgent needs during the Avar were those for facilities for the storage of coal at the points of troop and supply embarkation for Europe, and for facilities for the fueling of ships without a moment's delay to troops or cargo. It will be recalled in this connection that the Navy, through the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, was charged with the whole opera- tion of transports conveying America's contribution to the western front. These storage and bunkering facilities and their effect in reducing the turnaround of transports are discussed under the head- ing " Emergency coal and bunkering depots." 322 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. Some of the larger storage projects are considered of sufficient general and engineering interest to warrant further description, which is given below under " Details of design and construction " and " Fleet supply bases." DETAILS OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. Permanent general storehouses. — In connection with its studies on the type plans for permanent general storehouses the bureau made analyses of the various types of fireproof construction, namely, («) structural steel framework with reinforced-concrete floor slabs; {h) the reinforced-concrete column, girder, beam, and slab; and (c) rein- forced-concrete column and flat-slab construction. The outcome was that the last-named type, as had been expected, was found to be the most desirable from the standpoints of economy, speed of con- struction, floor headroom, and daylighting, and (together with the second named) more desirable and economical than steel construc- tion from the standpoint of fireproofing. The typical new general storehouse is from 4 to 11 stories in height, and is, as implied above, of flat-slab or " mushroom " con- struction, with columns spaced 20 or 21 feet on centers in both direc- tions. The four-way system of reinforcement was almost entirely used, and the design codes of the Joint Committee on Concrete and Reinforced Concrete, the Bureau of Yards and Docks, and the city of Chicago were used in various instances. The story heights generally used were 15 feet for the first and 10 feet 6 inches for stories above, measured from floor to floor ; stair- ways are located adjacent to outside walls of buildings in fireproof wells; elevators are also located in fireproof wells; interior fire walls with automatic fire doors and automatic sprinkler sj^stems are provided in accordance with the best current and codified practice. In the more recent of the large storehouses the elevators are ar- ranged in banks for the maximum efficiency in operation and routing of supi:>lies; the number of cars is amply proportioned to the floor areas served, and the size of car platforms, 9 by 18 feet, with two end doors of full width, adapts them to the use of storage-battery trucks or tractors and trailers. The usual live-load capacity is 5 tons per car. The main floors are generally about 4 feet above street level and are provided with outside platforms to permit of trucking material directly into and from railroad cars or trucks. As a further aid to " keeping goods on wheels and moving " while in transit, ramps are usually provided from street to first-floor level for the use of storage- battery trucks, etc. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 323 Six-story general storehouses. Naval Opcratiug Base, Hampton Roads, Va. Buikliu^; lUl. Six-story general storehouses. Naval ( ti"'ia l in,:; liase, Hampton Koads. \';i. I'.uiMiii^ 1' 324 WAR ACTIVITIES Or 13LKKAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. General storehouse cioui>, Navy Yard. Wasliiugton. D. ('. Interior of general stor..house, Navy Yard, Wa>hin„.m, P. C. ^1.--.,, ,rane service. sngirudmal ■ 3ecKi©n. BUREAU OF YARDS & DOCKS- NAVY DEPT. "GENERAL PLANS" Storehouse us NAVY YARD WASHINGTOK DC SCALE 37022 — 21. (To face page 324.) 6 — it 1 ri i\ r- '_ 'y,. ,,.^i", .:.^"r..^i''...i'itiTi.„-..'Bi 6ENCRAL PIJ^NS- General Storehouse U S NAVY YARD WASMI^GTa■^. DC D WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 325 One-story general siurehuuse, Naval Oijerating Base, liaiii[>ion itoads. Va. General storehouse, Navy Yard, Puget Sound, Wasli. 326 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. General storehouse, Navy Yard, Puget Sound, Wash. Interior view, top floor. General storehouse. Navy Yard, I'uget Sound, Wash. luteriui view, j^ruund Hour. WAE ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 327 The outside faces of the buildings consist of concrete wall columns and spandrel beams, hollow brick spandrel walls, and steel sash with heavy wire glazing. Because of the heavy loads and the foundation conditions existing at practically all navy yards, these buildings have been founded on timber or concrete piles. The illus- trations show typical floor plans and exteriors. Considerable speed was made in the construction of some of these buildings, notably in the case of the large general storehouses at the New York navy yard and at the fleet supply base, South Brook- lyn, both of which were constructed by the Turner Construction Co., of New York. The former building, the largest of any constructed, next to those at South Brooklyn, is 11 stories high, 180 feet Avide by 360 feet long, with a floor area of 713,000 square feet, and it was com- pleted for occupancy in six and one-half months after the contract was signed. The two large general storehouses and two warehouses at the fleet supply base, containing together 2,300,000 square feet of storage space, were made ready for occupancy in seven and one-half months. Another type of general storehouse needed at the important yards and stations is a one-story building with suitable crane facilities for the storage and handling of heavy material, salvage material, mate- rial turned in from ships, etc. Large buildings of this type have been erected at the South Brooklyn and Hampton Roads supply bases. The following table shows the principal permanent storehouses constructed and the more important characteristics of each : Permanent naval storage projects executed subsequent to the "preparedness act " of August 29, 1916. Year Yard or station. Building. ,--. ed. Width. Length. Numberof stories. Floor space. Type of construction . Feet. Feet. Souare feet. Boston Generalstorehouse 1917 185 265 6 252,000 Reinforced con- crete (flat slab. 1 Do fGenera'storehouse 1 ,„,;, t addition. / ^•'^'^ 185 f 265 \ 180 2 8 1 385,000 Do. New London Genera storehouse. 1917 64 224 4 57,000 Do. New York do 1917 180 360 11 713,000 Do. South Brooklyn do 1918 200 700 8 919,000 Do. Do.... do 1918 200 700 8 1,120,000 Do. Do Aircraft store- 1917 house. 300 383 1 115,000 Steel, brick, etc. Do Warehouse 1918 300 355 1 106,500 Timber, tile, etc. Do. Do do 1918 355 361 1 157,000 Philade'phia.... Genera: storehouse 1917 104 424 7 307,000 Reinforced con- crete (flat slab). Do do.... 1918 183 363 7 465,000 Do. Do Aircraft store- 1918 house. 180 200 6 216,000 Do do 1919 300 350 1 100,003 328 AVAR .\CTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARD.S AND DOCKS. J'crinancnt naval atoirif/c projects executed sulisequcnt to the " prepai'edness act •' of August 29, i.'^iC— Continued. Yard or station. Building. Generalstorehouse extension. Generalstorehouse do Year con- struct- ed. Width. Length. Number of stories. Floor space. Type of construction. Washington Hampton Roads. Do 1918 1917 1919 1918 1919 1919 1917 1917 1918 1917 1919 1917 Feet. 150 118 118 118 170 16S 60 64 84 120 53 01 Fed. 250 495 442 5 6 Square feet- 137,000 350,000 313,000 92,0:0 105,000 405,000 96,000 128,000 44,000 288,000 19,000 37,000 Reinforced con- Crete (flat slab.) Do. Do Do Do Do Charleston Mare Island Cold storage General storehouse Aircraft store- house. Generalstorehouse . do 263 4 614 1 935 3 320 4 404 4 and base- ment. 104 5 240 10 120 :? Do. Structural steel and tile. Do. Reinforced con- crete (flat slab). Do Do Electrical store- house. General storehouse ... do Do Puget Sound Annapolis Do. PearlHarbor General storehouse extension. 151 4 Crete and brick. Reinforced con- crete (fla t slab). Temporarj/ storehouses. — The temporary general storehouses erected are, as a rule, of one or two stories. Timber construction was used in most cases. Concrete ground floors were used as the material of lowest cost consistent with durability and ease in trucking and handling stores. In some instances light steel buildings of a portable unit type were used. Some of the largest of the timber buildings erected were : Hampton Roads, 2 structures, one story, 265 by 720 feet ; Norfolk, 2, one story, 250 by 780 feet; Philadelphia, 3, one story, 100 by 800 feet, 90 by 800 feet, 60 by 800 feet: Xew York, 2, two story, 100 by 175 feet; 1, two story, 84 by 175 feet : South Brooklyn, 2, two story, 350 by 380 feet, 320 by 346 feet, etc. In most cases these structures were Aery rapidly erected. For instance, the 265 by 720 foot building at Hampton Roads Avas con- structed in 28 days from the date of authorization. Cold storage. — Cold-storage facilities Avere also in considerable de- mand, and small plants haA^e been installed at scA^eral locations. At the naval operating base, Hampton Roads, the need for such space, due to the enormous personnel and ships and stations to be supplied, and to the lack of available commercial facilities, made it imperatiA'e for the Navy to construct its own cold-storage and ice-manufacturing plant. The building is 118 feet Avide by 263 feet long. The main part of the building, 194 feet long, is four stories high, Avith a coil loft additional. Each of the lower floors is divided into six longitudinal WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 329 jwrnrifinmn — tmrr tTmir- :- . — Emergency storehouse. .\a\y Yai'l, riiiladi/lpliia, I'a. Temporary general storehouse, Navy Yard, Puget Sound, Wash. 330 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. ^ \l \ I- Wear €le>/c>K' Qwyo^io^ \ licsEiRATiivQ Plant .BUREAU OF YAeOS & DOCKS -NAVY DEPT. ■» GENERAL PLANS I 1^ LOPERMINO BA5£ MAMPTON RQAD5,VA. SCALE 37022 — 21. (To face page 330.) r ' ■ ' • • T r r • ■ < ■[ j^RShjiidmH n.riK twyor-crv ^rtt+±±±!jr ""^ '?^ *? er ton as their tanks had cost them in 1914. By this agree- ment the French assumed 78 per cent and we 22 per cent of the war-time cost of tanks built for our own needs. ' Contract let for fabrication Apr. 27 ; see above. CHAPTER XVI. RADIO STATIONS. As the naval radio stations are operated by the Bureau of Engi- neering, the initiation of new radio projects rests with that bureau. The design and construction .of all public works relating to them, however, are handled by the Bureau of Yards and Docks, which ac- cordingly, when requested to do so. has designed and constructed many new stations, as well as additions to the facilities of existing ones, the work covering self-supporting towers, varA'ing in height from 150 to 820 feet, guyed masts, operating buildings, power houses, quarters, barracks, water and sewerage systems, fences, and flood lighting. The new high-power radio stations at San Diego, Calif., Cavite, P. I., and Pearl Harbor. Hawaii, were placed in commission about the time that the United States entered the war. At each of these stations the installation consisted of three 600-foot triangular self- supporting steel towers with the necessary buildings, these stations forming units of a chain of high-power stations capable of long- distance communication. While this chain would have been extended in an}" event, the Avork was considerably expedited on account of the needs which arose for uninterrupted communication during the war. In October, 1917, the bureau awarded contracts for towers and buildings for a high-power station at Cayey, Porto Rico. The towers are three in number and are 600 feet high, all of the standard design adopted by the bureau for such structures. Shortly after our entrance into the war it was decided that a new high-power station should be constructed at Annapolis, and in November, 1917, the bureau entered into a contract for four 600-foot towers, to be constructed on Greenbury Point, across the Severn River from the Naval Academy. At the same time the construction of an operating building, quarters, barracks, wharf, water-supply system, fence, and all other public works necessary to a complete station was undertaken, and the work pushed in every possible way. The winter of 1917-18 was a severe one, and the erection of high steel towers was a most difficult operation, owing to the snow and sleet which covered the steel. The station was completed, however, during the summer of 1918. and the first message was sent to France 365 366 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. early in September. At the time of its completion the Annapolis station was the most powerful one in the United States, with the exception of the one at Xew Brunswick, N. J., and was one of the most powerful in the world. In January. 1918, plans were completed and a contract let for the fabrication of the steel towers for the mammoth transatlantic radio station to be erected at Croix d'Hins, France. This great project is reserved for a special description, appended at the end of the present chapter, from the pens of the civil engineer officers in charge of construction at that station prior and subsequent to the armistice. In addition to the high-power radio stations which have been de- scribed briefly above, a considerable number of installations of towers and buildings for radio stations of more moderate power were constructed. Among these may be noted, the two 300-foot towers with operating building and quarters at the navy yard, Philadelphia, which were completed in August, 1917; the addition of one 300-foot tower to the two existing ones at the navy yard, Charleston ; the two 200-foot steel towers at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands ; the erection of two masts at Port au Prince, Haiti; and the construction of bar- racks, operators' quarters, and Marine Corps quarters at the receiv- ing station, Bar Harbor, Me. The addition of these structures at the latter station was of great importance, as Bar Harbor was used for the receipt of all messages from abroad. Another project of comparatively small importance but of some interest was the station established on Navassa Island in the West Indies, where the existing lighthouse was made to serve as one of the masts, and a wooden spar 65 feet long was secured for the other. This spar was obtained from the Norfolk Navy Yard and was hur- riedly forwarded by one of the ships of the Panama Railroad Steam- ship Co. As the steamer makes no stop at Navassa, where there is no suitable landing, instructions were given that the spar be thrown over- board while passing the island, in order that the men quartered there might pick it up and tow it ashore. In addition to the foregoing, tlie bureau carried through a large number of minor projects at Charleston, S. C ; New Orleans, La.; Keyport, Wash,; Seward, Alaska; Key West, Fla.; Portland, Me.: Portsmouth, N. H. ; North Truro, Mass.; and St. Augustine, Fla. After negotiations had been handled through the State Depart- ment the bureau prepared drawings and requisition for twenty 200-foot and four 300-foot self-supporting steel towers for the Cuban Government. These towers were fabricated in the United States and shipped to Cuba. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 367 THE LAFAYETTE RADIO STATION, CEOIX D'HINS, GIRONDE, FRANCE.' Historical. — As the number of American troops in France increased it became apparent during the latter part of 1917 that the capacity of existing means of transatlantic communication might be taxed beyond their maximum capacity by the constantly increasing volume of messages. Added to this condition was tlie ever-present possiliility that communication by cable might be hampered, if not entirely suspended, by the operation of enemy submarines, and that trans- atlantic radio communication might be similarly affected by aerial attack or by Interference from powerful radio installations in enemy territory. Gen. I'ershing requested as a war measure that immediate steps be taken to provide means of communication that would assure freedom from such risks, and accordingly the decision was taken to erect at some point in France a radic- station that could be relied upon to transmit messages across the Atlantic under any and all conditions that could be foreseen, including attempted hostile interference by radio. Because of conditions created by the war, it was evident that the radio apiJaratus and the towers would have to be supplied by the United States, and on account of the special nature of the entire equipment as planned it was obvious that the installation and erection could best be performed by American personnel. Inasmuch as radio matters in the United States were handled exclusively by the Navy during the war, and for the additional reason that the Navy had had extensive experience with the construction and operation of high-power radio installations, the work of designing, fabricating, installing, and erecting the radio apparatus and supporting towers was intrusted to the Navy Department, the bureaus concerned being those of Steam Engineering, which had cognizance of the general features of the design and radio characteristics of the station, and Yards and Docks, in charge of the design and erection of the towers and of the public-works features in general. The French Government objected to the presence of a force of civilians working under a contractor, on the double ground of the discontent that might be engendered by the comparatively high wages that such civilians w^ould enjoy and the difficulty of exercising adequate military control over such a contractor and his employees. It was accordingly decided that the whole operation in France should be executed by a military force. The loftiest radio towers theretofore built by the Navy Department were 600 feet in height, but for the reasons already stated it was decided that those for the new station in France should be 820 feet high. The Bureau of Yards and Docks at once began the design of the unprecedentedly high self-supporting towers, and by strenuous work was able to make a contract in January, 1918, for the fabrication of the towers and their delivery at the navy yard, Phila- delphia, Pa., for transshipment overseas. The work in the bureau's drafting room included not only the general design but also the elaboration of all shop details, in the interest of saving all possible time in the letting of the contract and the fabrication of the work ; and it is greatly to the credit of the bureau's designers and draftsmen in this instance that not only has the general design of the towers been the subject of most favorable comment by noted French engineers who have visited the site during and after erection of the steel, and who have scrutinized the design quite closely, but also that there was sub- > Contributed by Commander F. H. Cooke (C. E. C), U. S. N., in charge of construction at this station up to the date of the armistice. 37022—21-- — 24 368 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS A^STD DOCKS. stantially no difficulty experienced in the erection of the towers attributable to errors in detail dimensions, despite the high pi'essure under which the design was prepared and the great speed with which it was accomplished. After extended conferences between American and French radio experts, it was decided that the station should be provided with eight towers arranged in two parallel rows of four each, the towers being set on the centers of 400-meter squares, the rectangle formed by the centers of the end towers being thus 400 by 1,200 meters, or 1,312 by 3,937 feet. The site selected for the station was the little French country village of Croix d' Hins, in the Province of Gironde, about 14 miles southwest of Bordeaux. The station was known unofficially as the Liberty radio station until the name Lafayette was assigned by the President. Preparatory icork. — The design of the towers having been completed and the contract placed for the delivery of the fabricated material, it was next neces- sary to procure the equipment for erecting the towers and housing for the per- sonnel to be sent to the station. The force itself had to be assembled. It was ascertained that it \AOuld be necessary to construct a self-contained encamp- ment, which, in view of its isolation and the distance from the excitement of the fighting, ought to be in extent and completeness greatly superior to an ordi- nary construction camp, for the sake of creating and maintaining contentment and efficiency in the personnel. The outcome was a camp which, it is believed,, was imsurpassed in its provisions for comfort and recreation, and the time and labor exjiended on it were amply justified by its results in morale. Taking into account the pressing need of the utmost dispatch in putting the station in operating condition, the bureau ordered erection equipment on a most liberal scale. The program for the erection contemplated work on all eight towers simultaneously, and equipment was ordered and personnel assem- bled on this basis. Included in the erection equipment were motor-driven hoists in considerable number. Comparatively late in the placing of these orders, it was learned that electric current would not be available at the site before a prohibitively late date, and, inasmuch as the hoists had been ordered on information from France to the contrary effect, material had to be ordered for a 15-mile high- tension power-transmission line to be installed by the radio detachment as an additional item. The collective height of the eight towers at this station is 6,560 feet, as compared with the 1,800 feet of the ordinary three-tower navy radio statior and with 2,400 feet at the Annapolis station. The erection of high radio towers calls for expert work, and accordingly a force of approximately 150 skilled ste(;l erectors were enrolled in the Naval Resen^e Force especially for this job. in addition to approximately 450 men in a wide variety of ratings for .service other than work aloft on the towers. A number of officers were enrolled in the Naval Reserve Force for the paramount duty of supervising and directing the work of the steel erectors, and the rapid progress of erection on the first four towers was directly due to the efficient work of these officers and men, without whose skill the elaborate and extensive erection equipment would have been of but little avail, particularly in view of the dizzy height at which most of the work had to be done. Included in the personnel especially detailed were an electrical engineer and a force of experienced linemen, whose expeditious construction of the power- transmission line quickly provided llie camp with light and the erectors with power. 37022—21. (To face page -AGS.) WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 369 The station's organizatiou included a supply department, upon whose efforts depended the highly satisfactory messing and canteen service, in addition to that department's ordinary functions of handling and accounting for material. There was also a complete hospital unit, including an officer of the Dental Corps. Recreational and amusement features were very successfully admin- istered by the chaplain and other oflicers on the station. The camp. — The first contingent of oflicers and men arrived in France in April, 1918, and the officers charged with the construction of the camp and the erection of the towers made their first inspection of the site on April 29. This site is a large clearing, about 1 mile wide by 3 miles long, in the midst of the pine forests that cover a large part of the flat country of southwestern France. The site is practically level, and the soil is a fine sand of indefinite depth. At the time of this examination the effect of the winter rains was still apparent, the ground being saturated and the surface covered with stand- ing water in considerable areas. The drainage system consisted of several wide and comparatively shallow ditches traversing the site and leading to a small stream some miles away, and it was at once apparent that the sanitation of the camp would require careful treatment. On account of the comparatively late date at which portable buildings and their appurtenances had been ordered, authority had been obtained to divert a number of portable buildings from the aviation stock already in France for use in beginning the construction camp. The first shipment of these borrowed houses arrived at Croix d'Hins on May 28. The first draft of enlisted men, about 30 in number, arrived on tlie 29th, and were quartered temporarily in a French "Adrian " barrack that fortunately was at the site. This barrack was very kindly loaned to the Americans by the French contractor for the tower foundations, after extensive inquiry in Bordeaux and Pauillac had de- veloped the impossibility of obtaining any tents from either the American Army or Navy, or from the French. Emergency messing acconnnodations for this first contingent had also to be made, -and after an unsatisfactory experience with a wayside restaurauteur, sufficient galley and mess equipment were improvised to set up independent sub- sistence arrangements of a temporary kind. These first days were very rough by contrast witli the later period after the camp was finished. Later drafts were received directly into well-ventilated electric-lighted barracks, where they slept on comfortable cots, with more than the officially prescribed air volume per man. They messed at clean, comfort- able tables in cheerfully lighted, well-ventilated mess halls, and obtained their food fresh and hot from steam tables supplied by a large galley plentifully equipped with the most modern American facilities. In the early days the problem of water supply was peiplexing. The local wells were at once condemned by tlie sanitary officers, and for a number of weel^s the water used for drinking and cooking was hauled from Bordeaux in a tank wagon borrowed from the Ainny, whose leakage was at first a serious factor in the camp's activities. Water could be had by digging holes almost anywhere to a depth of about 5 feet, but this was not suitable for drinking or cooking, nor was it obtainable in any quantity for other purposes. Never- theless it was the only recourse for bathing, and, until better facilities were installed, it was bailed out in cans and so used. Tlie contrast between this process and the luxury of the hot and cold showers and modern plumbing subsequently placed was very striking. 370 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. When the first contingent arrived at Croix d'Hins there was a Froneh-built raih-oad siding connecting with the main line of the Midi Kailroad, but extend- ing only a short distance into the site. The only means for propelling the cars within the site was by man power, supplemented at times by a team of horses, hired from a near-by farmer, and the work of unloading material and erecting the camp was frequently interrupted by a call for all hands to push the freight cars. The French contractor for the tower foundations was also receiving considerable material, and inasmuch as the railroad wye was not then built, frequent perplexing problems arose as well as some arguments between the Americans and the French as to the right of way on the single track. After scouring Bordeaux and vicinity an old " Sotteville " locomotive, built before the Franco-Prussian war, was located at a small railroad station outside the city, and was hired by the Americans. Its advent at the station was hailed with delight by both the French and Americans, wliose enthusiasm was evidenced by the respective pseudonyms liy which the two nationalities designated it. Its performance might, in general, be characterized as " temperamental," but by dint of careful handling and judicious repairs it was made to play an invalu- able part up to the arrival of the efiicient new American switching locomotive in September, 1918. The problem of a permanent water supply remained unsolved luitil those in charge of the camp were directed to the out-of-the-way shop of an elderly Bordeaux citizen, who was the patentee of a successful system for extracting a continuous flow of water from the sand strata of the region. A contract was made with him for one well to supply at least 10 cubic meters per hour, and after considerable delay in obtaining the requisite materials, he began oper- ations. His efforts were watched with considerable solicitude, and the relief was great when he struck a copious flow of water at a depth of 32 feet below the surface. In the meanwhile, pending the arrival of the 12,000-gallon tank and steel tower, ordered in the States, a 3,500-gallon tank had fortunately been found at a winery some miles from Bordeaux and had been set up on 12-foot posts in anticipation of the striking of water. A gasoline-driven i)ump, of limited capacity, was borrowed from the well contractor, and did service for many weeks. This temporary installation wrought an inunediate and welcome change in bathing facilities for the personnel, inadequate as were the pump and piping installed, and it was not long until the first permanent bathhouse, with heating apparatus, was completed and supplied from this source. Later on another well was sunk, and by means of two electrically-driven pumps, obtained from the Army at Tours, and by piping obtained from the States, or borrowed from sundry French localities, an adequate supply of potable water was piped to all parts of the camp, with fire hydrants and hose at various points — all in striking contrast to the water wagon lumbering and splashing its course along the weary miles and the shallow pools of uninviting water at the bottom of holes in the ground. On account of the flatness of the site and the general condition of saturation to be expected when the winter rains should begin, and to meet the require- ments of sanitation and decency, two septic tanks were built alongside the main drainage ditch that has been referred to. The drainage from the camp was led to these tanks by a system of sewers built above ground, as only by these means could it bo assured that the tanks would not be flooded in winter. Winters in this part of France are characterized by chilly and rainy weather rather than by low temperature, and no trouble was experienced in either of the winters during which the sewer system functioned from flooding or freez- ing, nor has there been any trouble from the sanitary standpoint. WAIl ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 371 The completed camp is indicated on tlie .-iccompanying layout map, ligure 1, and comprised the following buildings : Square feet. 20 barracks 42,620 Mess hall and galley 9,655 Officers' quarters 4, 700 Four latrines 4, 400 Recreation building 5, 200 Refrigerator building 700 Laundry 4, 300 Two administration buildings 4,300 Six storehouses 14, 215 Sick bay and hospital 3,700 Canteen, carpenter shop, electrical storehouse and office, guardhouse, pump house, boiler house, garage, tool house 5, 467 Total 97, 757 In addition to the foregoing buildings there were constructed a motor- generator house and an assembly and repair shop, aggregating 8,193 square feet, and also engine houses at the towers and A^arious sheds. The procure- ment of the material for all of these buildings and their appurtenances and their delivery at the site required a great deal of work. For example, it was neces- sary to run trains of trucks and trailers a distance of some 50 miles to obtain lumber from an American lumbering camp in the pine woods ; it was necessary to set up a service of motor trucks between a quarry and the railroad station at Dax, about 80 miles from Croix d'Hins, to obtain stone for road construc- tion ; it was necessai-y to go to Tours with a long list of needed materials, most of which was supplied from the A. E. F. depot at Gievx-es, some 40 miles from Tours; the A. B. F. establishments at Bassens and St. Sulpice, on the opposite side of the river from Bordeaux were continually solicited for mate- rials, as was the Navy aviation base at Pauillac; and in addition there was a constant combing of French sources of supply, sadly depleted by the war condi- tions. The outcome of all this was a ci:nip which, it is believed, was not sur- passed anywhere in France in completeness and comfort, and the thanks of all who enjoyed these comforts are due, in great measure, to the helpful coop- eration of the Army and Navy organizations in France, and to the French authorities who did all they could to assist the enterprise. No account of the Croix d'Hins camp is complete without favorable allusion to the recreation building. AVhatever expense was entailed by its ei-ection and adequate functioning was more than repaid in the contentment and genuine enthusiasm it served to inspire. Its effectiveness was reflected in the whole spirit in which the job was attacked ; and the officer in charge of the comple- tion of the towers, after the suspension of work following the armistice, has voiced the opinion that an outlay of .$10,000 on the recreation building and amusement facilities would have been justified and would have paid large returns in maintained efficiency. Tr(ins)nission line. — As finally built, the transmission line constructed by the Americans was about 11 miles in length, and supplied current at 11,500 volts, three-phase, which was transformed at Croix d'Hins to 2,200 volts by a bank of three single-phase transformers, and again transformed to 220 volts direct current and 110 volts alternating current by motor-generators and secondary transformers, for power and light, respectively. The route traversed pine forests, country roads, and private grounds, and in its final form was the result of a great deal of scouting and forest ranging on the one hand ; of negotiation with French landowners and officials on the other. Shortage of materials and breakdown of transformers diversified the geographical and linguistic problems 372 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. from fiuie to time, but the work was carried to a successful conclusion by untirinfr and persistent effort, and the camp burst into a blaze of light on the night of September 3, 191S. At first the current was shut off at 10 p. m. from the French station in the outskirts of Boi'deaux. but before long authority was obtained for all-night service, Avhich continued to the end of the work. Although six steam hoists had been provided in addition to the electric hoists, the latter were used exclusively in the completion of erection after the armi- stice; the average daily rate of consumption of power was 120 kilowatts, the maximum for any one hour being 300 kilowatts. Tower foundations. — The design and construction of the fouiulutions for the main towers were handled entirely by the French. These foundations are of an unusual type, consisting essentially of a reinforced concrete disk about 40 feet in diameter at substantially the surface of the ground, supported by 28 j)i"ecast concrete piles driven to refusal, and surmounted by a central pedestal 12 feet high and approximately 8^ feet in diameter, braced to the bottom disk by in- clined reiuforced-concrete buttresses. The steel shoes for the tower columns rest in recesses formed in the top of th(; pedestals, susbequently filled with con- crete. Figure 6 gives a good idea of these foundations. Tower erection.— The individual towers are made up of 2G panels, panel points A to Z, inclusive, as shown in figure 2. They are triangular in ])lan, 820 feet high, 220 feet center to center of columns at base, 105 feet center to center of columns at panel point F, 215 feet above the base, and 9 feet 8* inches center to center at the top, panel point Z. The tops of the foundations are about 12 feet above the surface of the ground, and above panel point Z there is a steel topmast 18 feet high, thus the extreme top of the steel is 850 feet above ground. The weight of each tower is substantially 560 tons. The general scheme of erection devised by the Bureau of Yards and Docks and followed in the field contemplated erection to panel point G by means of an " erection tower " supporting three 120-foot steel booms, one for each leg of the main tower, stepped at panel point N. Each of these booms was provided with its own hoist, and since the program contemplated erection of the lower part of four towers and the upper part of four others simultaneously, it is obvious that very extensive erection gear was required. This equipment was designed and ordered by the bureau, at a cost of approximately $450,000. Its extent and cost were fully justified by the need for the most expeditious erection possible, and the expectation of speed was realized when tower erection began. Panels J to P of each main tower were utilized as erection towers, l)eing supix>rted for this puri)ose on specially built concrete foundations. Figure 3 shows an erection tower in process of construction. The first two panels of the first erection towers were put in place by the steel gin pole provided as part of the erection equipment, the pole being supported on the ground during this operation ; later on, when locomotive cranes were available, these two panels were erected by the cranes. The remaining panels were erected by the steel gin pole suspended and operated in the same manner as Its subsequent use in the main tower; this was not only expeditious but useful in training the per- sonnel in the use of the suspended gin pole. Figure 4 shows a completely erected and equipped erection tower in use in erecting the lower part of a main tower. The .scheme of erection contemplated the use of the gin pole alone from panel point G to the top, the length and weight of gin pole being reduced as the height of erected steel increased. This program was successfully carried out by the force that completed t)ie erection of the towers when work was resimied after the armistice. Figure 5 gives ;i good idea of this jpliasc of the ei'ectioii. VVAU ACTIVITIKS OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 373 Fig. 2. — Lafayette Radio Station. Individual tower witli panel points indicated. 374 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. Fin. 3.-Lnfnyptto Radio Station. Erection tower in process of construction. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, 375 Reference to figure 4 will show that the three main tower legs were supported during erection by guys. Although the trussed struts at panel point D were de- signed to take erection stresses in the absence of all guys, the guys were kept in place until the trussing at panel point F was erected, under which conditions the " portal " or lower 215 feet of the tower is fully self-supporting. Figure 4 shows the erection of the D-trusses in a single lift. There was a great deal of difficulty experienced in making the necessary ar- rangements for the transportation of the fabricated structural steel and heavy erection equipment to Croix d'Hins from the point of discharge of vessels. This difficmlty, though less accentuated, existed with respect to all materials brought to the station. The war had greatly depleted the rolling stock avail- able, and the denrands from the fighting front from time to time reduced cars to almost nil. Docking facilities were hard to get, as the port of Bordeaux is limited in this respect, and the requisite combination of docking facilities and transportation from dock to Croix d'Hins was very difficult to attain. It was only by dint of constant activity and frequent conferences with French and American officials, including a strenuous day spent among the offices of the vai'ious ministries at Paris, that dockage and cars were obtained and materials unloaded and shipped to Croix d'Hins, and this battle had to be fought prac- tically every time a ship carrying radio material was due in port. The hazards of transatlantic transportation at this time are exemplified by the fact that one ship containing more than 1,000 tons of tower steel, or substantially 25 per cent of the total, comprising parts of seven of the eight towers, was narrowly missed by a torpedo fired by an enemy submarine off the west coast of France. If this torpedo had hit its mark, Armistice Day would have seen but little struc- tural steel erected. The erection-tower steel arrived at the station after a great deal of other steel had been delivered and sorted, and it was not until October 4, 1918, that the erection of the first erection tower began, but so thorough and complete was the preliminary work by the tower-erection force that erection of the main towers began early in Novemher ; towers 1 and 2 were completed to panel point F during the week ended December 7, 1918. and towers 3 and 4 to the same point during the week ended December 16. Among the items of preliminary work referred to may be cited the completion of "dead-men" (nine per tower for all eight towers), the construction of en- gine houses and setting up of hoists, both steam and electric, the provision of electric power and compressed air at all parts of the work, the construction of an assembly and repair shop, served by two 6-ton stiff-leg steel derricks bor- rowed from the Army at Bassens, the construction of spur tracks to serve the site of each tower, and the construction of foundations for the erection towers for the first four towers. A healthy spirit of competition was fostered among the gangs erecting the respective towers. No one was killed, and there were but one or two serious injuries. The rapidity and certainty of the erection is most complimentary to all concerned, but particularly to the designers in the bureau and the officer? and men composing the tower-erection force. If this force had not been espe- cially recruited for this particular work, there would have been a very different tale to tell. Noveml)er 11, 1918. found erection in progress on the first four main towers. The military necessity for early completion of the station having ceased to exist, it was decided to carry the erection of the first four towers to a iwint where they would be self-supporting in all conditions of weather, and to sus- pend erection pending further decision. Accordingly, towers 1 to 4, inclusive, were carried to panel point F, all loose erection gear was sent down and stowed. 376 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. and all made snuj;' and secure until such time as erection should be resumed. The bulk of enlisted and enrolled personnel and most of the officers were re- turned to the United States in January, February, and March, 1919. Post-armistice erection.^ — Construction having been stopped, the French War Department, after some consideration, expressed its desire to have the work continued as an after-war project ; but being unable to procure French labor sufficiently skilled in such work to insure speedy and economical completion, re- quested the United States Navy Department to complete the station for the French Government. With this request the United States Government com- plied and, on May 4, 1919, work was recommenced with the date of completion of the towers fixed as January 14, 1920. All work, with the exception of paint- ing, which was delayed on account of rain, was completed on December 1, 1919, 44 days ahead of contract time. Figure 7 is a view of the completed project. Camp and personnel notes. — The actual camp construction work was under- taken, all preliminary work and 25 per cent of steel erection completed prior to December, 1918, by enlisted personnel of the regular and reserve forces of the Navy. It is believed that never before has a project of such magnitude and unusual chai'acter been undertaken by any naval service, and the rapidity with which the work progressed and the excellent character of the work done remain a testimonial to the marked efficiency which the United States Navy had developed prior to the close of the Great War. When work was recommenced after the conclusion of the war, it was considered an injustice to the enlisted personnel of the Navy to expect it to continue the work at the enlisted rate of pay, especially as the military necessity for the station no longer remained, and, accordingly, the Navy Department let the completion of the work by contract to the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co. By the conditions of its contract the Navy Department furnished everything necessary for the work with the excep- tion of labor. This included transportation of employees to and from France, food and housing for employees, office space, and all equipment and material. It is interesting to note the accommodations furnished the workmen. Owing to the isolated location of the station and the belief that contentment spells efliciency, every effort was made by the naval authorities to take care of the men properly. The results obtained may well serve as an example for others engaged in similar work in a foreign country. Space in the Navy standard portable barracks, which are light and airy, well ventilated, and easily heated in winter, was provided at the rate of 500 cubic feet per man. A substantial iron cot with good springs, mattress, four sheets, and two pillow cases was given each man. Foremen were assigned to separate barracks with double space. Superintendents aJid office force were quartered in officers' barracks. Two medical officers and one dental officer were provided and furnished their serv- ices to all without charge. A dry canteen where Navy standard shoes and clothing (uniforms excepted), candies, sweets, tobacco, soap, and other neces- sary articles might be bought, was run by the Government without profit. A branch post office where money orders might be purchased was established. Excellent me.sses for foremen and workmen were maintained and run by the Government without cost to the employees. The food served was the Navy standard ration somewhat altered to meet the requirements of steel workers. These messes were models of cleanliness and were up to date in every respect. They were run on the cafeteria system and all modern culinary apparatus was provided to insure success. When it is realized that 400 men were served three 'The succeeding paragraphs relative to the Croix d'Hins project have been abstracted, by permission, from an article by I.ieut. Commander D. Graham Copeland (C. E. C), U. S. N. (resigned), published in United States Naval Institute Proceedings for Decem- ber, 1920. WAR ACTIVITIF.S OF BUIIEAU OF YAKDS AND DOCKS. 377 ni I. I « «'. .., .^ « *.-«- - 378 WAR ACTIVITIKS OF lUTltl.AU OF YARDS AXD IXKIKS. Fig. 6. — Lafayetto Radio Station. .Tower fnotiiiu:s a« dcsic'iiort i.v i ic engineei'si. I,at:l.\<'ttc l;;latt(M\y-ov('i-lianl Imililiii!^', Sulinmriiic T.nsc, Now TiOndoii, Cotih. Industrial group, Subinnrino r.nsc. Now T.oikIdu. Conn. 388 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Torpodo shop, Submarine Base, New liOiiiIou, Conn. Shore accoiniiKidations lor suhnuinno crews, 8uuinariiie itaso, .New J.uinKin. (^diiii. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUIIEAU OF YARDS AND DOCl^S. 389 Typical barracks for 500 men. Submarine Base, New London, Conn. OHicers' quarters, Submarine Base, New London, Conn. 390 . NAYY ACTIVITIES BUREAU OE YARDS AND DOCKS. marines on each side. This pier was of the filled-in tj'pe, and had a depth of water of 30 feet on either side. Ek^-tric current, fresh water, and other services were obtained from the yard supply. Wesf coast. — The Commission on Xavy Yards and Naval Stations, of which Rear Admiral J. M. Helm. U. S. N., was senior member, reported on January 3. lOlT. that this commission liad investigated the west coast of the United States, and that the followino- sites were recommended for submarine bases: Ediz Hook, near Port Angeles, Wash. Tongue Point, near Astoria, Oreg. Los Angeles. Calif. (San Pedro). Additional facilities at the Puget Sound and Mare Island navy 3'ards were recommended, but the Puget Sound undertaking was later abandoned. Appropriations were obtained only in the last naval biir(1920) for the initial development of Tongue Point. Mare Island. — A beginning was made on the ISIare Island base in the latter part of 1917, comprising an L-shaped pier with a storage- battery charging and repair station located at the inshore end. This station being situated on tule-lands necessitated the use of pile foundations, and also the construction of a trestle for carrying the roadway and railroad tracks from the submarine base to the yard projDer. All facilities for service were connected to the main yard sj'Stems and all repair work was done in the yard shops. Hampton Roads. — When the naval operating base at Hampton Roads was first conceived a section was devoted to submarine-base activities. This section was laid out at the extreme northeast corner of the property and sufficient land was reserved immediately inshore from the north and west boundary lines for the development of the submarine base to accommodate 20 boats. The base as laid out consisted of an inclosed basin approximately 1.100 feet wide by 1,200 feet long, with a dredged depth of 25 feet at mean low water. The inclosing structures consisted of a creosoted sheet-pile platform bulkhead on the north and west sides, served by railroad tracks, and a pier 1,300 feet long by 120 feet wide, with a sheet-pile bulkhead on the basin side for protection against wave action from the southwest. An opening was left at the extreme northwest corner, 150 feet wide, for ingress and egress of submarines and destroyers. Ten finger-piers, 33Q feet long by 18 feet wide, with a clear distance between of 75 feet were constructed at right angles to the bulkhead, the spacing of 75 feet being adopted upon the recom- mendation of Operations that submarines be not double banked. The original design called for dolphins, four in number, to be placed in the center of each slip so tliat there would be no ])ossibility WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 391 m Scaplaiip view of Siil)iiiaviiie Bai^e and Air Staticm, Coco Solo, C. Z. s jHlin''iilSSilSSS3!»!S8iis;;i!!!:^ii -.4 H«aiifiH»«^3«^8^ ■™5l T.vi>i('nl tropical barracks for 200 men, Submarine Baso, Coco Solo. C. Z. 392 ^VA^. activitiks of buiikai' of vaud^ and docks. Executive officer's quarters, Sulunarinp Base, Coco noio. (_■. Z. Construction of ijier at i-uUi ui -ubmarine ba.-iu. Nav.il ( »iifr:i(iiig W:^--,. Hampton Roads, Va. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 393 of siil)niarines coming in contact with each other. These dolphins were later omitted, so that in case of necessity an additional sub- marine could be berthed between the boats lying at the piers. The inclosing bulkheads and pier were designed for the accom- modation of destroyers. All of the piers are equipped with railroad tracks and are designed for carrying a 15-ton standard locomotive crane. They are of timber construction on creosotecl piles, and are built at an elevation of 10 feet above mean low water. The shore structures consist of a torpedo-storage and administra- tion building, battery storage, a machine shop, a storehouse, a boiler house, a subcharging and compressor station, and two compressor buildings. All of these buildings are of permanent construction, and are interconnected by a railroad track system, which tracks, running parallel with the water front, connect the submarine base to the main station. The entire shore plant is constructed on made land, and in the early stages of construction it was necessarj^ to build a corduroj^ road from the main base to the submarine base for the transportation of construction material. Sufficient space was left immediately east of the buildings enmnerated above for future ex- tension of industrial activities. There has been laid out a housing development, consisting of bar- racks buildings and mess hall for crews, and quarters for bachelor and married officers. The construction of these, however, has not been undertaken up to the present time, accommodations for sub- marine crews having been constructed in the form of temporary wooden barracks buildings fronting on the bulkhead along the ex- treme northern boundary line of the station. By berthing submarines three to a slip the capacity of the base can be increased by 11, making a total berthing capacity at the piers of 31. This can be increased to a still greater capacity by berthing submarines at the inclosing bulkheads and on the inside of the 120- foot pier. The weather conditions in Hampton Roads made it absolutely nec- essary to provide an inclosed basin, and even with the protection af- forded by the inclosing bulkheads, the basin in extremely rough weather is chopped to such an extent that submarines do not lie as quietly at the piers as is desirable. Kexj ^Vest. — The Commission on Navy Yards and Naval Stations, in their report on the south coast of the United States, recommended that a submarine, destroyer, and small-boat base be established at Key West. Work at this point is now in course of construction, consisting of piers and breakwater for berthing submarines. This project was not actualW inaugurated, however, until after the armistice. 394 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. It will be seen from the foregoing that the undertaking of caring for submarines and their crews has grown from a very small be- ginning, in 1915, to an elaborate program now existing and planned for the near future. The activities of the past Avar have shoAvn that the submarine arm of the naval service is one that must be kept to its maximum efficiency, and the keeping of the morale of the crews at a high level makes necessary the provision of recreational and housing facilities ashore, so that they ma}' have facilities for relaxa- tion from their strenuous duties while engaged in submarine service. CHAPTER XVIII. SHORE FACILITIES FOR AVIATION. Fixed land bases for naval aviation, so far as concerns the United States, had their beginning at Pensacola, Fla., in 1914. Early in 1913 the first mobile naval aviation camp had been established at Annapolis. During the same winter a second camp was inaugurated at Guantanamo, Cul)a. In those days and for some time beyond, aviation camps were essentially different in character from the naval air stations of to-day. Then a few portable tents, a good beach, and a sheltered body of water, usually with the cooperation of a naval vessel specially detailed, comprised the entire equipment. Two or three planes, with a makeshift machine shop, made up the materiel, and an instructor, a student or two. and a couple of jiie- chanics formed the personnel. It is perhaps not generally understood that as late as 1917 all plans revolving about the central idea of sea flights as distinguished from those over land were necessarily premised on the use of war- ships as mother vessels. It was the accepted notion that the useful- ness of aeroplane flights over water, so far as they related to naval possibilities, was limited by the extent to which they could cooperate and keep in contact with the units of the fleet. During the active operations of seaplanes in the theater of war this original tiieory was very largely modified. Motor improvements, amplification of effective radius of operation due to increased fuel capacity, and the satisfactory construction of comparatively seaworthy hulls had not a little to do with this variation of the initial concept of seaplane usefulness.^ This change of view, whether or not destined now to be final, had an immediate bearing on the activities of the Bureau of Yards and Docks from the outset of American participation in the war. In April, 1917. the only naval air station in the country was that at Pensacola. Its facilities, though efficient, were limited, consisting of three seaplane hangars of steel construction, a brick structure used as a hangar, an airship shed mounted on a barge (capable of accommodating a small type of nonrigid craft), and a few service buildings. 1 The foregoing is abstracted at large from article " Naval Aviation," by Ensign Thos. F. Woods, U. S. N. R. F., in Army and Navy Register of May 31, 1919. 395 396 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. WAR CONSTRUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. Original 'patrol stations. — Upon the declaration of war the possi- bility of submarine depredations and the effectiveness of air patrols as a protective measure led to conferences looking to the immediate es- tablishment of air-patrol stations at strategic points, particualrly on the Atlantic coast. Prior to this time a program of construction to accommodate lighter-than-air craft had been formulated, and this took definite shape with the placing of a contract, dated April 18, 1917, for the fabrication of the steelwork for eight airship hangars and the erection of seven of the same at points to be designated. The di- mensions of these early hangars were approximatel}- : Length, 250 feet ; breadth at ground, 133 feet ; overhead clearance, 66 feet. They were designed on the three-hinged arch piinciple, with 12 arch ribs for each completed hangar. Contract for the two-leaved doors was let separately. Steelwork for the structures proper averaged about 320 tons each, and for the doors approximately 50 tons. Payment was made on tonnage erected, and the final cost under both contracts was in the neighborhood of $375,000, exclusive of foundations and covering. With the above work under way, development of plans and award- ing of contracts for the projected coastal air stations was under- taken in the earliest days of American hostilities. A typical instal- lation was decided upon and contracts were let on the cost-plus basis for the purpose of gaining the speediest possible completion, costs to be defrayed from the appropriation "Aviation, Navy," of August 29, 1916, amounting to $3,500,000. One of the dirigible hangars already being fabricated was intended as an element of each patrol station. The new stations developed will be described in a general way, following the chronological order of their establishment. Montauk, Bay Shore, and Tvockaway Beach, distributed along the southern shore of Long Island, were chosen as sites under the first con- tract awarded. This contract was signed on June 14, 1917, and flying patrols were being operated from Montauk and Eockaway early in the autumn of that year. The following facilities were provided at each of these two bases: 1 dirigible hangar, as previously mentioned; 1 steel- framed seaplane hangar; 1 shelter for hydrogen-generating plant ; 1 shop ; 1 storehouse ; 1 truck shed and power house ; 1 pier and boathouse; 1 seaplane pier; 1 officers' quarters; 2 men's quarters; 1 mess and recreation building; and all necessary accessory structures, together with requisite roads, water supply, sewerage, drainage, grad- ing, heating, lighting, and other services necessary to utility and habitability. Thus all needs of personnel and plant operation, so far as could be foreseen, had to be taken care of at the outset, although at WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 397 398 ^VAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. WAR ACT1VITIK8 OF BUHKAT i)V YAIIDS AXD DOCKr 399 ;7022— -:i -20 400 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. '1 i i '^IB B^HL^pil^ ! i WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 401 first sight nothing woukl appear simpler than the mere proposition of setting up a seaplane hangar and an airsliip shed. The work at Bay Shore was executed to the same specification as the foregoing, with the omission of the airship hangar and hydrogen facilities. A further contract, dated September 28, 1917, was awarded for the construction of a timber seaplane hangar at Bay Shore, at a cost of $13,000. This structure, built to house three planes, was the earliest hangar of its type erected by the bureau, the roof span being carried on wooden trusses instead of steel. This departure was an emergency measure due to the increasing shortage of steel as the war progressed, and was utilized in naval aviation construction abroad in a standardized form. Plan of Naval Air Station, Coco Solo, C. Z. At Cape May, N. J., a coastal air station was built under a contract dated August 16, 1917. This contract was completed early in 1918 at a cost of approximately $500,000, and provided facilities similar in all respects to those at Montauk and Eockaway, one of the steel dirigible hangars aforementioned being located at this point. Key West, under a similar contract, followed on August 24, 1917 ; Chatham, Mass., on September 8; Hampton Eoads at about the same time, being allotted one of the steel dirigible hangars, runways, and four wooden seaplane hangars. The coastal stations at Coco Solo, Canal Zone, and San Diego, Calif., complete the list of the first eight patrol bases contemplated as a war measure. The construction of the station at Chatham, on Cape Cod, presented some major difficulties which are worthy of mention. In the first place, the work was performed during the winter months of 1917-18, 402 WAi; ACTIVITIES OF Bl'RKAU OF VAHDS A^'D DOCKS. and the winter Avill long be remembered as a particubirly severe one. Again, the site of the station was 5 miles distant from the nearest freight station (Chatham), and the roads were in very poor condition for hauling the heavj' steel sections for the hangar and the other build- ing materials. There was no local labor to speak of. necessitating the importation and housing of the workmen. Another difficidty en- countered was the total absence of a suitable Avater supply on the premises, the Avater having a hardness content of nearly 75. The uells which had been driven Avere abandoned and a pipe line was run to a lake some 10,000 feet away. An elaborate and expensive sewage system had to be designed and installed because the State board of health would not permit the emptAdng of raw sewage into the surrounding Avaters for fear of pol- luting the oyster beds AA'hich completely surround the station. Septic and dosing tanks Avere constructed Avith an automatic siphon to dis- charge the effluent to a sand filter bed. It Avas further necessary to make these filter beds of the subsurface type because of their prox- imity to the buildings, this being necessitated by the topography of the land and the nature of the soil. The firm of Metcalf & Eddy, Bos- ton, sanitary engineers, Avere consulted in the matter and approved of the designs of the civil engineer officer in charge. The contract covering this operation Avas of the '' cost-plus *' variety and required that the contractor furnish detailed designs for all the services, such as seAvage disposal, heating, and Avater supply. The con- tractor had no organization equipped to do this, and in order to <^et the job done at all the civil engineer officer had to do practically all the designing himself. The scheme of iniproAements originally phumcd for the coastal air stations Avould have entailed an expenditure, according to bureau estimates, of ap])roximately $:5()0.0(K) each. The first contracts exe- cuted, hoAve\"er. largely overran this figure, and the naval aviation program (ontinually expanded Avitli the ])r<)gress of the Avork. Com- plete new stations Avere called for at various i)oints during lOlS. and the first surA'ey of the situation became a nieie detail of a tenfold greater development. >Vs illustrating the increase of demands for land facilities, it may be noted that the single station at San Diego has cost more than the amount estimated for the original eight; instead of I'JO men as origi- nally contemjjlated. facilities Avere })rovided for as many as 1.200 men at individual .stations; and instead of one small hangar there Avere placed as numy as 15 units of a consideiably larger tyjie. Supp7e?)U'nfor}/ ju/trol and ti'(iininAv.ii-.: 406 WAII ACTlViriKS OF IJUKKAU OF YAKDS AXU DOCKS. Sonpl.-inc li:iii;;:i Is. ll.-niiiMnii KuriiN, \ :i. : en: \c 1 ni^s, . i',-i|i. M.iy. N. J,: ciirvc-i ini.'^s-. sliding-door type. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 407 The work executed by the Bureau of Yards and Docks under this order proceeded at high speed, a standardized instaHation of portable buikUngs having been developed for such uses both at home and abroad. Material requirements were taken care of by requisition, and the formalities of a public-works contract were dispensed with. The structures required were 20 buildings for barracks and officers" quarters, 6 seaplane hangars, 3 kite-balloon hangars, a pier, a heating and power plant, 3 storehouses 60 by 40 feet, 2 storehouses 20 by TO feet, 2 administration buildings, one shop 20 by 110 feet, a mess hall for 600 men, a garage, oil storehouse, dispensary, concrete landiuix platform, timber seaplane ruuAvay, roads, sewers, etc. On November 13, 1918, two days after the armistice and less than six weeks after the inception of the project, Lieut. 11. L. Pettigrew, the public works officer, was able to make the report to the bureau from which the following paragraph is extracted : Five buildings are now complete except for The electric wiriuL'. Ten more are complete except for the roofing, which is being rapidly juit on. Foundation posts are in for 12 more. The tloors and foundations have been poured for the three 60 by 40 foot storehouses, and concreting was started to-day on the platform in front of the hangars. After conference with the conunanding ofhcer several days ago it was decided to order six airplanes for delivery by December 1. A complete hangar will probably reach here by December S. in which event it will be erected by about December l.j. It is expected to stai't the runway into the water as fast as the material arrives. Very little construction work at Brunswick was done after the above date, and the station was closed and property liquidated a year later. Returning to the subject of expansions effected at the patrol sta- tions subsequent to their establishment, only a few salient details need be presented. From an original estimated personnel of approxi- mately 1.000, the home naval aviation force, active or in training, which had to be housed, rose to 15,000, as many as 5,000 men being quartered at Pensacola at one time during the war. The Montauk station comprised 49 separate buildings at the time of the armistice, and construction expenditures at that place had reached approxi- mately $1,500,000 instead of the $300,000 originally estimated. At Cape May, Key West, and elsewhere the same conditions were essen- tially repeated. The character of improvements effected at Chatham. Montauk, Rockaway, Bay Shore, Cape May, Anacostia. Hampton Roads, Miami. Key West, and Coco Solo can be inferred from a gen- eral summary of facilities placed. Xot every class of building here mentioned would be found at each station; still, the distribution of the following structures was quite general : Hangars, carpenter shops, machine shops, dope and paint shops, storehouses, beaches and piers, marine railways, boathouses, observation toAvers, motor test stands, oil-storage and reclaiming plants, gasoline storage, garages, fences, gas holders, hydrogen generator plants, fabiic storeliouses and shops. 408 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. cylinder storehouses, laboratory and compressor buildings, blower houses, administration buildings, barracks, mess halls, officers' quar- ters, photograi^hic laboratories, guardhouses, dispensaries, etc. Serv- ices supplied included roads, walks, sewers, heating, lighting, water, and telephones. Cost. — It may be mentioned at this poirt that the cost of the naval aviation shore-construction program grew, before the end of the war, Details of seaplane-hangar framing, straight-truss, 75-foot span. Elevation of standard curve truss, 112-foot span, for seaplane hangar. Elevation of standard 151-foot seaplane hangar. from the $2,400,000 originally estimated to more than $30,000,000, at home and abroad. Stations closed since the war. — Further construction was suspended at the following stations after the armistice, and the stations have been closed : Montauk, L. I. Bay Shore, L. I. Marginal Parkway, N. Y. Morehead C;ty, N. C. Brunswick, Ga. Miiimi, Fla. Marine flying field, Miami, Fla. Key West, Fla. Akron, Ohio. Galveston, Tex. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 409 i>*C-. hanyar. Cape May, N. -I. Kite-balloon hungar, Hampton Roads, Va. 410 \\'.\n ACTIVITIKS OF Bl'IlK-Vr OF YAKDS A^"I) DOCIx'S I'.arraiks ami iiioss-hall. Naval Air Station. Hampton Roads. Ya. -- jKH'F>^ r.arraclvs and nie.ss-hall, Naval .\ir Station, llanipton Roads, Va. ; viow of court. t i-i i \ ^^^ ./4 |Bg^ ^21- ^^^^'^ ^^1^ I" 1 """■ W^ ■^^ ^ 1^ ., UJ i ■ pi 1 ■. '!;-#<'>^^i9«t'- ■^PTr?'-^'^- T • „r y : ■.yyt.-,^^ *\ .. r.arracks for 200 men. Naval Air Station, Capo May. N, .T WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXI) DOCKS. 4H Jiest stations at all points were closed. Schools were closed as follows : Santa Itosa, Fki. Seattle, Wash. Cliarlo.ston. S. C. Cambridge, IVFass. Dunwooily Institute, Minneapolis. Pennanent training stations. — Two stations have been reserved per- manently for the training of naval aviators located at the points judged most favorable from climatic and other viewpoints — Pen- sacola, Fla., serving the eastern seaboard, and San Diego serving the west. The greater part of the Avork at the latter station is a post-war development, but the installations at both places will be briefly de- scribed as indicating the present-day conception of proper training facilities for the Navy's flyers. The Pensacola air station, as previously stated, accommodated ap- proximately 5.000 men at the height of its activity, more than 150 sea- planes having been in use there for training purposes. The peace-time complement of the station is now placed at 2,000 men. Practically all of the " emergency " construction at Pensacola is still available for use under proper maintenance, being of semipermanent type. In ap- pearance the buildings make no architectural pretension, but their pur- pose has, in general, been satisfactorily served both during and since the war. The Pensacola naval station was established as long ago as 1828, but for many years had remained in a state of suspended activity. The advent of aviation has now displaced practically all other operations at this yard, existing buildings having been adapted to aviation needs and many new ones built. As the station now stands there are 11 large seaplane hangars of multiple-unit construction, and 8 smaller ones, all provided Avith suitable piers and concrete beaches. East of these hangars are located the seaplane erecting shop with its extension, a machine shop, and a hirge wet-basin leading in to the boat shed. Xext to the basin stands the 200-foot steel observation tower. The eastern water front is served with quays, a 600-foot pier, and a sea wall. Within the old station wall are placed 80 or more buildings serving the various needs of the establishment, su.ch as four large mess halls. l)ar racks, a bakery, schools, storehouses and shops of all kinds, offices, a hydrogen plant, laundry, recreation buildings, gymnasium, officers- quarters, etc. To the north of this section is located the airship field with its two hangars and storehouse, and a commodious drill ground. The station as a whole, though developed under great pressure, is well arranged for its recjuirements, and the facilities and climatic conditions to be found there make it the logical center for naval avia- tion traininof on the east coast. 412 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. At San Diego, Calif., the air station has been developed as a feature of the program which is to make this cit}^ a base for every phase of naval training and operations. Construction at all points on San Diego Bay is being executed in permanent materials and to a unified architectural style. The air station is located on the north point of North Island, within the bay. Its permanent facilities represent largely a post- war development, though plans were prepared and the first large contract was let several months before the armistice. Accommodations are now provided for 1.000 student aviators and 50 officers, with hangar and shop facilities for 20 or more seaplanes, 1 airship, and 2 kite-balloons. The plans for the station as a whole are practically realized, and the architectural finish and arrangement of the group are most satisfactory. Roads, grounds, and services are complete, and the only contract now under way is to provide three supplementary hangars and an aeronautical storehouse. The station map inserted will give an idea of the symmetry and compactness of the layout, permanent construction being represented by the shaded areas. Quarters, shops, and administration buildings are rendered in the Mission style, as the purpose has been to make all the naval establishments at San Diego conserve the ends of taste as well as of utility. The type of construction at the air station is illustrated by the specification requirements for the administration building. This structure of two stories and 125-foot entrance tower is 345 feet long over all, with a general width of 40 feet and a maximum of 83 feet through its pavilions. Its structural framework is of reinforced concrete; the exterior walls are of hollow terra-cotta tile or concrete, with cast-stone sill work and trim ; an effective use of red tile roofing is made ; the interior walls are of hollow terra-cotta tile ; sheet-metal work is of copper: floors are of composition or terrazzo finish; doors and sash are of steel ; stairways and balustrades are of plain and or- namental iron or steel; exterior finish over all, buff-colored stucco, troweled in an irregular wavy pattern to simulate the weathered effect of local specimens of Spanish Mission architecture. From the above description, which is typical of the whole station, it may be observed that the following principles of construction have governed: (1) Permanence, (2) fire-resistance, (3) utility, (4) archi- tectural harmony, and (5) the greatest practicable measure of economy. The station, whose general effect can be described as imposing, if not magnificent, has been attained at a total outlay, for both tempo- rary and permanent construction, of approximately $2,500,000. Naval aircraft factory, Philadelphia. — This brief resume of naval aviation shore construction in the United States would be incomplete WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 413 Seaplane view of Naval Air Station, Pensncola. Fla. • ^jH^^^ ^^^ ^S^ ^ ^ .II"' i^S^ \/ \ y ^ y - ^m \ / v^^ k-j*'- I w \, Mm i\ ■ i /^Si i ^ ■^ r:v '\\^^' ■ ■ ' ' ; ;^ \^- m 1 ^ : Jl-.. -■ 1 11 aaa^^ I..--;-. - - 1 *'*iiT* -' ' - •- - ^ ■■>.; j>^^^l f'^ r??*f^ ^i,«li--aS«-'~4<'/'ittl' fX---.- : Typical dirigible hangar, San Diego, Calif. 414 MAi: ACTIVITIKS OF Bl'KKAl" UV YAltHS AND DOCKS WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS, 415 ill I imt^ 'Is. * 11 11^ i! II li; If ' Administration building, Naval Air Station, San Luegu, Calif. Seaplane hangar. Naval Air Station, San Diego, Calif. 37022—21 27 416 WAIl ACTIVITIES OF BUUEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. Commanding oflScer's quarters, Naval Air Station, San Diego, Calif. { 'iriiiliiiiiu ll,]l II IL 11 III 11 J »i! I ^ mil lit ollicers' quarters, N:i\al Air Stalioii, D;iii 1 mi -m, Calif. Barracks No. 2, Naval Air Station, San Diego, Calif. XAVY ACTIVITIES BUREAU OF YARDS AX)> DOCKS. 417 Avithout mention of tlie aircraft factory at the Philadelphia navy yard, constituting, in all its aspects, one of the most surprising per- formances of the war. The general principles underlying naval exi)erimentation and man- ufacturing governed in tlie installation of this plant, and its con- struction Avas pushed as an emergency undertaking of the war pro- gram. The original contract of $1,000,000 was let on August 4, 1917. and the whole structure — steel, glass, and maple floors — was com- pleted on the 28th of November, 87 days later. Its immediately suc- cessful operation prompted a call for great extensions, and the final completion of the project, w^ell ahead of the armistice, involved the expenditure of funds in the amount of nearly $4,000,000. The buildings provided are of great size and excellent construc- tion. The group includes the original factory proper, 400 feet square, an assembly building 1,080 feet long with an average width of 300 feet, a six-story reinforced-concrete storehouse, a large ad- ministration office building, an independent power plant, a dry kiln, heated lumber storage, an aircraft storehouse, and a garage. The plant is completely equipped with motors and .handling apparatus, and a humidifying system permitting absolute control of tempera- ture and humidity is installed. The floor space devoted to manufac- turing during the war was 900,000 square feet, or more than 20 acres. The number of employees rose to a maximum of 4,000. On this basis the annual capacity of the factory is very large though impossible to state in terms of units produced — the question being analogous to that of the annual output of a navy j'ard along any other line. Re- pairs and overhaul constitute a large factor in the plant's activities at all times. It may be stated, however, that the aircraft factory was designed for a theoretical output of 1,000 F-boats per year, or a considerably larger number of a smaller type, which capacity would be quite practicable under the pressure of an emergency. WAR CONSTRUCTION ABROAD.^ The first occasion for direct activities on the part of the Bureau of Yards and Docks in Europe during the World War was in connec- tion with aviation. Protection of ships at the entrances to the har- bors and near the shore in general was found to be of great impor- tance, and it was decided to make full use of aircraft for that "pur- pose. Preliminary examinations were made and a number of stations were selected on the French and Irish coasts during the summer of 'Contributed by Commander E. II. Brownell (C. E. C), T. S. X. 418 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 1917. The Bureau of Yards and Docks began the providing of ma- terials for building and for public-works construction at these sta- tions, the most conspicuous items being in portable houses and other buildings and in the materials for hangars for aircraft. In Novem- ber, 1917, the first public works officers went over, and from that time to the signing of the armistice the personnel expanded in num- bers and construction proceeded rapidly. The stations first handled and as listed up to March, 1918, consisted of the following : List of United States naval air stations (foreign service). Location. Type. Location. Type. Ireland: France— Cont'd. Lough Foyle.. Seaplane. Brest Kite-balloon. Lough SwiUy . W h i d d y Is- Kite-baUoon. Guipavas Dirigible. Seaplane. IleTudy Seaplane. land. La Trinite Kite-balloon. Berehaven Ivite-balloon. Le Croisic Seaplane. Queenstown . . Repair base and seaplane. Paimboeuf — Dirigible. Wexfoid Seaplane. Fromentine . . . Seaplane. England: La Pallice Kite-balloon. Killinghobne.. Do. Rochef ort Dirigible. France: Saint Trojan.. Seaplane. Dunkerque Do. Pauillac Repair base. Treguier Do. Gujan Dirigible. L'Abervrach.. Do. Arcachon Seaplane. Brest Do. Moutchic Seaplane school. Later expansion included the following stations : Location. Type. Location. Type. England: Eastleigh France: Autingues Campagne Day Wing Le Frene Assembly and repair base, northern bombing group. General headquarters, north- ern bombing group. Seaplane. Headquarters. Seaplane. France— Con td. Oye Seaplane. Do. Do. Do. Do. Projected mine base. ! St. Ingleveit.. Italy: LakeBolsena . Pescara Porto Corsini. . Tunis: Bizerta Construction at each of the above stations included the necessary buildings for administration, officers' and enlisted men's barracks, storehouses, latrines, mess houses, repair shops, dispensaries, garages, and recreation rooms ; excepting only where existing buildings were available for those purposes. Reference is here made to the table inserted, giving particulars of all work performed abroad by officers of the Corps of Civil En- gineers attached to the naval aviation forces. This table is extracted from the comprehensive statistical report of Lieut. Commander D. Graham Copeland (C. E. C), U. S. N. (resiirned.X WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 419 ooooooooo ^^cco— «c^ 1-H .-« ^-^ .^ » O r* OO oc ^ 04 I^ 00 O O C :* »o c*o lo CO -^ c ;C5— * M'rceOrrOO ooooooocooooooc^o;c^co«-i ■^-rOCO-— '■"-rOCOTTOOClOOOcOi— lO •— icOt-HOOOO^-HiO-^COiOO". 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Tl< OC^O OCM co'oo" OQOOOO t^oOQOCDO 00 Oi O CO CM l^ Co'"co''cM~Co'"'fl<" -hOOCOO o CD ■* -^ CiO O IM -i; -. CD -< O inooooooiNcoooocMcpi-coi: 0500»0'*0'^CD»OOOTt. tfil 5 r7j t- • • J i. c ?-. -»< ira CI -^ ^ CO 00 CI -H _^ , C3 [-1 o ft • o *^ . to . rl 60 ; £ "C" frcrr^nxrrmyx D 1 5 ? I « ) * L 1 tec 200 ml f«!oir«i'Viomi' jiPfN- /7j?w/ /i'/a oT/jTions ^OHO/ID PozT^DLt :>[.CTion/ii. mtDirroi- ^/V ■•■Vj m ' '//e747fO. Types of standard portable buildings for United States Naval Air Stations abroad. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 425 All of the other French stations were located on the coast extend- ing from the Brittany peninsula to the latitude of Bordeaux. The Brest station was contiguous with the French navy yard. Treguier, L'Abervrach, He Tudy, La Trinite, and Le Croisic are on the Brittany coast, Guipavas is 2 or 3 miles inland from Brest. Mout- chic was located on a lake and was used exclusively as a school. A great deal of work was done by the station forces, using prin- cipally materials sent from the United States. Considerable work, however, was done by local contractors. This was particularly the case in the Irish stations and at the French stations of Brest, Arca- chon, and Moutchic. Both French and English construction showed a tendency to more permanent work than American engineers would undertake for war emergencies, both in the buildings and in the ground layout, including shore protection, runways, etc. This was partly accounted for by the great dearth of lumber. It seemed best in most cases to let these contractors follow their own methods, so long as results were accomplished. Considerable construction already in place was turned over to our forces. Treguier station was in active operation before we took it over, as was the dirigible station Paimboeuf. At L'Abervrach, La Trinite, Fromentine, and Arcachon we made a fresh start. Other stations were intermediate in condition between these extremes. In both France and England, naval public works are administered by civilians detailed from another department of the Government in- stead of by a special corps of civil engineers as in the United States Navy. This occasioned some uncertainty and delay. Strictly speak- ing, a request from a United States officer had to pass through a French or English officer to a civilian official, each of these being either a district representative, or possibly at headquarters in Paris or London, and thence to the local official of public works, and so to the contractor. Of course, we cut across this circuit to a great extent, and took matters up directly with the parties who were to execute them. There were some peculiar classes of workmen on the grounds; there may be noted particularly enlisted Kabyles, of the French Army, from Northern Africa, German prisoners, and at one of the fuel-oil stations a gang of Bulgarian deserters. The Kabyles at an airplane station at one time refused work. Their commanding officer settled this ; to use his own words, " I did not give them anything to eat"; they returned to work. On another occasion the same outfit struck or mutinied. It was reported that tlj^ir officer drove the ring- leaders into a building with a shotgun, and so ended that difficulty. The liaison features at headquaiters were interesting, being lo- cated in London in the old buildings of the Admiralty, and in Paris in the building which duplicates the Hotel Crillon, and with 426 ^VAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. it looks out on the Place de la Concorde, exactly as it did on the dayof the execution of Louis XVI. There interviews were had with le Capitaine de Fregate Gerspach and the two Lieutenants de Vais- seau L'Escaille and Thierry. M. Minard, with the title of Ingenieur en Chef des Fonts et Chaussees, but '' servicant aux travaux hydrau- liques," was in a building close to the Eiffel Tower. His colleague. M. Mallat, with the same title, was in charge of public works at Brest, his office being in an ancient building of the navy yard. All this, along w^ith the solid construction usually employed, gave an impression of Old World conservatism, but in so far as could be judged, results were promptly accomplished and usually in the best way practicable under the difficult circumstances of the war. For one item, the variety of designs for dirigible hangars adopted and actually used by M. Minard was particularly impressive; they em- bodied ever}" means available. The most active coadjutor for the Irish station (Aghada) was Lieut. Mulville, who in private life was a civilian engineer of South American and other experience. At London headquarters also some of the officers concerned in public-works construction were reserve officers who in civil life were civil engineers. [Certain facts abstracted at this point from the report of Lieut. Commander Copeland present phases of the activities of the aviation construction forces abroad in a graphic manner.] The task set the Corps of Civil Engineers abroad in providing for naval aviation was, roundly, that of establishing all proper quarters and facilities for the operations of 20,962 officers and men in the Navy's flying forces, foreign service. This force was almost half as great as the Navy's total prewar strength and almost double the pre- war strength of the Marine Corps. Barracks aggregated 1,325,699 square feet; if joined end to end, they would extend a distance of 12 miles. If all piers and sea walls constructed and dredging done were combined, the total project would permit the docking and unloading of two ships of the magnitude of the Leviathan simultaneously. The total volume of concrete placed at all stations would form a bulk approximately equivalent to one of the pyramids of Egypt, that of Menkaura at Gizeh. Twenty-nine telephone exchanges were installed, and 1,323 miles of telephone line constructed. Twenty-eight j^ower houses were built, admitting of an output of energy equivalent to the demands of an average American city of 40,000 inhabitants. The total cubic contents of all structures erected and used would be represented by a box sufficient to contain the Woolworth Building ten times over. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 427 Frame dirigible hangar, United States Naval Air Station, Paimboeuf, France ; early construction view. \ H 1 [M Frame dirigible hangar, United States Naval Air Station. Paimboeuf, France; late construction view. 428 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 3, - * 1 ii ^ ^^^^ 1 11 HI Canvas dirigible hangar, United States Naval Air Stalion, raimboeuf, France. ' ^'^j^ji^^IbIb M IjK^^dH^^^HBj ^liijHi^^BHitt ■s ^\ '^^1 ^^^^H ^^^BHBP'^^ a ^. ^^^^^^^1 ^ ■Kll*^' -'J* ^ I^H^ ^^^^^^^^^B ■! s^ •....'c. P^ ^ t^m ? r- ^' 'mall^ii T.. "•a^SC^^^H ■■ ,iXV;,._ Igj^iBH Kj jj- ^ jH^^H ■j^^^HKHh^jI^^^^^^^^H Wr''^'^ Ii^hbSS MM I^H ni^KBi^^^^^l ^^^i^^^^H %■■■ -«^^v^ ^^*: '^ m I^^H ''■ ■■■:£>..-♦<•.■. %^,- *^ ■ *'*• ■'■ ^^ Seaplane view of United States Naval Air Station, Arcachon, France. WAK ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 429 Hospital facilities were provided for 3,000 patients. Water supplies with an aggregate yield of 153,000,000 gallons per year were developed. A steel tank of the total capacity of all tanks erected would encircle the Washington Monument. Such a tank set on a composite of all the steel towers built for water-supply purposes would form a structure twice as high as the Eiffel Tower. Covered storehouses were provided having an aggregate area ex- ceeding the prewar storage at the navy yards at New York, Phila- delphia, Charleston, and Puget Sound combined. If collected in one group, the hangars constructed would cover 40 city blocks. Aeroplane slipways constructed, if laid to a uniform width of 20 feet, would extend nearly 3 miles in length. On such a slipway 65 per cent of the German aeroplanes surrendered to the Allies could be easily drawn up for inspection. Tonnage transported by trucks on these construction projects abroad amounted to 162,000 ton-miles. Lumber used aggregated 21,834,000 board feet — equivalent to 4,12T miles of planking 1 foot wide. Stations in Brest and vicinity. — Having briefly surveyed the field of aviation construction abroad, the bureau is fortunate in being able next to present some first-hand details of construction as exe- cuted at Brest, He Tudy, L'Abervrach, Guipavas, and Treguier (see map), from the account of the civil engineer in direct charge of these operations, Lieut. C. P. Conrad. These aviation stations were con- structed in the vicinity of Brest as part of the French and Ameri- can naval air program of defense of the coast of France. The sites of the stations were chosen by a joint commission in the late summer of 1917, with the idea of dividing the territory about evenly between the two services. Brest was to be a combined H-16 seaplane and kite-balloon station, with a complement of 600 men. The ground chosen was a strip of made land 3,000 feet long, 250 to 300 feet wide, fronting on the inner harbor of Brest. When our first construction forces arrived in France in November, 1917, work was already under way at the Brest station under the supervision of the French civil engineers of the department of Travaux Hydraulques. They had prepared complete plans and had let contracts to French contractors for the construction of barracks, launching slips, and a wooden hangar. A force of 50 German prisoners and 100 Moroccan laborers were doing force-account work on roads and foundations at the time of our first inspection. All expenses incurred were charged to our account and were billed to us quarterly. The French Government charged us 20 per cent on all these accounts to cover their engineering and overhead expenses. Early construction work by our own forces was carried on in close coopera- tion with the French, and with the idea of completing the station as they had planned it, adding from our own material barracks and hangars to bnng its 37022—21 28 430 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. capacity up to our requirements. The United States naval forces had use for all their own material elsewhere on new projects, and we were glad to coimt on all the buildings that the French could pi'omise us at Brest. Our construction up until the receipt of materials from the United States in April, 1918, consisted of erecting temporary portable barracks and tents borrowed from all sources to house our rapidly growing complement, and of preparing foundations and floors for our seaplane hangars. Construction mate- rials and tools were almost unobtainable in the French market. Cement was imported from England. The sailors broke by hand all the rock for the first hangar foundations and floor. Our concrete miser obtained for the second hangar was an old continuous type that had been used in the construction of fortifications on the opposite side of the bay. A working party on a six-ton truck started after this mixer at 4 a. m. one Sunday, made the 150-mile round trip, and returned with it at 2 a. m. Monday niorn'ng. We bought the hand tools essential to our preliminary work from French hardware stores, but the stocks were depleted from three and a half years of war and the models were crude. Carpenters' hanmiers were rectangular blocks of steel. A request for claw hammers was met by the indignant protest of the merchant that good carpenters used pincers to pull nails. The sailors, most of whom had enlisted for aviation and were without con- struction experience, worked wonderfully well with their crude equipment. Barracks and tents for 300 men and complete foundations and floor for two bays of a seaplane hangar wei-e finished when the first shipload of hangar lumber, tools, and portable barracks arrived from Pauillac in the latter part of April, 1918. The erecting of the hangar started at once with two 8-hour shifts, because there were tools enough for only 75 men. In 15 days after the last load of lumber left the ship, the hangar, 93 by 214 feet, was completed. Meantime the work started by the French had made slow progress for lack of lumber. None of the barracks were completed, though half a dozen were started. The distribution of lumber had been placed under the war ministry, and the contractor could not get deliveries. No work had been done on the seaplane hangar, which was to have been completed February 1, 1918. Finally we gave up hope of seeing this work go forward and had all French contracts canceled on August 23, 1918. Three barracks had been completed, and we finished others with our own material. The hangar was not sufficiently ad- vanced to be of any use to us, and we substituted for it an additional hangar of the American design. After mid.summer, 1918, tools and construction materials came in i-apidly from the United States. It became necessary to assemble planes at Brest because they were received as deck loads on the troop transports and were too bulky to transfer by rail to Pauillac for assembly. This greatly increased the size of the station, the complement being raised from 600 to 800 men, and machine-shop and hangar space was provided for assembling work. The ma- chine shop. 100 by 30 feet with an L 30 by 30 feet, was constructed entirely of seaplane crates. The panels were used whole for the sides and roof. The posts, plates, and rafters were made of the frames of the crates. The walls were made two panels thick to satisfy the requirements of Assembly and Re- pair, who were very .skeptical regarding this type of construction. It proved entirely satisfactory. This unexpected source of lumber proved a great boon and all small structures not the size of standard portable sections were there- after built of seaplane crates. At the time of the armistice, Brest station had barracks space for 1,000 men, quarters for 50 officers and 75 chief petty officers, 3 wooden seaplane hangars WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. 431 Seaplane view of United States Naval Air Station, Guipavas, Franc- Dirigible hangar, United States Naval Air starimi, ( ,uii);i vn<. l-'rann 432 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. Seaplane view of porti. Air Station, Pauillac. France. Seaplane hangars, United States Naval Ah .Slaiiun, i'auillac, France. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 433 (93 by 214 feet each), a steel kite-balloon hangar (100 by 120 feet), and auxil- iary buildings such as galley, mess halls, storehouses, machine shops, garages, and offices to meet the needs of a station of this size. Construction stopped with the armistice and demobilization began. The Brest station was the only one of naval aviation's establishments taken over by the French Navy, although we had understood up to the armistice that several others were also wanted. Only the equipment was moved from the station, and the French were given formal possession on February 22, 1919. But it was September, 1919, before the minister of the navy approved this transfer and agreed on the financial terms, and it was December before the transfer received the approval of the naval appropriations committee of the Chamber of Deputies, an act necessary to make it legal. ILE TUDY. The construction of the seaplane station at He Tudy was also in the hands of the French at the time of our arrival. This station had been laid out on a much smaller scale than that at Brest. Quarters for 200 men were fitted out in the loft of a large stone building that had served as a sardine cannery. Two canvas hangars housed the French-built planes, and a track laid directly on the mud flat served for launching them. Substantial wooden buildings had been built for carpenter shop, machine shop, and aviation stores, and stone buildings for garages and oil storehouse. Fresh water was obtained from the village supply, which was brought through 13,000 feet of 3-iuch clay pipe from a small spring 14 feet above the station. It provided only a trickle at each end of the village, where the women stood in lines for hours to fill their pitchers. Our consumption was far beyond French standards, and increasing the water supply was the first work we iindertook here. All the ground water of the sandy spit on which the station was built is brackisli, a condition which necessitated our going 2 miles inland to dig a well. Water was hauled by truck from here and from a stream about 4 miles away. The village pipe line received only one-third of the flow of the spring, while a community laundry basin used by half a dozen families received two-thirds. The division was made in a locked stone weir chamber on a marquis's estate and the game warden could not be persuaded that military necessity was any cause for changing this century-old partition. Fortunately for us, the marquise came to her country estate earlier than usual that year to escape air raids in Paris, and granted the American Navy complete control of the spring, a conces- sion that through official channels could not have been obtained in less than three months. The increased spring flow and the water hauled in proved suffi- cient for what the French officers regarded as our extravagant use. He Tudy operated brilliantly with only French equipment, but gradually, as portable buildings and lumber were received from the United States under Yards and Docks orders, barracks, recreation hall, and dispensary were pro- vided for the men in place of the lofts in which they had slept with the carrier pigeons. One of. our wooden seaplane hangars, 214 by 93 feet, supplemented the French canvas ones, which were raised on 4-foot piers to accommodate HS-1 seaplanes. Concrete aprons and a concrete launching ways replaced the French track when the station began to operate with the heavier American seaplanes in September, 1918. At He Tudy the French completed the station as they ijlanued it, providing hangars, shop equipment, .-ind quarters .sufficient for the hare necessities of op- 434 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. oration. We enlarged the establishment to permit more efficient operation with heavier machines, and to provide a reasonable degree of comfort for the men. After the armistice, the French Navy having indicated that it had no use for this station, the portable buildings were knocked down and turned over to the United States Army, who had great need for them in building up the em- barkation camp near Brest. The wooden hangar was razed and transferred tG the Army as salvage lumber for tent floors, etc. The sardine cannery and the land were returned to their owners, who exacted no damages for our occu- pation. IVABERVRACII. The seaplane station I'Abervrach, about 20 miles north of Brest at the entrance to the English Channel, was located on a rocky island of 16 acres' area, three-quarters of a mile across the inlet from the village of that name. The island at low water was connected with the mainland on the opposite side of the inlet. No work was done on this station by the French, but they secured the site for us by condemnation and assisted with the preliminary surveys. Our first detachment of 40 men arrived on January 26, 1918. They were quartered in the village, as there was no shelter on the island, and went to and from work in fishing boats. A pier was constructed of loose stones, there being no means of access to the island. The stones were collected in carts that we hired locally through proclamation of our needs by the town crier. The carts were boxes set on two wheels. To dump them the horse was unhitched, allowing the shafts to fly up in the air. The drivers were women and children, there being some little fellows who did not look over 6 years old. These people spoke only Breton, a language entirely different from French, which made it impossible to arrange a schedule of work with them. They came and went without a word, receiving their pay from us through the mayor of their comnuine. Pier construction, road work, and grading for the hangars were carried on by working parties living in the village until March. The inlet was so rough on some days that boats could not reach the island. Tents were borrowed from the United States Army, and the detachment moved over to the island about the middle of March. Three French portable barracks were received and erected in April. Hangar lumber and American portable buildings were received from Pauillac in May. All this material was unloaded from the ship in Brest, hauled by truck a mile to the narrow-gauge station, there loaded at the rate of eight 10-ton cars a day, and hauled to I'Abervrach, four cars per train, in two trains per day, as this was the maximum capacity of the railroad. At I'Abervrach the material was unloaded fronr the cars and taken three-quarters of a mile across the inlet in 40 and 50 foot motor sailers, fishing boats, rafts, and on the one 10-ton. flat lighter in the harbor. The harbor was too small to receive any supply boats direct from Pauillac. Water could not be obtained on the island, and at first was carried from the village in gasoline drums. Four wells were dug on the mainland with which the island connected before sweet water was found. This supply was then piped 2,000 feet to the station across the tide flat. In August, 1918, the station was ready to operate, with one hangar 214 by 93 feet, concrete apron, launching ways down to mean tide, machine shop, office, barracks and mess for 300 men, quarters for 30 officers, and a usable pier. Construction continued until the armistice. The ways and the pier were lengthened, and grading for an additional hangar proceeded. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 435 After the armistice, as the French did not want the station, it was torn down, and all the salvaged building material was turned over to the United States Army for their camp construction near Brest. Within 24 hours after our men left the island the peasants from the surrounding country had carried ofC every splinter of wood and had completely torn down the out-door oven to get the fire-brick. The island was returned to its owners bare as before, but a valuation com- mission allowed them 26,000 francs damages. This sum was over three times the value of the land, but we found that 25.000 francs of it was for destruction of the fences. The 16 acres had been divided into 108 distinct parcels, each fenced witih a boundary work vai-ying fronr a single line of stones to a turf wall four feet high. These had been valued at the price of such fences on the mainland, where turf walls six feet high are used. The damages were reduced to 5,000 francs. GTJIPAVAS. The most interesting station of this group from a construction standpoint was the dirigible station at Guipavas. Erecting barracks and seaplane hangars was comparatively simple even with inexperienced sailors, and most of our difficulties at the seaplane stations lay in getting materials; but erecting the timber dirigible hangar with inexperienced men and the equipment available was an interesting task. The camp at Guipavas was started about the middle of March, 1918, as the French did not allow us to occupy the land until then. Working parties from the Brest air station erected a borrowed hospital barracks as galley and mess hall and 10 British " 10-men " tents that were really crowded for four men. The first detachment of 50 men arrived at 8 o'clock at night, separated from their hammocks and bedding. Four hundred yards of road was hastily built in to the hangar site just in time to receive the first shipload of lumber, April 3, on the U. S. S. Bella from Pauillac. The lumber was hauled by truck 7 miles from Brest to where the Bella docked. The only erecting equipment received with the lumber was two 60-foot gin poles ; so while the hangar site was being graded and the first foundations put in, we collected equipment. The French, on a similar hangar, assembled the trusses complete on the ground and erected them with a traveler that picked them up at five points. Even with this traveler they dropped four trusses and killed two men ; so it was evident that because of the limberness of the trusses we could not pick them up with two gin poles. The French contractor offered to rent us his equipment, but demanded a fabulous price and would not promise immediate delivery. Wire rope was obtained from the French navy yard and manila rope from the American naval base. Two steam winches for the gin-pole lines, together with the large blocks, were rented from a French machine shop, and an over- hauled tug boiler was bought from a French shipyard. The hand winch on the tower was borrowed from the French balloon station. This miscellaneous equipment operated satisfactorily all through the job. The assembled truss was laid on the ground with the hips opposite the foundation piers on which it was to be erected. Wire ropes passing over tHe top of each gin pole were fastened to the truss at these points, and a wire rope passing over the top of the tower was fastened to a stiffening stick lashed to the truss about 8 feet below the peak. 436 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YAEDS AND DOCKS. In raising the truss, the entire load was carried on the two gin poles, and the line from the tower was used only to keep the truss from bending unduly. While it was being raised, the foot of the truss was shoved forward on skids toward the pier. The first three trusses were held in position by guy lines until the tower bracing was placed. The trusses were assembled and raised at the rate of one a day. No faster method was sought, as the erecting went faster than we received material. The hardest part of the work was placing the purlins to connect the first trusses, as only half a dozen of the men had ever done any " high " work, and it took time to train others to work aloft. At the time of the armistice this hangar was practically complete. Corru- gated metal from the States was placed on the roof and a third of the way down the sides. Below that point the sides were covered with French asbestos shingles 2 feet square, a very light and easily placed covering. Rolling doors were provided at each end, though only the east one, giving access to the French landing field, was to be used at first. The wind-break around this door was practically complete. The successful prosecution of this work was due in large measure to the energy and resourcefulness of Carpenter Stuart B. Scruggs, who was in direct charge of the construction work at the station from the beginning until October, 1918. The French navy informed us after the armistice that they would like to retain only the hangar as part of their station. The camp buildings and all surplus lumber were sent to the United States Army at Brest, TREGUIEK. Little construction work was done by our forces at the seaplane station, Treguier, as this station had been operated by the Fi-ench since 1917, and was turned over to us complete in August, 1918. Additional barrack and mess accommodations and officers' quarters were constructed. A fresh water supply was piped in from a spring 3,000 feet away. The canvas hangars were modified to give the necessary headroom for our HS-1 planes, but no other changes of importance were made. After the armistice this station reverted to the French except for the barracks we had erected, which were transferred to the United States Army at Brest. CHAPTER XIX. UNITED STATES HELIUM-PRODUCTION PLANT, FORT WORTH, TEX. There was first observed in tlie spectrum of the sun's rays, in 1868. a line indicatiA-e of a previously unknown element, and thereupon attributed to a hypothetical element, which was called " helium." Helium was first identified as an actuality in 1895 by Lord Rayleigh and Sir William Ramsay, and was subsequently found to occur in the earth's atmosphere to the extent of 4 parts in 1,000,000, and in certain pools of natural gas in appreciable quantities. The use of helium as a buoyant agent in lighter-than-air craft was conceived by British scientists in the early stages of the war. Helium is adapted to such use by its chemically inert nature and its specific gravity, being lighter than any known substance except hydrogen. Because of the inflammability of hydrogen the advantage was obvi- ous of substituting for hydrogen as the buoyant agent in balloons and airships a gas which is noninflammable and at the same time has a high lifting power. Helium has about 92 per cent of the lifting power of hydrogen, and will retain balloon buoyancy longer than hydrogen because of its slower rate of diffusion with the elements of the atmosphere through the balloon fabric. The British, being unable to ascertain a feasible source of sujjply, soon after the United States entered the war requested American au- thorities to institute investigations along this line to determine the feasibility of obtaining helium from natural gas. The aircraft board on August 4, 1917, allotted to the Bureau of Mines $100,000, half each from the War and Navy Departments, for exploration and experimentation. As a result of a survey of gas fields by the Bureau of Mines, it was determined to exploit the Petrolia (Tex.) field, leased by the Lone Star Gas Co., for the extraction of helium from natural gas. Funds were allotted for experimental purposes, and three experi- mental plants were constructed and operated, at Fort Worth and Petrolia, Tex., based upon three different processes for the separa- tion of helium from natural gas. As a result of these experiments it was decided by the aircraft board to construct a helium-produc- tion plant utilizing the process developed by the Linde Air Prod- ucts Co., and funds were allotted equally by the War and Navy De- partments for this purpose. It was mutually agreed between the 437 438 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. two departments that the Navy should construct the plant and have cognizance of its operation. The plant was designed by the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Yards and Docks, and the Linde Air Products Co., in consultation. The Bureau of Engineering contracted with the Linde Co. for the design, manufacture, and installation of the special separation appa- ratus. The Bureau of Yards and Docks constructed the plant and facilities accessory to the project, purchased certain apparatus, and installed all of the equipment except the separation apparatus. The plant is being operated under the cognizance of the Bureau of En- gineering. The helium-production plant was located at North Fort Worth rather than adjacent to the wells at Petrolia, for economic reasons. If the plant were located at Petrolia it would be necessary to con- struct a power plant or to transmit power about 90 miles. Surface water in adequate quantities is not available at Petrolia, and the artesian conditions in that vicinity are poor, due to the underlying pools of gas and oil. Furthermore, the labor, railroad, and highway facilities at Petrolia are very poor. At North Fort Worth a reli- able supply of power is available, the railroad and highway facili- ties are excellent, and an adequate water supply may be obtained by driving wells to a reasonable depth. A contract was entered into with the Lone Star Co., whereby Pe- trolia gas is to be furnished by that company, processed, and the dis- carded gas from the production plant is to be returned to the Lone Star mains. The gas extracted, absorbed, or dissipated in the pro- duction of helium is to be paid for at prevailing commercial rates. The Lone Star Co. further agrees, for certain consideration, to draw not more than 10,000,000 cubic feet of gas per day from the Pe- trolia field, as long as the open flow from the field does not exceed 75,000,000 cubic feet per day. The consideration to the Lone Star Co. for this conservation is assumed to represent the cost to that company of the construction and operation of pipe lines to draw on other fields to supplement the maximum allowed draft from the Petrolia field. NATURAL-GAS PIPE LINE. The location of the United States helium-production plant at North Fort Worth entailed the procurement of a pipe line to convey the natural gas from the wells to the plant. The existing line was the 16-inch pipe line of the Lone Star Gas Co. The Lone Star Co. piped to Petrolia certain nonhelium-bearing gas from Oklahoma, which was mixed at that point with Petrolia gas. To process this mixed gas for helium would have necessitated the handling of a larger quantity of gas to produce a given quantity of helium. There- NAVY ACTIVITIES BUREAU OF YARDS AKD DOCKS. 439 m : "0 "• • '*>< .'Jo ' ''"■;■ :-*T^ r t>U i ^'-t .:>i % 440 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, fore it was agreed that the Government should build ii i)arallel pipe line of 10 inches inside diameter to convey Petrolia gas only. The length of this line is approximatelj^ 9G miles to map scale, although the actual length is over 100 miles, because of the rolling terrain over a large portion of the length. This is the longest gas pipe line in the United States without an intermediate compressor station. Right of way. — The Lone Star Gas Co, in 1909 laid a 16- inch gas line from Petrolia to their measuring station adjacent to the site of the helium-production plant at Xorth Fort Worth, At that time the Lone Star Co. purchased easements for the laj'ing of two parallel pipe lines between these two points, at a cost of $32,784.40. In order to expedite the laying of the Government pipe line, the Lone Star Co. consented to sell their available easements to the department. It was found that the diversion of the route, from that of the Lone Star Co, for a distance of about 9 miles between Newark and North Fort Worth would shorten the line about 3,200 feet and avoid several stream crossings, so easements were purchased by the department to effect this diversion. Pressure. — When gas wells were first drilled in the Petrolia field they showed closed pressures greater than 700 pounds per square inch. The pressures have decreased greatly, however, owing to the diminution of the supply, so that the present pressures are less than 150 pounds per square inch. In order to convey a sufficient supply for the use of Fort Worth and Dallas, the Lone Star Co, built a compressor station at Petrolia intended to furnish a pressure of about 300 pounds per square inch. The compressor station will be used also to furnish the pressure for the Government line. The present operat- ing pressure varies between 200 and 300 pounds. Capacity. — The derivation of a universal formula for the discharge or capacity of a pipe line is impossible, since many indeterminate factors are present. Formulae have been deduced, however, which are an approximate indication of the capacity. According to the formula by F. H, Oliphant, of the United States Geological Survey, the 10-inch pipe line from Petrolia to North Fort Worth, 104 miles in length, will discharge the following quantities of gas: Intake pres- sure per square inch. Discharge pres- sure per square inch. Capacity per 24 hours. Pounds. 300 300 300 250 250 200 200 Pounds. ISO 200 250 150 200 125 150 Cubic feet. 9,300,000 8,000,000 5,900,000 7,200,000 5,300,000 5,650,000 4,750,000 i»ip^ 4 1 tzzz. JSIZS rex. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, 441 These capacities do not take account of changes in temperature. One hundred and ninety pounds per square inch is estimated as the average exit pressure in the pipe, with the plant running at full capacity. . Pipe. — About 7,700 tons of light steel pipe, of 10 inches inside diameter, weighing 28.035 pounds per linear foot, were used. The pipe is plain-end, of lengths averaging 20 feet. Before acceptance the pipe was submitted to a mill test of 600 pounds per square inch hydrostatic pressure, being struck with a hammer while under this pressure. Couplings. — " Friction " couplings were used, of the Dresser type. The gasoline content of natural gas attacks ordinary rubber packing destructively, so that the couplings were provided with special pack- ing to resist the deleterious action. One-half of the couplings were provided each with Paranite packing and with Goodrich " Grade 19 " 23acking. Valves. — The line was divided by means of gate valves into nine approximately equal parts. This division was made for the pur- pose of saving gas in case repairs are needed. The valves are extra heavy 10-inch threaded and recessed gate valves. On the north side of each gate there is placed a blow-off for the purpose of relieving the line of pressure while repairs are being made. Each of these valves is placed opposite a similar gate on the Lone Star Co.'s line to facilitate maintenance. Blowing out and testing. — The pipe line was blown out by means of gas under pressure in order to clear the line of dirt and scale be- fore being put in operation. This blowing out was done in sections approximately 10 miles long by breaking a connection, raising the pipe out of the ground, and forcing the gas through from the north end, after which the line was again connected and the next section south was blown out, and so on. After the last section on the south end was blown out, the line was filled with gas at 260 pounds pres- sure, the pressure being allowed to equalize itself, and all gates were closed in order to determine the drop in pressure in each section. To determine the drop in pressure a gauge was installed on each side of every gate on the line, thus affording a pressure reading at each end of a section. The temperature at the time of year at which the test was accomplished does not change throughout the day enough to affect the pressure in a line below ground. However, thermom- eters were placed on the line and temperature readings taken. Read- ings on both pressure gauges and thermometers were taken hourly for 24 hours. The average drop in pressure during the 24-hour closed-line test was 4.1 per cent, and the maximum drop in pressure in any section was 7.5 per cent. It is considered that the results of the test were indicative of a well-laid line. 442 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. SEPARATION OF HELIUM FROM NATURAL GAS. Analysis of Petrolia gas. — The analysis of the effluent from the wells at Petrolia varies slightlj'' in the per cent content of each com- ponent. The properties of each component gas, with the average content, are tabulated as follows : Name Methane Ethane Carbon dioxide Oxygen Nitrogen Helium Formula. CH4 C2H6 COo 02 N2 He Content, per cent by volume. 55.34 11.66 .34 Trace. 31.72 .94 Observed specific gravity (hy- drogen=lX 7.98 15.61 22.00 15.90 14.20 1.97 Critical tempera- ture, °C. - 95.5 34.0 30.9 -118.0 -146.0 -268.0 Critical pressure in atmos- pheres. 50.2 50.0 73.0 50.3 33.0 2.0 The first two items above include slight proportions of other hydrocarbons. It will be noted that this gas contains no carbon monoxide, free h3'drogen, sulphur gases, or unsaturated hydro- carbons, the presence of any of which would have introduced other difficulties in the separation. While the gas is at atmospheric pres- sure during one stage of the process, oxygen will probably be ab- sorbed from the atmosphere, so that a larger content of oxygen will have to be separated. The calorific value of the Petrolia gas is somewhat less than 800 B. t. u. per cubic foot, this relatively low heating value being due to the relatively large nitrogen content. Nature of process. — Helium is extracted from the natural gas by effecting the liquefaction of each of the other gases, except carbon dioxide, contained with helium in the natural gas. This liquefaction is effected by the utilization of the process developed by the Linde Air Products Co. in their experimentation at the helium experi- mental plant No. 1 at North Fort Worth. This process consists essentially of the compression of the incoming gas to a high pressure, the removal of the heat of compression by a circulation of cold water, the progressive cooling resulting from the expansion of the highly compressed gas through an expansion valve to a low pressure, and the application of the cold waste gases and closed external refrigerat- ing cycles of nitrogen and carbon dioxide as refrigerating media. The hydrocarbons, oxygen, and nitrogen condense in the order named. The carbon dioxide content is removed from the incoming gas by chemical precipitation effected by contact with limewater, which is sprayed into the incoming gas. The helium, which with- stands the cold and pressure necessary to liquefy the remaining components, is finally recovered and stored in high-pressure cylinders for the requirements of the service. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 443 SITE. The helium production plant is located at North Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Tex., about 1 mile north of the citj'^ limits of Fort Worth and about 3 miles north of the Tarrant County courthouse in Fort Worth. The site comprises 19.4 acres of fairly level land and is entirely cleared. The purchase price of the land was $409 per acre. A draw, draining about 270 acres, crosses the western portion of the site in a south b}^ southeasterh^ direction. The various build- ings comprising the plant were located on the higher ground toward the east side of the site to avoid this draw. The site consisted of grazing land entirely turfed. The top soil is a loam to a depth of 1 to 6 feet, underlain by a bedrock of hard and unfaulted limestone. BUILDINGS. The locations of the buildings with reference to each other were governed by the cycles of gases through the process, so as to require minimum lengths of piping, especially high-pressure piping, between buildings. Inasmuch as the War Industries Board requested that all buildings be constructed of materials other than structural steel, the principal buildings were designed of a light concrete construc- tion. A large sash area was required for lighting the large buildings and allowing the escape of leakage gases, and this type of construc- tion was very well adapted to such features. Several buildings were advantageously designed of frame and stucco. The only structural steel included in the design of the plant was for transformer towers and small miscellaneous items. Compression huilding. — All of the compressors and carbon dioxide refrigerating units are installed in the compression building. This is a one-story building 97 feet wide, 290 feet long, and 32 feet high. A door is provided in each of the longitudinal bays in each side of the building to facilitate egress in case of combustion of escaping gases. A 20-foot concrete platform is provided at the end of the building adjacent to the railroad siding for the handling of cylinders and equipment. The building is provided with a concrete floor throughout, except in several panels adjacent to the loading plat- form, which are laid with wood block, so as to be nonsparking under trucking of cylinders. Separation huilding. — The Linde separation apparatus is installed in the separation building, which is one story in height with a clear- story central portion to admit the high three-stage stills. This build- ing is 68 feet wide and 199 feet long, with a height from grade to the top of the parapet walls of 42 feet and 27 feet, respectively, for the central and outer portions. Boiler and pump house. — The boiler and pump house, adjacent to the cooling pond, is one story in height, 49 feet long, 45 feet wide, 444 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OP YARDS AXD DOCKS. interior view, separation building, United States licllum-Production Plant, Fort Worth, Texas. hm-nor vii'w, c-oiii{(rossor building, United States Ibliuni I'l 1.111111,111 i'i:iiii, I 'ml Worth, Texas. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 445 and 18 feet and 15 feet high, respectively, from grade to the tops of the parapets of the pump house and boiler room, with concrete walls, floor, and roof, steel sash, and metal bifolding and hinged doors. Pressure-reducer house. — The pressure-reducing valves are installed in a concrete building with steel sash, 17 feet wide, 27 feet long, and 14 feet 6 inches high to top of parapet wall. Nitrogen cylinder house. — The nitrogen cylinders to provide an equalizing supply to the nitrogen compressors are housed in a one- story concrete building 14 feet by 11 feet 6 inches by 18 feet high. Office and laboratory huilding. — The office and laboratory building is occupied jointly by the Government and Linde personnel. The building is a two-story frame stucco building with concrete founda- tions and steps, 40 feet wide, 62 feet long, and 26 feet high from grade to the second-story ceiling. This building provides two office rooms, one toilet, and a laboiatory on the first floor, and eight office rooms and one toilet on the second floor. Building for carhon dioxide removal system. — A frame building provides for the housing of pumps, motors, and limewater storage and filter tanks between the scrubbing tanks of the COo removal system. Lime mixing shed. — The lime mixing vat is installed on a raised concrete platform with a wood roof supported by wood posts and with open side walls. Lime storage shed. — For the preparation of limewater for the CO^ removal system, lime is stored in a one-story frame building, with concrete foundations and floors, 14 feet wide, 67 feet long, and 15 feet high. This building is adjacent to the railroad siding, with a wide window at the elevation of the box-car floor for the unloading of lime. The lime is wheeled from the lime storage shed up an incline to the mixing platform. Storehouse. — Spare parts for mechanical and electrical equipment and miscellaneous tools and material are stored in a one-story con- crete building, between the separation and compression buildings, 40 feet square and 20 feet high from grade to the top of the parapet wall. This storehouse is equipped with suitable metal shelving. Lleating. — The office and laboratory building, storehouse, pump house, and the toilet and wash rooms of the compression and separa- tion buildings are heated by direct radiation. The compression build- ing is heated by four unit heaters. Steam is delivered by two 150- horsepower boilers, with stacks, installed in the boiler room adjacent to the pump house. The pump-house radiation is supplied with ex- haust steam from the boiler feed pumps. Hot water is provided for the toilet and wash rooms and the office and laboratory building by gas-burning heaters. 37022—21 29 446 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Connections have been provided in the laboratory for hot and cold water, steam, gas, and electricit3^ A small motor-driven air com- pressor will be installed as a part of the laboratory equipment. POWER. Requirements. — Electrical energy is required to operate motors as prime movers for various mechanical apparatus and for lighting. The power required for motors is computed as 6,475 horsepower for operative purposes, plus 1,965 horsepower for stand-by units. The monthly consumption of energy is reckoned at 2,200,000 kilowatt hours. Source and characteristics of supply. — Energy is delivered by the Fort Worth Power & Light Co. at a point on the company's trans- mission line approximately 3 miles from the site of the helium-pro- duction plant, from which point the Government has constructed under contract 3800-A, a transmission line to the main transformers at the plant. The energy delivered by the power company is 3-phase alternating current at 60,000 volts and 60 cycles. Transformers. — The larger part of the equipment is operated at 2,200 volts. Therefore there were purchased four 2,000-kilovolt- ampere 60,000/2,300-2,200-volt General Electric single-phase trans- formers, of which one is a spare, with complete accessories. Three 200-kilovolt-ampere and three 100-kilovolt-ampere 2,200/440-220- volt single-phase transformers were purchased, to step down the current for the motors for the limewater circulating pumps, the lime mixers, the cooling pond spray and circulating pumps, the well pumps, the fans, and the condensation pump. The lighting supply to the buildings is 3-wire 220-110-volt alternating current, with 110- volt branches carried to the various outlets. A 37.5-kilovolt-ampere single-phase 2,200/220-110-volt transformer has been provided for the lighting. A 7.5-kilowatt constant-current transformer has been provided for the fence lights. Measurement of supply. — The amount of power delivered by the power company will be measured by a recording wattmeter and the energy by an integrating watthour meter, installed and maintained by the power company on the secondary side of the main trans- formers. The power factor will be measured by a power-factor meter installed and maintained by the power company on the sec- ondary side of the main transformers. The Government has in- stalled meters to check each of these three meters, and the Govern- ment meters are to be conclusive as to the amount of power and energy delivered, in case of the failure of the power company's meters to register. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 447 Cost of poioer and energy. — A contract has been consummated with the Fort Wortli Power and Light Co., providing for the following rates : (a) $1.50 per kilowatt of maximum demand during each monthly billing period, but not less than $6,900 per month. (&) $0.01 1 per kilowatt-hour of energy for the first 120 hours' use of maximum demand during each monthly billing period. (V BUREAU OF YARDS AND POCKS. in Washington without (lish)catinir some ahTady formulated [)hin of civic development: so that the choice between evils became somewhat eclectic. The Ellipse was discussed and abandoned after preliminary plans had been drawn. A site south of the Tidal Basin was avail- able and was carefully studied only to be given up on account of its inaccessibility. The Monument grounds seemed to offer a solution, and plans were elaborated for an L-shaped structure to the north and west of the Monument. But ground contours there necessitated grading at a high cost, and many valuable trees of long growth would be destroyed ; furthermore, the project outgrew^ the available bounds during the very process of discussion. Finally the tract of land in Potomac Park south of B Street and west of Seventeenth Street w'as discovered. The War De})artment by this time had submitted formal request that still more offices for its bureaus be built along with the new undertaking, 2)ractically doubling the space requirements and necessitating a ground area extending nearly 2,000 feet from Seventeenth to Twenty-first Streets and some COO feet south from B Street. This tract could be easily served w^ith transportation by the building of a loop of car track of moderate length. The objection to the site was the proposed building's inter- ference with the plan of development of the Lincoln ISIemorial land- scape, and this objection had simply to be waived for future adjust- ment in view of the instant exigency. The term of occupancy of these concrete buildings, whether "permanent" or "temporary," is to this day a moot point. It is commonly referred to as " indefinite," though the official title of the structures in the appropriation act authorizing them is '•temporary buildings." The project was broached before Congress in the Committer of the Whole House by Mr. Sherley, chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, on February 15, 1918. His remarks maj' be interj)reted as a substitute for the customary committee hearings, the previous discussions between the committee and the bureau hav- ing been informal. Interesting questions were ])ropounded V)y Mem- bers, to wdiich Mr. Sherley was able to return satisfactory replies. The discussion continued at length on February 18 and was followed by the passage through the House of the urgent deficiency l)ill. in- cluding the appropiiation for the project. This bill became law on March 28. 1018. The a})propriation for the proposed concrete buildings, $5,775,000, was figured on a basis of $3.31 per square foot, areas of 940,000 and 840,000 square feet being contemplated for the Xavy and War De- partments, respectively. Meanwhile, upon authentic assurance that the deficiency bill would pass, the luireau had gone ahead on the project with all the speed possible. Tiie Turner Construction Co. of New York, a concern WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 483 familiar with reinforced-concrete work on a maximum scale, assumed the it WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 485 The C'fe feet in the 41-stor3^ Equitable Building in New York, its nearest contemporary rival. The units are three stories in height, with a structural framework of reinforced concrete, gypsum-board and plaster partitions, steel sash, and brick curtain walls. The latter are omitted along the exposed front and side facades, where a two-storied window treat- ment is used, and the concrete surface finished with a white cement- and-sand mixture rubbed in by hand. The plan of each building is simple, consisting of parallel wings 500 feet long and 60 feet wide connected at the front (north) along B Street by a so-called " headhouse " 60 feet in width. The Navy De- partment unit has nine such wings, the War Department eight ; this is their only essential difference in plan or treatment. The wings are separated from one another by courts 40 feet wide, each of which is crossed bj^ two covered gangways at the level of the second floor, ground occupied, inclusive of courts, driveways, and the parking space at the rear is about 20 acres in area. Speedy erection demanded that the structural design be of the simplest type, and the beam-and-girder system was selected. This treatment resulted in a scheme of uniform structural units throughout, all column spacing and distances between girders being similar without exception, and complicated connections of Beams and girders at columns being precluded. As will be seen in the accompanying illustrations the two build- ings are identical in appearance, the front and side facades being divided by pilasters into bays. Upper floors are of reinforced concrete, designed to support a live load of 75 pounds per square foot, and are finished with a wearing surface of concrete. They are 3^ inches thick, with one-way rein- forcement of f -inch rods spaced 6 inches, center to center. Columns are spaced 20 feet apart throughout; interior columns are 18 by 18 inches in section ; wall columns 13^ by 28 inches. The first story is 12 feet 6 inches in height, floor to floor, the second and third 12 feet each. ColumiU reinforcement consists of four 1^-inch rods. Typical floor plan of Navy unit, emergency office buildings, Potomac Park, Washington, D. C. 486 \VAi; ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. Girders art- i-2 by i?i) inches by 20 feet in span, reinforced with five l\!:-inch rods. Avhik* beams are spaced G feet 8 inches, center to center, and haA'e 3-rod reinfonement and a section of 8 by IJ: inches. Xo basement is provided, the ground floor resting on the mean level of the site. This site, wliich is part of the filled ground known as Potomac Park, alongside the Potomac Kiver, is well adapted to requirements, a minimum of grading having been necessary. To conform to minor diiferences of level, wings were " stepped " in cer- tain instances. The staircases are all of reinforced concrete, and are particularly wide — these being the only means of travel from one floor to the other. Besides four main flights located in each headhouse, each wing is provided Avith two or three supplementary stairways prop- €rly situated. In addition to the gypsum-board and plaster partitions generally used, partitions of a fire-resisting material are placed at intervals, dividing each floor into sections .so as to localize any fire that might break out. All openings in these partitions have automatic fire doors, thus making each section an independent compartment, and the staircases are so placed that egress from one section may be had without passage through any of the others. The use of steel sash insured rapidity of construction, large glazed areas affording ample natural lighting, and (where ghized with Avire glass) a considerable factor of fire protection. The corridor partitions have an unusually large glass area, which makes the corridors cheerful and pleasant on even the dullest days. Plaster is used on the partitions and inside the curtain walls; ceilings (except that of the third story), beams, and columns reveal the structural concrete as the forms left it, giving the not disagree- able effect of heavy timber construction. Water-color paints of har- monious tints are used throughout the interior concrete and plaster surfaces. The roof structure is identical with the floors, except for necessary slopes. Pitch and gravel over 5-ply felt is the roofing material used. A suspended ceiling of gypsum board and plaster extends over the entire upper floor at a height of 11 feet. CONSTRUCTION. It was at first .supi)osed that i)ile foundations would not be needed, l)ut investigations made during the first two weeks of preliminary work showed this assumption to be in error. Tiie area on which the buildings were to stand proved to overlie a portion of the old river bed. To reach solid ground through fill and soft material actually required piling varying from 20 to 52 feet in length. Where jiracti- cable, concrete piles (cast in place within predriven shells) were WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 487 used: but in a certain per cent of the cases the penetration necessary compelled the use of so-called " composite "' piling, consisting of a wooden pile surmounted by one of concrete. The total number of piles driven was 5,048 — the first one on March 25 and the last one on May 28. Piling follows the lines of the outside Avails over prac- tically the whole area. Occupation of the buildings, however, was delayed by this operation not more than 30 da5^s beyond the period originally estimated. Four pile drivers were operated continuously by three shifts^ of workmen 24 hours a day, including Sundays. Much credit is due the contractor for the skill Avith which his great resources and organization were applied to the peculiar dif- ficulties of concrete placing on this job. The project was extraor- dinarily thin in distribution, requiring less than 2 cubic feet of con- crete per square foot of ground covered. XcAertheless the bulk of concrete was vast, and it had to be placed with all possible speed. A construction plant was devised which admirably met the con- ditions. A lieaA'y trestle was built paralleling the entire length of the site (2,200 feet) at the rear, 17 feet in height, and having ap- proaches from the street level with a gradient of 11.8 per cent. This trestle Avas designed to carry 5-ton motor trucks, Avhich brought sand and gravel li'oni near-by river dredgings, and cement in bags from a railroad siding adjacent. Eight storage units for this material Avere placed at intervals underneath the trestle, each provided with separate bins for 55 cubic yards of sand, 110 cubic yards of graA-el, and a suitable supply of cement. The aggregate bins Avere covered by gratings of 4-by-12-inch planking, set on edge and spaced 4 inches apart. Over the trestle a fairly steady procession of trucks passed from east to Avest, dumping sand or gravel through the proper grat- ings or delivering sacked cement through chutes for storage as needed. MidAvay of alternate courts of the buildings under erection were located the mixing plants, each connected with one of the storage units by a straight track of narrow gauge at right angles to the trestle and about 300 feet long. Upon these tracks ran small cars of the industrial' type, having separate compartments for sand and gravel, and controlled by an endless rope from a motor at each mixing plant. Brought to a stop under the trestle, they were auto- matically loaded Avith sand and graAcl in proper quantities from the bins, and cement being then throAvn in on top they were ready for the return trip to the mixer. Each mixing plant comprised a l^-yard mixer sunk beloAV ground level, a 40-horsepoAA-er electric motor for its operation, and a tower- hoist for the distribution of the mixture. Concrete was delivered to place iii tAvo-wheeled buggies, operating at four levels from platforms adjoining the towers, no chuting being 488 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS A]S'D DOCKS. employed at any stage. The capacity of each mixing and distribut- ing unit, with 50 hands each, was -100 cubic yai'ds per day, restric- tions as to quantity of dry material having been eliminated by the system alread}^ described. Since each plant w^as entirely independent of the rest, the theoretical maximum capacity on the job was 3.200 cubic yards of concrete per 10-hour day, though practical conditions kept the recorded maximum down to 1,750 yards, equivalent to a section of the building 300 feet long. The placing of the structural concrete was accomplished in 13^ weeks from April 5.1917, an achievement which is thought to have established a record for this type of work. The weekly output was equivalent to a 780-foot section of the structure, Avhile the total yardage of concrete employed on the job w^as 68,000. Concreting of the ground floor was a separate constructional operation and one of the last performed. This floor is of concrete 6 inches thick over a puddled and rolled fill of earth and cinders, with a wearing sur- face similar to that of the upper floors. It is not to be supposed that the construction of these immense buildings proceeded b}'- definitely separated steps. Such a thing would have necessitated sudden and complete replacements of large bodies of workmen as the character of the work changed. Eather the progress of the project was a development proceeding in general from east to west. Concreting overlapped pile driving and at last displaced it; roofing had been placed on the first w^ing before form work was complete on the last; bricklaying followed the advance of the concrete frame; partitions were being constructed on the upper floors before the ground floor had been laid. ACCESSORY AND INCIDENTAL FEATURES. As previously intimated, the interior finish of the buildings is, in general, far from elaborate ; but some care was devoted to the archi- tectural treatment of the two main entrances. Both buildings have in the center of the headhouses large vesti- bules entered by nine double doors, giving free passageway' under the most difficult conditions. Opening from the vestibules are the main staircase halls, of such dimensions as to admit of the transaction of preliminary business concerning identification and similar matters. The vestibules and halls present a finished appearance, having plaster walls and ceilings with embellishments of columns, pilasters, and cornices. A durable floor is provided in these rooms, consisting of cement and small pebbles, the latter being treated so as to give a pleasing finished texture and color to the surface. The floors are subdivided to. meet the particular needs of the various bui'eaus, but so arranged that access may be conveniently WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 489 gained to any and all parts of the buildings. The office rooms are plain, well lighted, and of workable proportions. The suite of rooms assigned to the Secretary of the Navy and his working force has an individual treatment, though of modest design and material. Ornamental plaster cornices decorate this suite, to- gether with presentable fireplaces and mantels and cork-tile floors. A similar treatment was given to certain important offices in the War Department unit. The buildings, being located at some distance from the center of the city, and consequently inconveniently situated as regards restau- rants, have large and well-arranged cafeterias to accommodate the many clerks during the limited period allowed for luncheon. Oc- cupying the third floor of an entire wing in each building, the cafe- terias are of such size as to provide service for 1,300 patrons at one time without confusion or apparent haste. The most modern me- chanical cooking devices are in use in the kitchens, which were planned from data gained through an investigation of the largest cafeterias in the country connected with industrial institutions. The toilet facilities are carefully placed and equipped with a sub- stantial standard grade of fixtures. These rooms are exceptionally well lighted and ventilated and are generous in size. The women's toilets have rest rooms adjacent, a necessary adjunct in a building of this character. Numerous ice-water fountains are conveniently placed in the cor- ridors. Protection from fire is furnished by the installation of a modern fire-alarm system and hose equipment. Two elevators, electrically controlled and operated, are located in each building for the purpose of handling freight. No passenger elevators are provided, the height of the building not warranting their use. A low-pressure vacuum-return steam system is used for heating the buildings, the live steam being furnished by a local power com- pany. This steam is transmitted from the point of supply, a mile distant, to the buildings by means of underground steel piping, each length of pipe being welded to the next and expansion joints being inserted at regular intervals. The telephone system of the Navy Building is controlled from a large exchange located in the center wing of the first floor, and pro- vides a complete intercommunicating system in addition to the usual outside service. This building also has its own post office, equipped and maintained as a branch of the city post office. It is complete in every detail and so arranged as to handle expeditiously the enormous amount of mail passing through the department each day. 490 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, Proper protection of floors of the two buildings was a problem which occasioned careful thought as the project developed. Disin- tegration of concrete Avearing surfaces, no matter how finished, was considered an inevitable final outcome of intensive o:'cupancy, wdth the consequent probability of irritating dust in the air of the rooms. Other familiar characteristics of concrete floors suggested that any covering used should be resilient and chill resistive, especially in con- sideration of the large proportion of women among tlie prospective occupants. Linoleum Avas the material seemingly best adapted to conditions, and with the full approval of Congress the major area of the two buildings was thus provided. The fabric chosen was a linoleum three- sixteenths inch thick, of a good commercial grade and a solid brown color. It was not laid until some months after the completion of the buildings, a period being allowed for .the curing of the concrete. The contract for supplying and placing this linoleum was no small undertaking, involving as it did an outlay of some $325,000. A force of 75 men worked for five months, from January to Ma}^ 1919, laying the fabric. Even then, only 29 acres out of 41 were covered, corridors and certain special areas being left bare. The choice of linoleum in lieu of other floor treatment is considered to have justi- fied itself in every respect, having contributed largely to health, comfort, and efficiency. To accommodate the large number of automobiles previously parked in the neighboring streets, a macadamized space for the pur- pose is provided at the rear of the building. This space is large enough to accommodate 500 machines, and is inconspicuousl}' inclosed by tall wire fencing. Gateways at various points, attended by guards, control the passage of the machines. THE LABOR FACTOR. The maximum construction force on the buildings, including both skilled and unskilled labor in the employ of the general contractor and all subcontractors, was approximately 3,400 men. of whom ap- proximately 1,600 were carried as common labor. This maximum was maintained through June and July, 1918. Workmen of all the building trades were employed in numbers unequaled by any pre- vious job of the kind in the District of Columbia. Speed was a primary consideration in the work, and its wide distribution made possible the effective employment of many large independent gangs. The contractor brought to bear every worthy incentive on his work- men of all ranks to maintain a high standard of output. To this (Mid iiis|)ii'ati()nal nnrl '• Avolfiir(> "* activities of a variety ada|)ted to WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUBEAI' OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 491 conditions were carried on throughout the life of the job. Graphic charts were exhibited showing the weekly progress of construction. Records of conspicuous gangs were posted and higher records en- couraged. Frequent opportunities were afforded for the entire per- sonnel to assemble in rallies and mass meetings at midday or. in the evening. A patriotic spirit was fostered at such gatherings by means of addresses by persons of prominence, singing of popular airs, band music, and the like. Evening entertainments such as boxing bouts, pie-eating matches, and dancing competitions proved helpful in main- taining a degree of morale. An illustrated paper abounding in car- toons, portraits of noteworthy gangs and individuals, personal ref- CURVES SHOWING TOTAL LABOR HIRED BY AND AVERASE COMMON LABOR WORKING FOR TURNER CONSTRUCTION CO. ON TEMPORARY OFFICE BUILDIN65 FOR NAVY AND WAR DEPARTMENTS AT 17-TH AND B STREETS NORTH WEST BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS ~W~Tel7 MARCH le 17 Z4 I 8 15 U es 5 12 t9 26 X |0 n 24 31 7 M Zl APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUSC/SI IB 25 SEPT erences, and items of project news was issued weekly. An illustrator of proved ability was engaged to reside on the job and produce posters and other pictorial work for the stimulation of enthusiasm. A " job flag," displaying an eagle poised on a broom, was designed by him and flown during working shifts. The sale of war savings stamps was pushed with considerable publicity. But economic conditions at the time were such as to offset a great volume of inspirational and welfare work. Common labor caused the greatest concern, beginning about the middle of May to develop a pronounced migratory tendency, which was simply a reflection of the Avorkers" unrest affecting the entire country. Rates of pay for 492 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OE YARDS AKD DOCKS. unskilled labor on this job started at 30 cents an hour and increased rapidly to 44 cents in order to compete with the Xew York market. Railroad fare and expenses were paid for incoming workmen and return fare for the minority who continued at their tasks until completed. Little difficulty was experienced in securing common labor up to the time the gang reached 1,000, and during the first ten weeks of the project, up to May 15, it was necessary to employ only 12 per cent more hands than were actually at work. On that date, owing to the increasing unrest, the ratio of men hired to men employed took a sudden jump, which is w^ell illustrated in the accompanying dia- gram. During the life of the job 7,500 common laborers (principally Negro) were hired by the general contractor to recruit his labor gang, which never included more than 1,500 or 1,600 men at any one time. Keeping up the average force at this number for a period of seven weeks necessitated the hiring of 2,800 men, after 3,400 had already been sifted to establish the initial gang of 1,500. As the work progressed, it was soon found necessar}^ to build bar- racks and provide a commissary to take care of the men as they came in. Accommodations for nearly 1,200 men were provided, the bar- racks serving not so much as a permanent abode as for a transfer station pending the location of the laborers in other lodgings. These quarters were crowded to capacity, during the height of construction, Avith the transients and such others as chose to keep up a longer occupancy. Needless to remark, the immense labor turnover in the face of ex- pensive efforts to forestall it was a source of great anxiety. Every measure was adopted to prevent its interference with the scheduled rate of building. Such measures, while in general effective, were necessarily a factor in the great increase of costs above estimates. COxMPLETION; COST. The dates on which important phases of the project were begun and completed are given in the following list : Contract signed and work conum'nced on site Feb. 25, 1918. Appropriation granted Mar. 28, 1918. Pile fonndation decided on Mar. 9, 1918. First pile driven Mar. 25, 1918. Last pile driven May 28, 1918. Concreting started (footings) Apr. 5, 3918. Concreting finished July 27, 1918. Moving in begun (Navy Department) Aug. 17, 1918. Moving in begun (Munitions Building) Aug. 31, 1918. Bureau of Yards and Docks moved in October 1, 2, and 3. 1918. Occupation complete Early October, 1918. WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 493 It is thus seen that only 5| months elapsed between the signing of the contract and the securing of beneficial occupancy of this record- breaking twin structure. Approximately 14,000 employees were transacting business within its walls at the date of the armistice. Its cost has been defrayed from the appropriation of $5,775,000, made available on March 28, 1918, and from a later one of $1,490,000 made to cover deficiencies incurred. The said deficiency is attribu- table in large part to the unexpected labor turnover, the enforced use of pile foundations, and the employment of linoleum as a floor covering. The cost of the entire project, reckoned on a volume basis, amounts to approximate!}^ 29 cents per cubic foot. The contract was let on the basis of cost plus a fixed fee, which en- abled the contractor to prosecute his work almost as speedily as the necessities of Avar bureaus demanded. MISCELLANEOUS DATA. Navy Building has nine wings and headhouse. Army Building has eight wings and headhouse. Wings and headhouses are 60 feet wide. Wings are 500 feet long from back to headhouse. Length of Navy Building, over all, 862 feet. Length of Army Building, over all, 782 feet. Depth of both buildings, over all, 561 feet. Total floor area inside of walls : Square feet. Navy Building 940, 000 Army Building 840, 000 Total 1, 780, 000 Equals 41 acres. Area occupied by halls, toilets, stairways, etc., is 22 per cent, or 390,000 square feet, leaving net office area of 1.390,000 square feet. Total cubic contents of both buildings is 25,000,000 cubic feet. The prism inclosing the buildings is 1,744 feet long by 561 feet wide, with a height of 40 feet. The wings and headhouse placed end to end would make a 3-story building 60 feet wide and 1.9 miles long. The Navy and War Buildings together are three times as large in volume as the House Office Building. As for the State, War, and Navy Building, it would take six such structures to provide equal office space. To walk through these buildings and make an inspection of the radiators, a man would have to travel 25 miles; to make a circuit of the cor- ridors only would require a tramp of 12 miles. The Navy and War Buildings are constructed of enduring ma- terials, and are on foundations of the most permanent character, 37022—21 32 494 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. and. in respect to their arrangements for light and air for office purposes, are equal to if not better than any of the permanent build- ings in Washington. A bill of materials for the project, if drawn up in a single docu- ment. ^Yould have included the following items: Steel reinforcing bars, 4,500 tons. Eight and one-half acres of steel sash. Twenty thousand separate window shades. Roofing felt, 3,000.000 square feet. Xails, 8 carloads: lumber. 314 carloads — 7.500.000 feet; glass, 18 carloads : putty for same, 3 carloads. Radiators, 3,200; heating piping. 27 A miles; plumbing fix- tures, 2,800. Trenches, 14 miles. Lighting fixtures, 15,000. Outlet boxes and fittings, 50,000. Push buttons, 5,000. The project was executed under the general direction of Com- mander A. L. Parsons (C. E. C), U. S. N.. at that time assistant chief of the bureau. Construction proceeded under the resident supervision of Lieut. Commander O. A. Mechlin (C. E. C), U. S. X. R. F., acting as public works officer. The architectural features of the design were developed by a committee of the bureau consisting of Lieut. Commander F. W. Southworth (C. E. C). U. S. N. R. F., and Messrs. II. J. Briggs. George P. Hales, and Charles H. Stratton. The general contractors were the Turner Construction Co., of XeAv York. chapt:er XXIV. HOUSING FOR THE NAVY BY THE BUREAU OF INDUS- TRIAL HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. The shortage of housing which the L'nited States Housing Cor- j^oration was created to meet as a war-time emergency Avas not a new thing arising wholly by reason of the war. The war simph* aggravated a chronic, widespread, steadily growing trouble of peace times, which still persists. Emergency conditions ai'ising out of the war merely discovered the situation in a new light by emphasizing the vital relation between housing and the employment of working- men. Increased pay. together with patriotic sentiments, brought many highly skilled workers to the jobs, but neither of these motives could compensate for intolerable living conditions: and the labor turnover, due in large measure to insufficient and unsatisfactory housing, was so huge as to result in some cases in actual decreases in output in spite of higher wages. It became clearh^ apparent in the summer of 1917 that the housing shortage had become something with which the Government must concern itself, and which must be handled as a war emergency, since it was a great and increasing menace to the speed and continuity of production of numitions of war. On May IG. 1918. after various investigations and reports by a subcommittee on labor of the Council of National Defense and by various other agencies. Congress author- ized the President to expend $00,000,000 (which was raised to $100,000,000 on July 8, 1918) " for the purpose of providing housing, local transportation, and other general community utilities for such industrial workers as are engaged in arsenals and navy yards of the Ignited States and industries connected with and essential to the national defense, and their families, * * * only during the continuation of the existing war."' The President delegated this authority to the Secretary of Labor. By Executive order, confirmed in the act of June 4, 1918. the Bureau of Industrial Housing and Transportation was created in the Department of Labor. On July 25. 1918, the United States Housing Corporation, created as an executive agent of the Housing Bureau, was first authorized to •195 496 "^VAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. expend these funds for actual acquirement of land and for construc- tion. After that date all additional housing required for civilian em- ploj^ees of Navy shore establishments and of private plants perform- ing Navy work, was provided by the United States Housing Cor- poration out of these funds appropriated by Congress. Prior to July 25. 1918, some little emergency housing had been built by the Navy out of emergency funds at its own disposal. IJear Admiral H. H. Rousseau. U. S. N.. of the Civil Engineer Corps, acted as the representative of the Navy Department on housing matters with the United States Housing Corporation. Avith the title of associate director. Mr. Philip Hiss, a well-known architect of New York City, was employed by the bureau as special assistant in connection with this work, and he also rendered valual)le service as consultant on architectural projects originating within the bureau. Additional quarters from which the Navy has benefited were provided by the United States Housing Corporation at Bath, Me., Bridgeport, Conn., Bremerton, Wash., Charleston, W. Va., East Moline, 111., Erie, Pa., Indianhead, Md., New London and Groton, Conn.. Newport, R. L, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., Phila- delphia, Pa., Portsmouth, N. H., Quincy, Mass., Vallejo, Calif., and Washington, D. C. Additional projects under contemplation were abandoned upon the signing of the armistice, November 11, 1918. In addition to improving the housing situation, the United States Housing Corporation was responsible for the improvement of pas- senger transportation facilities, from which the Navy work bene- fited, at Bethlehem, Pa., Bridgeport, Conn., Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Newport News, Va., and Philadelphia, Pa. The following projects are typical illustrations of the work done by the United States Housing Corporation in the construction of housing for the Navy Department. For a more comprehensive account of the various ]:)rojects attention is invited to the United States Housing Corporation's Report on War Emergency Construc- tion (G. P. O., 1919), in Avhich all information concerning these developments is fully set forth. BRIDGEPORT. The largest project constructed l)y the Ignited States Housing Corporation for the Na\ y Dei:)artment was that at Bridgeport, Conn., where contracts for war munitions for the Array and Navy amounted to ai)proximately $60,000,000. The housing shortage here was one of the first to come to general notice, being specially noted in the report of the committee on labor of the Council of National De- fense, in 1917, long before there was any housing organization! Here WAR ACTTVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 497 were found in aggravated form the objectionable conditions of over- crowding, high rents, and insanitary living, with the resulting waste and delay due to labor turnover. Some 15,000 workers wereemployed in the following local industrial plants on Navy contracts : Lake Tor- pedo Boat Co., building submarines; Eemington Arms Co., ordnance; Crane Co., pipe fittings, etc. ; and the American & British Manufac- turing Co., ordnance. For the benefit of these employees the Housing Corporation constructed for the Navy housing in the amount of approximately $G,000,000, accommodating a total of 889 families. This housing consisted of 5 detached houses, 52 semidetached, row houses for 242 families, 73 detached 2-flat, 3 semidetached 2-flat, row 2-flat houses for 5G families, and apartments for 324 families. These houses ranged in size from three to six rooms Avith bath. There were five sites in various parts of the city. The site near the plant of the Crane Co., known as the Crane tract, is also near many other plants in the Avest-central manufacturing district of Bridgeport. This site is particularly interesting from an architectural and artistic viewpoint on account of the fact that though the ground was almost level, with few trees, a surprisingly diversified and attractive general appearance has been obtained. This result was accomplished by the employment of an extremely irregular, picturesc{ue, and accidental-seeming plan instead of the usual gridiron or the stilted curvilinear system of laj^out. The de- signers prepared block models of the building masses and studied their relations to each other from every point of view in three dimensions, a precaution of great value in getting such results as were here secured. These houses have an air of domesticity, a look of comfort, due to several causes. In the first place they are com- paratively low — they seem to cling to the ground and to each other in neighborliness ; they have a look of solidity, for their materials are of a permanent nature, being brick with slate roofs. They are ]>leasant to the eye, being of a soft red tone, and they appeal to good taste because of tlieir simple long lines, and the delicate mold- ings of doorways and cornices and their general proportions. There is a distinct similarity in the houses, yet nowhere is the view of any row monotonous. The plan of the interiors is comfortable, con- sisting of four rooms and bath, and diversified in layout so as to suit the convenience of almost any small family. This projco, ic- commodates 257 families. It was ready for occupancy May 27, 1919, and completed September 1, 1919. All of the houses built by the United States Housing Corporation in Bridgeport are of brick, wdiich fact makes them especially worthy of future study with a view to determining their true value as a marketable real estate development. 498 '^VAR ArTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND IKX^KS. HAMPTON ROADS. The great advantage of Hampton lioads as a harbor and shipping point led to an enormous deveh>pment of these facilities by the Gov- ernment along various lines. The largest undertakings in this re- gion were the additions to the [)lant and to the work of the United States navy yard at Norfolk, the naval operating base, and the ammunition depot at St. Julien's Creek, all for the Navy, and some large developments for the Army. While the Navy had large contracts with the Newport News Ship- building & Dry Dock Co., which is located in this general region, it happened that this company was also performing a great amount of work for the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation, which latter corporation had its own special appropria- tion from Congress to relieve unsatisfactory housing conditions in the vicinity of private shipbuilding and other plants performing work for the Emergency Fleet Corporation. The existence of an arrangement between the Navy Department and the Emergency Fleet Corporation, whereby the latter undertook to provide addi- tional housing in the neighborhood of Newport News, made it unnec- essary for the Navy Department to re(j[uest any assistance in this locality from the United States Housing Corporation. BetAveen May 1, 1917, and January 1, 1918, 20,000 people came into the Hampton Roads district — about 7,000 white and 3,000 colored Avorkers, Avith equal numbers of dependents. By January, 1918, the housing shortage became very serious. At this time the various industries employed over 18,000, and the work in prospect called for at least 40,000. It Avas estimated that housing Avas needed for 20,400 men, and the estimated cost Avas $10,000,000. As the total operati(ms of the Army and those of the Navy Avere of about the same size in this district, it Avas suggested that each pay one-half of this amount from its available funds. Ultimately, hoAvever, the Housing Cor- poration assumed responsibility for this project, out of the funds authorized for its use by Congress. There Avere three sites chosen — GleuAvood, near the site of the JamestoAvn Ex[)osition. serving the Navy operating base and the Army operating base; Trnxtun. for colored Avorkers, just outside of Portsmoiitli. serving tlie navy yard: and Cradock. for Avhite Avorkers, south of Poi'tsmoutli, on Paradise Creek, also serving the navy yard. The OlenAA'ood project Avas discontinued after the signing of the armistice. At Xruxtun the Housing Corporation built 19S detached houses and 26 semidetached houses, all of the same five-room type, Avith four different elcAations, and some modification of porches to vary the design. There Avere also built four ai)aT-tni(Mit liouses. Alto- WAR ACTIVinES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 499 gether provision was made for the accommodation of 254 families, with an expenditure of approximately $900,000. This project is well adapted for housing the colored families of the district. The Cradock project was designed before the stringent rules of the War Industries Board went into effect and before the standard plans had been formulated, so that there was opportunity to make possible an unusually satisfactory architectural result. There were some 50 designs used, made up of about 40 different plans, of houses with five to seven rooms and bath. There were built 417 detached houses, 72 semidetached, 94 row one-family, and 9 apartments— hous- ing for 771 families— and also 12 stores. This project was ready for occupancy on January 9. 1919, and was completed on August 15, 1919. The total approximate expenditures of the Housing Corpora- tion on the enterprise were $5,345,739.28. This development is situated on Paradise Creek, on low flat land, the average surface being only about 10 to 12 feet above mean low tide. The tidal variations of the water in Paradise Creek introduced a serious problem because, though the creek is very attractive at high tide, it is largely a mud flat at low tide. Only such filling has been done as would prevent the standing of any fresh water to breed mosquitoes. To provide access to the navy yard, the Housing Cor- poration built one bridge to connect Gillis Road with Gilmerton Boulevard, as extended. Also it was necessary to construct and properly pave the extension of Gilmerton Boulevard from the creek to the nav}^ yard, both for the future traffic to and from Cradock and for the convenience of the Housing Corporation in the construc- tion of the town; for the existing roads, poor enough at best, were turned into a slough in wet weather by heavy traffic. The particular form of the street layout came about from the adaptation of plans to the topography and the determined sizes of lots and blocks. All the street names are those of men of note in the United States Navy. The names of places are arranged alphabeti- cally in a circumference, beginning at Prospect Field and running contraclockwise ; and the names of streets are arranged alphabetically from northwest to southeast. Most of the houses face northwest arid southeast. In addition to the stores the Housing Corporation arranged for a temporary schoolhouse and also for a hospital, the latter to serve not only Cradock itself but also accident cases from the navy yard. Sites for churches were provided, to be turned over to responsible church societies at a low or nominal charge. The Avater supply was obtained from the existing water system in Portsmouth. This necessitated carrying a 16-inch water line from the Goodwin Street pumping station to the Belt Line Railroad 500 ^VAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. and a 12-inch main from tliis point to the hoiisinfr development, the total len^rth of 16-inch and 12-inch pipe aggregating slightly more than 2 miles and costing approximately $85,000. The distribution system within the development was made up of 12, 8. 6, and 4 inch mains, with sufficient hydrants to provide necessary fire protection. All services were metered. A complete sewerage system was installed, including sanitary and storm-water sewers, and a sewage pumping station. The outfall sewer was arranged to discharge into deep water in the southern branch of the Elizabeth River. An electric lighting system for streets and residences was installed, electricity being furnished by the Virginia Light & Power Co. at rates identical with those in force in the city of Portsmouth. This lighting system, by contract between the Housing Corporation and the Virginia Light & Power Co., the latter is to acquire at an ap- praised value which is to be made one j^ear after the close of the war. The labor question in constructing this development Avas a very serious one. Scouts were sent over the country as far as Missouri and Texas, and a maximum labor force of 3,000 was employed. Ex- cellent meals at the commissary, a w^elfare building, and other induce- ments Avere provided: but the labor secured was largely of the float- ing type, and the turnover was approximately 30 per cent per month. The method of erecting the buildings was to build the project in sections, by forming gangs of workmen to perform certain fixed kinds of work, and through repetition rendering them more efficient. Portable sawmills Avere erected on the site to take care of and cut all framing lumber and door and windoAv frames. The amount of material required for each house was sorted and stacked in a pile near where it was to be used. All the framing for the houses was cut at the mill, so that all that had to be done Avas to assemble it in the field. The Avails of the houses Avere erected on the ground and then lifted up into place. Owing to the intense desire for speed, Avhich seemed to permeate the very atmosphere, and the resultant tension under Avhich eA^eryone Avas living, it was necessary to provide a guard to protect the prop- erty and prevent quarrels. The guard consisted of loO marines, and access to and egress from the property was had b}' means of a pass. The guards made periodic inspections of the negro labor camps, and after each inspection came aAvay Avith a small arsenal of arms. This Cradock development was the largest single project con- structed b}^ the Housing Corporation, and is one of the most success- ful from an architectural standpoint, on account of the ample size and the beauty of design of all the numerous types, Avhich cause them to be suitable for the highest type of Avorker. WAR ACTIViriES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 501 To provide quarters for the laborers in the vicinity of Norfolk, the Bureau of Yards and Docks built certain labor camps out of emergency funds. A camp Avith a capacity of 500 to TOO men was built outside the naval operating base ; a camp for colored laborers, capacity about 300 men, at the navy yard; and another camp out- side the navy yard for white laborers, capacity about 1,000 men. This last camp was next to a camp constructed by the Housing Cor- poration, having a capacity of 2,000 men. PHILADELPHIA. At the navy yard, Philadelphia, Pa., there was tremendous ac- tivity and an influx of new workers. At the east end of the yard was the new naval aircraft factory employing 1,400 men. At the west end, new drj' clocks, piers, and shipways for the construction and repair of the largest ships were under way, one ship to cost $19,000,000 being under construction. By the spring of 1918, 15,000 workers were expected, and there was an entire lack of houses for men with families within one hour and a half of the navy yard by trolley. The percentage of labor turnover at the navy yard was large and was complicated by the fact that the Hog Island, Cramps, and other shipyards near-by offered man}^ inducements. For the benefit of the navy yard employees, the Housing Corpora- tion made plans for two sites. One of 36.5 acres lay along Oregon Avenue, and was 1^ miles north of the yard, all the land between being ver}^ low and requiring heavy filling. The other site com- prised an area of 94 acres on Penrose Avenue, which project was discontinued upon the signing of the armistice. At the Oregon Avenue site the Housing Corporation constructed 650 brick row houses at an expenditure of $3,693,636.29. These houses are grouped on blocks larger than the typical Philadelphia block, and the series of row houses in each block was made to group around a central open space, this space in each group serving and being developed as a neighborhood playground. QUINCY. At Quincy, a city of about 50,000 people, 7 miles southeast of Bos- ton, are located the great Fore River shipyards of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. Before the war the shipyards employed about 4.000 men. Navy Department and Shipping Board contracts increased this number nearly fourfold, producing a most serious housing shortage and entailing an enormous labor turnover. Over- crowding and the resulting bad sanitary conditions were most com- mon, A portion of the work of the shipyard continued night and 502 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, day, beino: conducted on a three-shift basis, and in some of the boarding houses beds were used on a three-shift basis also. TheHousino: Corporation, after a careful study of the situation, de- cided that the housing provided must be within walking distance of the yards on account of the congestion of street-car traffic and vari- ous transportation difficulties. Accordingly four sites were chosen, none being more than one-half mile from the yards. Housing was con- structed for 424 families in the form of 90 detached houses, 109 de- tached two-fiat, 57 semidetached, and 10 old houses repaired. At Cleverly Court there Avere built 21 dormitories for single men. accom- modating 4G men each, a total of 96G men. The expenditure for this housing was approximately $3,272,698.73. Some of the houses were built of brick, others of shingle or clapboard; roofs were of slate or asphalt shingles, generally green. The houses are of colonial type, as is fitting, considering the surrounding distric^. VALLEJO. The jNIare Island navy yard force was greatly augmented by reason of the war, and employees could find accommodation neither on Mare Island nor in the adjacent town of Vallejo. The nearest available site for civilian housing, not held at lot prices, was on the rather* steeply sloping hillsides north of Yallejo. facing southwest across Mare Island Strait, near the end of the causeway connecting Vallejo with the navy yard. Two tracts were secured by the Hous- ing Corporation, one of about 7 acres for dormitories and the other of about 110 acres for houses. Of the 110 acres only about half were developed, though all were planned. The site for houses is a steep hillside slope with a beautiful outlook toward the mountains of Marin County. The present development lies on the hillside fac- ing Mare Island Strait. The whole site was open pasture land, with neither houses nor trees. Approach to the site is by Wilson Avenue, along the shore. An imloading pier was built in front of the development, so that most of the materials might come by water, making a substantial differ- ence in the cost of the work. Provision was made in the plan for sites for two schools, a com- munity hall, and small group of stores, but none of these have yet been built. There is also opportunity for other community groups, including churches, moving-picture halls, and stores. The main lines of the street system consist of the approach street, Wilson Avenue, along the water front, and the main arterial street, Daniels Avenue, leaving Wilson Avenue at a narrow angle to minimize gradient, and lunning between the two rounded hill summits to the northern boundary of the property. There are also two other lines loading WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 503 bcack from the shore, Sims Avenue, running on easy curves over and around the hill where the slopes are less steep, and a series of streets near the southern boundary of the property, climbing the steep hill in a series of zigzags to obtain possible gradients, and even then being in places as steep as 12 per cent. The rest of the streets run for the most part parallel to the hillsides. There were a number of •instances where advantage was taken of the steep slopes and the considerable area betwen parallel streets to provide sites for groups of neighborhood garages, the buildings to be cut into the hillside. These have courts and approach drives to the near-by streets. The trend of most of the residential streets is east of south and west of north, and as they are arranged in tiers along the hillsides, houses facing them not only get morning and afternoon sun, but either the front or the rear rooms and porches command an inspiring view across the narrow strait, low-lying Mare Island, and the upper Avaters of San Francisco Bay to the mountains of Marin County and the summit of Mount Tamalpais only about 20 miles to the southwest. Because of the somewhat isolated location of the project, it was necessary to consider it as an independent town-site development, for which original provision for all utilities had to be made. The per- manency of the project as an adjunct of the navy yard being assured, the type of construction adopted was of a more durable character than that which might otherwise have been used. The side-hill location of the streets necessitated heavy grading, and the street paving demanded was of a type that would withstand moderately heavy traffic on fairly steep gradients, with adequate provision for heavy surface storm drainage. The water supply of the project is the same as that furnished the navy yard, being pumped into the main which crosses Mare Island Strait from pumping plants some miles distant near Cordelia, as well as being fed from gravity reservoirs. The main has been tapped on the Vallejo side of the strait. Fire protection is assured by the construction of a 500,000-gallon storage reservoir on the highest point of the property at an elevation of 210 feet. Water is delivered to this storage reservoir from the supply mains by means of a duplicate pumping plant, each pumping unit having a delivery capacity of 600 gallons per minute under a maximum head of 250 feet. These pumps are controlled both by hand and by an automatic electric control ap- paratus. All water entering the project is metered after leaving the supply main through a Venturi meter equipped with a recording ap- paratus. Individual meters measure all water from the distributing mains to the consumers. 504 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. The entire tract was sewered in conformity with the most modern practice. The dormitory and house sections of the project each have separate outfall seAvers extending into the tidal water of Mare Island Strait. The main outfall sewers were built sufficiently large to provide for any future extensions of the project which might be served by them. A complete system of 4-inch and G-inch gas mains was installed throughout the project for the distribution of low-pressure gas for heating and lighting. For the most part the water and gas pipes were carried in the same trenches. The system of street lighting adopted was that of single-globe electroliers placed along the curbs at intervals determined partly by the curvature of the streets. The maximum spacing of standards was 250 feet, with an aA^erage spacing of 190 feet. Each standard Avas equipped Avith tAAo 400-Avatt lamps. The Aviring for the street lighting system Avas carried throughout in underground conduits laid in the sidewalk area betAveen the curb and the walk. All elec- tricitA" for house lighting and such uses was carried by means of aerial circuits upon pole lines placed at the rear of lot lines betAveen the houses, Avith aerial drops from the poles to the houses. At no point is there an overhead AA'ire crossing on anj^ of the streets. Elec- tric current is furnished from the central switchboard of the Mare Island navy yard to the transformer station of the project, Avhich is located at the pumping station. Telephone service Avas provided, aerial cables being carried upon the poles at the rear of the lots AA'ith aerial drops to the houses. All telephone Avires were carried across the streets in underground conduits. At the dormitory site both the street and house lighting circuits AAere carried in underground conduits. An interesting planting scheme has been executed, Avhich includes a considerable variety of street trees, many of them evergreens, not spaced regularly, howeA'er, but arranged quite informally in con- nection AA'ith groups of shrubbery and such hardy ground cover as Mesembrianthemum. Care Avas taken to use only such plants as Avhen once established aa-ou1(1 thriA-e AAuth a minimum amount of maintenance and no irrigation, and as Avould best Avithstand the strong Avinds, Avhich are continuous through the summer months. The Housing Corporation built in this project 83 detached houses, 12 semidetached. HO semidetached 2-flat. and 10 dormitories, AA'ith cafeteria building, altogether accommodating 227 families and 400 single men, the approximate expenditure for this housing being $1,077,594.88. Certain lots, too steep for building, AA'ere set aside for neighborhood parks, and a generous playground of four acres AA'as reserved for the proposed upper school. All of these open spaces are to be treated informally as to paths and planting. Through co- WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUEEAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. 505 operation with the Navy Department, in connection with periodical maintenance dredging in Mare Island Strait, it is hoped to fill in the flats immediately in front of the housing project, and this filled ground would eventually be turned into a park or water-front play- ground. The roofs of the houses are all of wood shingles, which are left to weather naturally. All the trim was painted white, and the chimneys gray; the blinds were painted light green, and the walls of the houses of various colors. The project as a whole, because of its situation and topography, is one of the most picturesque of all the housing developments. The successful result is due to the cor- rect conception of the kinds of houses suitable for the site, and to skillful adjustment of the streets and house locations to the steep and rolling hillside. BREMERTON. The following summary of housing activities in the vicinity of the Puget Sound navy yard (Bremerton, Wash.) is taken from the account of the civil engineer officer in charge of public works there at the time. Capt. L. E. Gregorv : By the month of March, 1918, the need of additional housing had become so apparent that the commandant of the yard strongly urged a liberal hous- ing program, and in this work the public works officer necessarily became quite active in consultation relative to needs and ways and means. Being fa- miliar with contractors in the locality, the sources of supply of materials, and local conditions generally, he was in close touch with all the various com- mittees representing the Housing Corporation. The program finally adopted was the construction of a 350-room hotel on land owned by the Navy Depart- ment on the north side of Burwell Avenue, immediately opposite the navy yard foundry. An apartment house of 45 apartments was built on the corner of Seventh and Warren Streets. Both of the above-mentioned projects were made of substantial brick, with interiors of slow-burning, practically fireproof con- struction, and supplied with every modern convenience. There were also built 2.50 detached houses, scattered throughout the communities of Charleston and Bremerton, these being of wood construction of 3, 4, or 5 rooms, many of them with heating plants installed, and all with modern plumbing and light- ing facilities. The justification for this construction was proved by the prompt occupancy of all these houses, the apartments, and the hotel to the fullest capacity, practically as soon as they were available. Subsequent to the war the Housing Corporation adopted the policy of selling all of the individual houses, and further justification of the program is indicated by the promptness with which the houses were all sold. It has been reliably stated that the Bremerton houses were sold more readily .than those of any other project in the country. ' The hotel is being retained for operation under the direction of the commandant of the navy yard, inasmuch as it is located on Government property and connected directly with the navy yard by means of a tunnel under Burwell Avenue, making its location substantially as though it were within the physical limits of the yard. 506 WAR ACTIVITIES OF BUREAU OF YARDS AXD DOCKS. OTHER PROJECTS. At Indianlieail, McL, and South Charleston, W. Va., as at Bremer- ton, the situation arose Avhere the Housing Corporation constructed its projects on hind owned by the Xavy Department. AVhen the question of disposal of the various housing projects came up, it was decided that it would be desirable for the Navy Department to take over the above projects also. This transfer, from the Department of Labor to the Xavy Department, was effected by Executive order on June 29. 1920. The projects at Indianhead and South Charleston were jjlaced under the cognizance of the Bureau of Ordnance, and the operation of the hotel at Bremerton was placed under the direc- tion of the commandant of the yard, as stated. The hotel was oper- ated during the year, up to the date of transfer, under the Depart- ment of Labor, in accordance with a. contract originally entered into •with the Xavy Yard Hotel Association (Inc.), an organization of navy yard emploj-ees. This association afterwards assigned its lease to a second party. The lease, which was originally for one year, has since been extended for a term of three years. All of the remaining projects constructed by the L^nited States Housing Corporation for the Xavy Department are being appraised as rapidly as possible, and sold by the Housing Corporation, an effort being made to sell the dwelling houses direct to prospective individual home owm.'rs who are citizens of the United States, and Avho desire the houses for theii' own occupancy. INDEX. A. Page. Acknowledgments 5 Air compressors, reciprocating and rotary 059 Akron, Ohio, Navy extension to plant of Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Co 232 Alameda, Calif., Xavy extension to Union plant of Bethlehem Ship- building Corporation 227,229 Alexandria, Va., torpedo-assembly plant 284 Ammunition depots 280 Annapolis, Md., high-power radio sta- tion 363 Sec also Naval Academy. Appropriations : Bancroft Hall extension 37 Bunkering plants 358 Hospital construction 103 Marine railways 211 Shipbuilding and repair facil- ities 156 Storage facilities, specific appro- priations since 191G 321 Armor and projectile plants, Charles- ton, W. Va 301 Armor Plant Board .301 Aviation facilities 395 Bay Shore, L. I., air station 401 Brest, France, air station 429 Brittany, stations in 425 Brooklyn, N. Y., airplane storage building at fleet supply ba.se 331 Brunswick, Ga., construction of emergency air station 404 Cape May, N. J., air station 401 Chatham, Mass., air station 401 Coco Solo, C. Z., air station 401 Dunkerque. France, aviation ba.se 422 Eastleigh. England, aviation as- sembly and repair base 422 Functions of land bases 395 Guipavas, France, dirigible sta- tion 435 Hampton Roads, Va. — Airplane-storage building at fleet supply base 331 Air sta/tion 401 lie Tudy, France, seaplane sta- tion-__ 433 Key West, Fla.. air station 401 I/Abervrach. France, seaplane station 434 I>abor difficulties in France 425 Aviation facilities — Continued. Magnitude of work accomplished Page, abroad 426 Moutauk, L. I., air station .390 Pauillac, France, aviation repair base 421 Pensacola, Fla., pernianeiit air station ^n Philadelphia, Pa. — Airplane-storage building at aircraft factory 331 Naval aircraft factory 417 Quecnstown, Ireland, aviation repair base 421 Rockaway Beach, L. I., air sta- tion 39G San Diego, Calif., air station- 401, 412 Treguier, France, seaplane sta- tion 4;{(j United States, eight original sta- tions 396 United States, expansion ex- pected : cost 407. 40S United States, stations closed since the war 408 United States, supplementary program 402 War construction abroad 417 War construction abroad, re- capitulation 419 B. Bakivelopm<'nts undertaken during ■\v;^ 1' 132, 13o East camp 69 Fleet-supply base 317, 344 General storehouse 317 Housing project 498 .Tamestown Exposition site taken over 1"5 I*iml)erts Point Imnkiring plant_ 332 Hampton Roads, Va.. naval operat- ing base — Continued. Page. Merchandise piers 344 Schools at training camp 66 Submarine base 390 Temporary storehouses 328 Torpedo storage 287 Training camp, original 65, 136 Harris, Rear Admiral F. R., chief of bureau Harvard radio school, Cambridge, Mass Heating: Boiler plant at East Camp, Hampton Roads, Va Boiler plant at original train- ing camp, Hampton Roads, Va Boiler plant. Cloyne Field, New- port, R. I 263 Boiler plants. Coddington Point, Newport, R. I Boiler plant, permanent, in in- dustrial section,, Hampton Roads, Va Centralized heating system at Coaster's Harbor Island camp, Newport Heating plant, Pelham Bay Park, N. Y -— - Naval aircraft factory, Phila- delphia, Pa., boiler plant Types of boiler plants for camps. Vacuum-return system used in Potomac Park buildings Helium, discovery of Helium Production Plant, Fort Worth, Tex Capacity and costs 448 Experimental plants 437 Gas holders 447 Pipe line for natural gas, Pe- trolia. Fort Worth 438 Power supply 446 Separation of helium from nat- ural gas Site ; buildings Hollyday, Rear Admiral R. C, chief of bureau Hinsham, Mass. : Ammunition depot Training camp Holtoken, N. J. : Bunkering plant 356 Steam ongini ering school, Ste- vens Institute •'2 Hospitals : Appropriations for construction- Brooklyn. N. Y., fireproof hos- pital buildings and nurses' quarters Corfu. Greece, proposed hospital- Costs of emergency hospital con- struction Dispensaries 36 48 2C5 204 263 20." 49 204 208 81 480 437 437 442 443 35 280 47 103 114 127 103 125 INDEX. 513 Hospitals — ContiNued. Emergency hospitals established Page. during the war 98, 100, 103 Gibraltar, proposed hospital 127 Halifax, Nova Scotia, proposed emergency hospital 119 Hospital bases, proposed, de- sign of 97 Hospitals constructed overseas- 125 Laboratories for research at hospitals 120 New Orleans, La., emergency hospital 109 Norfolk, Va., emergency hos- pital, development of 110 Pelham Bay Park, N. Y., de- velopment of emergency hos- pitals at camp 113 Queenstowu, Ireland, naval base hospital No. 4 126 Recreation facilities at hospi- tals 120 Wards Island, N. Y., emergency hospital 114, 119 Washington, D. C, emergency hospital 113 Yorktown, Va., proposed hospi- tal 120 Housing for the Nav> : Bridgeport, Conn 49C Charleston. W. Va 506 Hampton Roads, Va 498 Indianhead, Md 506 Mare Island, Calif 502 Norfolk, Va 501 Philadelphia, Pa 501 Puget Sound, Wash 505 Quincy, Mass 501 Hunters Point, Calif. : Dry dock available for naval use under contract 252 Navy extension to Union plant of Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation 227, 229 I. He Tudy, France, seaplane station__ 433 Indianhead (Md.) Naval Proving Ground and smokeless-powder factory 290 Artesian water-supply system 292 Bulkhead and timber pier 295 Housing project 506 Power-plant extensions 277 Quarters and shops 291 Railroad connection 292 Storehouse and factory build- ings 290 Information office, bureau 24, 460 Inspection section, bureau 461 lona Island, N. Y.. ammunition depot 280 Isherwood Hall. (See Naval Acad- emy.) Isolation against contagious dis- eases at camps 43, 44, 77 J. Pagt. Jamestown Exposition site taken over . 135 .Tefferson, Thomas. project for multiple dry dock 33 K. Keyport, Wash., torpedo station 284 Key West, Fla., naval station : Air station 401 Marine Corps barracks 93 Submarine base 393 Training camp 73 Kuahua, Hawaii, ammunition depot. 280 L. L'Abervrach, France, seaplane sta- tion 434 Laboratories for research at hospi- tals 120 Labor problem in construction of emergency office buildings, Poto- mac Park, D. C 490 Labor problem on Cradock housing project, Portsmouth. Va 500 Lafayette radio station 366.367 Lake Denmark, N. J., ammunition depot 280 LaPallice, France, fuel oil tanks shipped and erected at 360, 363 Latrobe, Benjamin II., consultant on multiple dry dock 33 Laundry facilities at Croix d' Hins camp, France 379 Letter of request from Secretary Daniels 3 Letter of transmittal b.v Admiral Parks 5 Linoleum, use of, in Potomac Park buildings 490 Long, Hon. .John D.. favorable action on Bunce Board report 18 L'Orienl, France, fuel-oil tanks shipped and erected at 360, 363 Luce Hall. (See Naval Academy.) Lumber contracts, training station, Great Lakes, 111 84 Lumber storage : General program executed 337 Type layout for 332 M. Maintenance and Operation Division of the Bureau of Yards and Docks- 463 Mare Island (Calif.) Navy Yard: Ammunition depot 1 280 Battleship wavs, reconstruction of 197 Boat-storage building 331 Destroyer ways 197 Freight shed 337 General development 150 Housing project 502 514 INDEX. Mare Island (Calif.) Navy Yard— Page. Continued. Machine shop 175 150-ton floating crane 208 Oxygen - hydrogen - acetylene plant 176 Power plant improvements 273 Receiving ship and barracks 78 Structural shop 164 Submarine base 390 Torpedo storage 287 Marine Corps projects : Barracks for guards at ammuni- tion depots 283 Barracks, Key West, Fla 93 Barracks, Peking, China 93 Barracks, Philadelphia, Pa 93 Barracks, Portsmouth, N. H 93 Expeditionary base, San Diego, Calif 93 Quartermaster and advance-base storehouse, Philadelphia, Pa_ 93 Quartermaster storehouse, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 93 Training camp, Parris Island, S. C 94 Training camp, Quantico, Va 94 Marine railways : Appropriations 211 Boston, Mass 211 Cape May, N. J., section base — 211 Charleston, S. C 211 Corfu, Greece, proposed 211 General data 211, 214 Great Lakes, 111 211 Newport, R. I., training station. 211 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 211 San Diego, Calif 211 Medicine and Surgery, Bureau of : Cooperation with yards and docks on training-camp facili- ties 43 Hospitals started overseas 140 Minimum allowances for sleep- ing quarters in camps 47 Request for additional hospital facilities at Norfolk 110 Sanitary requirements. City Park camp 59 Sanitary requirements. Mare Island receiving-ship camp __ 78 Space requirements at Norfolk camp 65 Melville, R. I., oil-storage plant 359 Merchandise piers at Hampton Roads, Va 344 Mine depots 287 Standard mine-storage building- 289 Moniauk, L. I., air station 396 Mooring facilities 154 N. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. : Appropriations for Bancroft Hall extension 37 Ensigns' school 69 Naval Academy, Annapolis. Md. — Con. Pag?. Power plant extension 271 War-time development of acad- emy 37 Naval base, proposed, San Francisco Bay, studies for 154 Naval ratings clearing port of New York during war 62 Navassa Island, West Indies, landing of spar for radio station 366 New London, Conn., submarine base : Ammunition depot 280 General development 385 General storehouse 317 Mine depot 288 New power plant 267 Torpedo storage 287 New Orleans, La., naval station : Ammunition storage 280 Emergency hospital 109 Power plant 274 Training camp 74 Newport News, Va. : Bunkering plant 352 Navy coal-storage plant, Chesa- peake & Ohio Railway 233, 234 Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Navy plant ex- tension 221 Newport, R. I. : Cloyne Ficld^ Boiler plant 263 Training camp 52 Coasters Harbor Island — New power plant 263 Training station 49 Coddington Point — Boiler plants 263 Training camp 51 Training camp, completion of 82 Torpedo station 283 Torpedo station, new power plant at 265,267 Torpedo storage 287 Training station, marine rail- way at 211 Training station, original 41 New York Navy Yard — Armed-guard camp. City Park, Brooklyn 58 Dry-dock crane 208 General development 143 General storehouse 317 Details of design 327 Machine shops 175 Metals storage 332 I'ower plant 270 Receiving-ship congestion 52 Structural shop 164 Temporary storehouses 328 Ways for battleship construc- tion 189 New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Navy extension to yard at Cam- den, N. .1 224 INDEX. 515 Norfolk (Va.) Navy Yard: Page. Auxiliary fitting-out craues 204 Berthing facilities 207 Bungalow camp 65 Development plan 131 Dry-dock crane 208 Dry Dock No. 4, design and con- struction 239 Dry Docks Nos. 6 and 7 240 Emergency hospital, develop- ment of 110 Fitting-out pier 198 Foundry 169 Galvanizing plant 176 General development . 143 Housing project 501 Lumber-storage project 337 Machine shop, neavy 175 150-ton floating crane 208 Oxygen - hydrogen - acetylene plant 176 ' Pattern shop and storage build- ing 170 Power plant 180,255 Receiving ship ' 65 St. Helena training station 41 Steel-storage shed 163 Structural shop, details of 163 Temporary storehouses 328 Tracks, streets, and sewers 207 Ways for liattleship construc- tion 189 Xurses' quarters. (See Hospitals.) O. Olongapo, P. I., ammunition (lepot__ 280 Ordnance facilities 279 Alexandria, Va., torpedo-assem- bly plant 284 Barracks for marine guards at ammunition depots 283 Bellevue, D. C, new structures at naval magazine 300 Cavite, P. I., ammunition depot- 280 Charleston, S. C. — Ammunition depot 280 Torpedo storage 287 Charleston, W. Va., armor and projectile plants 301 Coco Solo, C. Z., torpedo stor- age 287 Fire protection at ammunition depots 282 Fort Lafayette, N. Y., ammu- nition depot 280 Fort MiflBin, Pa., ammunition depot 280 Hampton Roads. Va., torpedo storage 287 Hinghani. Mass., ammunition depot 280 Indianhead (Md.) Naval Prov- ing Ground and smokeless- powder factory 290 Power-plant extensions 277 Ordnance facilities — Continued. Page, lona Island, N. Y., ammunition depot 280 Koyport, Wash., torpedo sta- tion 284 Kuahua, Hawaii, ammunition depot 280 Lake Denmark, N. J., ammuni- tion depot 280 Mare Island, Calif. — Ammunition depot 280 Torpedo storage 287 New London, Conn. — -Ammunition depot 280 Mine depot 288 Torpedo storage 287 New Orleans, La., ammunition storage 280 Newport, R. I. — Torpedo station 283 Torpedo storage 287 Olongapo, P. L, ammunition depot 280 Pensacola, Fla., torpedo storage. 287 Puget Sound, Wash., ammuni- tion depot 280 Railway connection for mine de- pot, Yorktown, Va 289 St. Juliens Creek, Va — -Vmmunition depot 280 Mine-filling plant 288 Torpedo storage 287 Torpedo storage, standard store- houses and racks for 287 Trackage, additional, at ammu- nition depots 282 Washington, D. C, Navy Yard — Expansion of facilities-. 295, 300 Gun shop 180, 296 Yorktown, Va., mine depot and filling plant 288 Organization : Bureau of Yards and Docks, 1916 to armistice 21 Construction Division of Bureau of Yards and Docks 455 Maintenance and Operation Di- vision of the Bureau of Yards and Docks 463 I'ublic-works force at Great Lakes 85,88 Overseas projects : Aviation — Construction abroad 417 Construction abroad, reca- pitulation 419 Croix d'Hins, France, Lafayette radio station 360, 307 Fuel-oil storage 360, 361 Hospitals 125 Oxygen-hydrogen-acetylene plants 170 P. Parks, Rear Admiral C. W., chief of bureau ^^ Parris Island, S. C, Marine Corps training camp 94 Parsons, Comdr. A. L 480,494 516 INDEX. Pauillac, Franco, aviation repair Page, base 421 I'eail Harbor, Hawaii, naval station : Dry-docli crane 208 Dry Dock No. 1 — Design and construction of- 244 First unwatering 251 Formal opening 251 General storehouse 317 Kualiua, ammunition depot 280 Machine shop 1"5 Marine Corps quartermaster storehouse 93 Marino railway 211 Oil-storage plant 359 Power-plant equipment, purchase of 273 Radio station 365 Submarine base 382 Pelting, China, Marino Corps bar- racliS 93 Pelham Bay Park, N. Y., training camp : Construction of 5G Development of emergency hos- pitals at camp 113 Heating plant 264 Necessity for camp 55 Pensacola, Fla., air station 411 General development 153 Power plant improvements 274 Torpedo storage 287 Personnel : Naval ratings clearing port of New York during war 02 Organization of public-works force at Great Lakes 85, 88 Personnel of Bureau of I'ards and Docks — General 25 Technical 27 Philadelphia, Pa., Naval Home, cook- ing school 64 Philadelphia (Pa.) Navy Y'ard : Airplane-storage building at air- craft factory 331 Auxiliary fitting-out crane 204 Boat shop 176 Boat-storage building 331 Development plan 131 Dry-dock cranes 208 Dry Dock No. 3, design and con- struction of 243 Fitting-out pier 198 Foundry 160 Galvanizing plant 176 General development and in- crease of area 143 General storehouses 317 Housing project 501 Machine shop, heavy 175 Marine Corps barracks 93 Marine Corps quartermaster and advance-base storehouse 93 Mine-sweeper ways 197 Naval aircraft factory 417 Philadelphia (Pa.) Navy Yard — Con. Page Naval aircraft factory, boiler plant in 268 Oxygen-hydrogen-acetylene plant 176 I'attern shop and storage build- ing 170 Power plant 180,255 Radio lowers 366 Structural shop 164 Submarine station 386 Temporary storehouses 328 350-ton fitting-out crane 199 Tracks, streets, and sewers 207 Training camp and receiving ship 62 Ways for capital-ship construc- tion 184 Photograph flics, Bureau Piers : Coco Solo, C. Z., development of submarine base 386 Fitting-out piers and cranes, general design 107 Hampton Roads, Va. — • ;\[( rcliandisc i)i('rs 344 Submarine base 390 Key West, Fla., submarine base_ 393 Mare Island, Calif., submarine base 390 Now London, Conn., submarine base, general development 385 Norfolk, Va., fltting-out pier 198 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, submarine base 382 Philadelphia, Pa. — Fitting-ont pier 198 Submarine station 386 Piers and other improvements at ammunition depots 282 Type plan for submarine base — 381 Y^orktown, Va. — Fuel-oil pier 360 Pier at mine depot 289 Pipe line for natural gas, Pctrolia- Fort Worth 438 Plan files of bureau 460 Port au Prince, Haiti, radio masts__ 366 Potrero works, San Francisco, Calif., Navy extension to Union plant of Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corpora- tion 227, 229 Portsmouth, N. II., navy yard : Machine shop 175 Marine Corps barracks 93 Power plant 260 Prison camp 48 Submarine ways 197 Potomac Park emergency office huild- ings, Washington, D. C 479 Power plants : Boston, Mass., power plant ex- tension 271 Charleston, S. C -59 Charleston, W. Va., armor plant, contract for powei- supply 1114 INDEX. 517 Power plants — Coutiiuied. Contracts, cost-plus, awarded for training camp power Page. plants 263 Hampton Roads, Va. — Boiler plant at East Camp- 265 Boiler plant at original training camp - 264 Permanent boiler plant in industrial section 265 Indianhead, Md., naval proving ground and smokeless-powder factory, power-plant e x t e n - sions 277 Mare Island, Calif., power plant improvements 273 Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., power plant extension 271 New Loudon. Conn 267 New Orleans, La 274 Newport, R. I. (Cloyne Field), boiler plant 263 Newport, R. I. (Coasters Harbor Island), new power plant 263 Newport, R. I. (Coddington Point), boiler plants 263 Newport. R. I., torpedo station. new power-plant 265,267 New York 270 Norfolk, Va 180, 255 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, equip- ment, purchase of 278 Pelham Bay Park, N. Y., heat- ing plant 264 Pensacola, Fla.. improvements 274 Philadelphia. Pa 180, 255 Philadelphia, Pa., naval air- craft factory, boiler plant in_ 268 Portsmouth, N. H 260 Power plants, centralization of_ 41 Puget Sound. Wash., improve- ments 273 Washington. D. C 261 Power supply for helium-production plant. Fort Worth. Tex 446 Power-transmission line, Croix d'Hins, France 371 Public works of the Navy : Baldwin, Loammi, jr.. designer of 33,34 Relation of Bureau of Yards and Docks to 17 Value of. 1897 IS Value of, 1914-1919 19 Puget Sound (Wash.) Navy Yard; Ammunition depot 280 Development plan 131 Dry dock for shipbuilding 190 General development 146 General storehouse 317 Housing project 505 Metals storage 332 Minesweeper ways 197 Oil-storage plant 359 Power plant improvements 273 Receiving ship and training camp 79 Q. Quantico, Va., Marine Corps train- Page. ing camp 94 Queenstown, Ireland : Aviation repair base 421 Naval base hospital No. 4 126 Quincy, Mass. : Fuel-oil school 48 Housing project 501 Navy extensions to Fore River plant of Bethlehem Shipbuild- ing Corporation 230 Squantum torpedo-destroyer plant 218 R. Radio stations 365 Annapolis, Md., high-power 365 Bar Harbor, Me., barracks and quarters 366 Cavite, P. I 365 Cayey. P. R., high-power 365 Charleston, S. C, tower 366 Croix d"Hins, France, Lafayette radio station 366, 367 Cuban Government, radio tow- ers procured for 366 Minor projects 366 N a V a s s a Island, West Indies, landing of spar for radio sta- tion 366 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 365 Philadelphia, Pa., towers 366 Port au Prince, Haiti, masts 366 San Diego, Calif 365 St. Thomas, V. I., towers 366 Radio school, Cambridge. Mass 48 Railways. (See Transportation ; Marine railways.) Receiving ships : Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. N. Y 61 Bensonhurst. L. I., Base Six 55 Boston, Mass ^ 46 Charleston, S. C, receiving ship and bungalow camp 70 City Park, armed-guard camp, Brooklyn 58 Ellis Island, N. Y., receiving- ship quarters 59 Mare Island, Calif., receiving ship and barracks 78 Norfolk. Va 65 Philadelphia, Pa., training camp and receiving ship 62 Puget Sound, Wash., receiving ship and training camp 79 Receiving-ship congestion at New York Navy Yard 52 Recreation facilities at camps 44 Recreation facilities at hospitals 120 Requisitions, handling of, during war period, by bureau 467 Reserve officers. Corps of Civil Engi- neers, U. S. Navy 35 518 INDEX. Risdon yard. San Francisco, Calif.. Navy extension to Union plant of Page. Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corpora- tion 227, 229 Rockaway Beach, L. I., air station__ 396 Rousseau, Rear Admiral H. H., chief of !)ureau 35 San Diego, Calif. : Air station 401,412 Marine Corps expeditionai-y base_ 93 Marine railway 211 Oil-storage plant 359 Radio station 365 Training camp, Balboa Park 77 San Francisco, Calif. : Goat Island training station. original (Yerba Buena) 41 Goat Island training station, war expansion 7S Naval base, proposed, San Fran- cisco Bay, studies for 154 Navy extension to Union plant of Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation 227, 229 Sanger, W. P. S., first civil engineer of the Navy 34 San Pedro, Calif., training camp 77 Santo Domingo, activities of the Corps of Civil Engineers in 449 Schmoele tract, Norfolk Navy Yard-- 143 Seattle, Wash., training camp on grounds of State University 79 Sewage disposal : At Lafayette radio station con- struction camp 371 At naval air station, Chatham, Mass 402 Norfolk, Va., tracks, streets, and sewers 207 Philadelphia. Pa., tracks, streets, and sewers 207 Portsmouth. Va.. system in- stalled at Cradock housing project 500 Vallejo, Calif., system installed- 504 Sewalls Point, Va., Navy coal-storage plant, Virginian Railway 233, 234 Shipbuilding and repair facilities : Appropriations 156 Development of plans and re- sults accomplished 157, 158 General conditions and program undertaken 155 Shipbuilding slips : Charleston, S. C, destroyer ways 197 General design of slips, runways. cranes, and launching ways- 180. 183 Mare Island. Calif. — Battleship ways, reconstruc- tion of 197 Destroyer ways 197 Shipbuilding slips — Continued. Newport News, Va., ways pro- page, vided under Navy plant exten- sion -__ 221 New York, ways for battleship construction 189 Norfolk, Va., ways for battleship construction 189 Philadelphia, Pa. — Minesweeper ways 197 Ways for capital-ship con- struction 184 Portsmouth, N. H., submarine ways 197 Puget Sound, Wash. — Dry dock for shipbuilding- 190 Minesweeper ways 197 Quincy, Mass., Navy extensions to Fore River plant of Bethle- hem Shipbuilding Corporation- 230 San Francisco, Calif., Navy ex- tension to Union plant of Bethlehem Shipbuilding Cor- poration 227, 229 Squantum, Mass., destroyer ways 218 U. S. S. Pyro and T^lttro built in Puget Sound dock 195. 197 Shipyard and industrial plant exten- sions : Akron, Ohio. Navy extension to plant of Wellman-Seaver-Mor- gan Co 232, 233 Camden, N. J.. Navy extension to yard of New York Ship- building Corporation 224 Detroit. Mich., Navy extension to Ford Motor Co. plant 223 Erie, Pa., Navy extension at plant of Erie Forge Co 223 Necessity, character of assist- ance, etc 215 Newport News, Va., Navy coal- storage plant, Chesapeake & Ohio Railway 233,234 Projects undertaken, general 217 Quincy, Mass.. Navy extensions to Fore River plant of Bethle- hem Shipbuilding Corpora- tion 230 Sewalls Point, Va., Navy coal- storage plant. Virginian Rail- way 233. 23^ Shops : Boat shop, Philadelphia, Pa 176 Factors entering into design of shops 162 Forge and furnace building at Charleston. W. Va 309 Foundry and shops. Boston, Mass 16S Galvanizing plant, Norfolk, Va_ 176 Galvanizing plant, Philadelphia, Pa 176 General development, submarine base. New Jjondon, Conn 3S5 INDEX. 519 Shops — Continued. Page Gun shop, Washington, D. C- 180,296 Gun-treatment building at ar- mor plant. Charleston, W. Va_ 310 Machine shop at armor plant, Charleston, W. Va 310 Machine shop, Boston, Mass 175 Machine shop, heavy, Norfoll^, Va 175 Machine shop, heavy, Philadel- phia, Pai 175 Machine shop. Mare Island. Calif 175 Machine shop. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 175 Machine shop, Portsmouth. N. H 175 Machine shop, projectile plant, Charleston, W. Va 302 Machine shop, Washington, D. C 297 Machine shops, general design of 170 Machine shops. New York 175 Naval aircraft factory, Phila- delphia. Pa 417 Navy extension at plant of Erie Forge Co., Erie, Pa 223 Navy extensions to Fore River plant of Bethlehem Shipbuild- ing Corporation, Q u i n c y , Mass 230 Navy extension to Ford Motor Co. plant, Detroit, Mich 223 Navy extension to plant of Well- man-Seaver-Morgan Co., Ak- ron, Ohio 232, 233 Navj' extension to Union plant of Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. San Francisco. Calif 227, 229 Navy extension to yard of New York Shipbuilding Corpora- tion, Camden, N. J 224 Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. Navy plant ex- tension 221 Open-hearth plant, Charleston, W. Va 309 Optical shop, Washington, D. C 298 Oxygen - hydrogen - acetylene plant, Mare Island, Calif 176 Oxygen - hydrogen - acetylene plant, Norfolk, Va 176 Oxygen - hydrogen - acetylene plant, Philadelphia, Pa 176 Pattern and joiner shop, Wash- ington, D. C 298 Pattern shop and storage build- ing, Charleston, S. C 170 Pattern shop and storage build- ing, Norfolk, Va 170 Pattern shop and storage build- ing, Philadelphia, Pa 170 Shops — Continued. Page. Pattern shop and storage build- ings, general design of 170 Quarters and shops, Indian- head, Md 291 Structural shop. Mare Island, Calif 164 Structural shop. New York 164 Structural shop, details of, Norfolk, Va 163 Structural shop, Philadelphia, Pa 164 Structural shops, general de- sign of 163 Type plan for submarine base 381 Sims, Admiral W. S., request for oil tanks for Brest 360 Specifications, preparation, and issue of, by Bureau 455, 460 Squantum, Mass., torpedo-destroyer plant 218 Stanford, Rear Admiral H. R., chief of Bureau 36 Steam Engineering School, Stevens Institute, Iloboken, N. J 62 St. .Tuliens Creek, Va. : Ammunition depot 280 Mine-filling plant 288 Torpedo storage 287 Storage facilities : Baltimore, Md., reserve coal- storage denot 351 Boston, Mass. — - General storehouse 317 Metals storage 332 Reserve coal-storage depot- 348 Brooklyn. N. Y. — Airplane-storage building at fleet supply base 331 Fleet supply base 317, 338 Temporary storehouses. South Brooklyn 328 Constable Hook, N. J., reserve coal-storage depot 347 Charleston, S. C. — General storehouse 317 Pattern shop and storage building 170 Reserve coal-storage depot- 351 Emergency fueling plants 321, 34T Fuel-oil storage. (See separate heading.) General results of war program- 318 Hampton Roads, Va. — Airplane-storage building at fleet supply base 331 Cold-storage plant 328 Fleet supply base 317, 344 General storehouse 317 Lamberts Point bunkering plant 352 Temporary storehouses 328 Hoboken, N. .!., bunkering plant- 356 Lumber storage — Type layout for 332 General i>rogram executed- 33T 520 INDEX. Storage facilities — Continued. Page. Mare Island. Calif. — Boat-storage building 331 Freight shed 337 Necessity for war increase 317 New London, Conn., general storehouse 317 Newport News. Va. — Bunkering plant 352 Navy coal-storage plant, Chesapeake «& Ohio Rail- way 233, 234 New York — General storehouse 317 General storehouse, detail design 327 Metals storage 332 Temporary storehouses 328 Norfolk, Va. — Lumber storage project 337 Pattern shop and storage building 170 Steel-storage shed 1G3 Temporary storehouses 328 Ordnance storage. (See Ord- nance Facilities.) Pattern shop and storage build- ings, general design of 170 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii — General storehouse 317 Marine Corps quartermaster storehouse 93 Permanent general storehouses, design and construction de- tails 322 Philadelphia, Pa. — Airplane-storage building at aircraft factory 331 Boat-storage building 331 General storehouses 317 Marine Corps quartermaster and advance-base store- houses 93 Pattern shop and storage building 170 Temporary storehouses 328 Puget Sound, Wash. — General storehouse 317 Metals storage 332 Sewalls Point, Va., Navy coal- storage plant, Virginian Rail- way 223, 234 Specific appropriations since 1916 321 Summary of permanent projects executed 327 Temporary storage facilities. 318, 328 Type plan 317 Washington, D. C, general store- house 317 St. Thomas, V. I., radio towers 366 Subdivisions, typical, of a camp 45 Submarine bases : Coco Solo, C. Z .386 Design of barracks 382 Hampton Roads. Va 390 Submarine bases — Continued. Page. Key West, Fla 393 Mare Island, Calif 390 New London, Conn., general de- velopment 38.^ Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 382 Philadelphia. Pa., submarine station 386 Proposed Avest coast develop- ments 390 Type plan 381 Submarine ways, Portsmouth, N. H_ 197 Summerville, N. Y., camp 55 T. Tarrytown, N. Y., tent camp 55 Torpedo stations 283 Torpedo storage, standard store- houses and racks for 287 Tower erection, Lafayette radio sta- tion 372, 376 Training ashore for recruits, the sys- tem 43 Training camps : Bumkin Island (Boston) 46 Charleston, S. C 70 Contracts, cost-plus, awarded for training camp power plants — 263 Gulf port. Miss., emergency train- ing camp 74 Hampton Roads, Va.— East Camp 69 Original camp 65 Hingham, Mass 47 Key West, Fla 73 New Orleans, La 74 Newport, R. I. — - Cloyne Field 52 Coddington Point 51 Coddington Point training camp, completion of 82 Parris Island, S. C, Marine Corps training camp 94 Pelham Bay Park. N. Y 55, 56 Philadelphia, Pa 62 Puget Sound. Wash., receiving ship and training camp 79 Quantico, Va., Marine Corps camp 94 San Diego. Calif., training camp, Balboa Park 77 San Pedro, Calif 77 Seattle, Wash., training camp on grounds of State University — 79 SuramM-ville, N. Y., camp 55 Training stations : Great Lakes, 111 41 Cost 76 War expansion and capacity of 75 Newport, R. I 41 Newport, R. I., Coasters Harbor Island 49 Norfolk, Va., St. Helena 41 INDEX. 521 Training stations — Continued. Page. San Francisco, Calif., Goat Island (Yerba Buena) 41 San Francisco, Calif., Goat Island (Yerba Buena), war expansion 78 Training stations, original 41 Transportation : Auxiliary construction at South Brooklyn supply base 344 Concrete road for mine depot, Yorktown, Ta 289 Development of highways in Haiti 451 Facilities provided for transpor- tation at navy yards 470 Intershop handling of steel at Charleston armor plant 305 Motor vehicles shipped abroad 474 Performance of motor vehicles at Great Lakes training sta- tion 90 Procurement of materials for Lafayette radio station 371 Railroad connection for Indian- head 292 Railroad facilities for construc- tion of Lafayette radio sta- tion 370 Railway connection for mine de- pot, Yorktown, Va 289 Steam and electric railway im- provements at naval operating base, Hampton Roads, Va 140 Trackage, additional, at ammu- nition depots 282 Tracks, streets, and sewers, Nor- folk, Va 207 Tracks, streets, and sewers, Philadelphia. Pa '. 207 Treguier, France, seaplane station__ 436 Trucks. (-S'cc Trahsportation.) Type plan for navy yard 131 U. United States Housing Corporation : Housing provided for the Navy 495 U. S. S. Electrician 66 U. S. S. Pyro and Nitro built in Puget Soimd dock 195, 197 U. S. S. yVisconsin, docking of, Norfolk, Vn 240 V. Vallejo, Calif. : Causeway to Mare Island yard- 150 Housing project 1 502 Virginian Railway, Navy coal-stor- age plant of. Sewalls Point, Va 233, 234 Virgin Islands, activities of Corps of Civil Engineers in 452 W. Wards Island. N. Y.. emergency hos- pital 114. 119 Costs of construction 100 Washington, D. C, emergency hos- Page. pital 113 Washington (D. C.) Navy Yard: Brass foundry 298 Expansion of facilities 295 General foundry extension 298 General storehouse 317 Gun shop 180, 296 Gun shop, large cranes in 296 Gun-shrinkage pit 297 Machine shop 297 Optical shop 298 Outside cranes for gun-han- dling 300 Pattern and joiner shop 298 Power plant 261 Seaman gunners' quarters 300 Water-front improvements : Berthing facilities, Norfolk, Va_ 207 Bulkheading, dredging, and fill- ing at naval operating base, Hampton Roads, Va 136, 139 Development of submarine base, Coco Solo. C. Z 386 Grading and filling at Puget Sound Navy Yard 149 Indianhead, Md., concrete bulk- head and timber pier 295 Piers and other improvements at ammunition depots 282 Pier at mine depot, Yorktown, Va 289 Submarine base, Hampton Roads, Va 390 Submarine base, Key West, Fla_ 393 Wharf at mine-filling plant, St. Juliens Creek, Va 288 Water supply : Croix d'Hins construction camp, methods of procuring water supply 369, 370 For training camps 81 He Tudy, France) expedients em- ployed 433 Improvements at Bremerton, Wash., for yard and city use- 146 Indianhead, Md., artesian water supply 292 • L'Abervrach, France, system de- vised 434 Parris Island, S. C, Marine Corps camp, submerged pipe line 94 Portsmouth, Va., service for Cradock housing project 499 Quantico. Va.. Marine Corps camp, additional supply 94 Treguier, France, fresh water obtained at 436 Vallejo hoasing project, system installed "'03 Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Co., Akron. Ohio, Navy extension to plant-- 232, 233 West Indies, activities of civil engi- neer corps in -i-iO 522 INDEX. T. Yards and Docks, Bureau of : Page. Construction Division 455 Establishment of 34 Maintenance and Operation Di- vision 40:! Organization of the bureau, 1916 to armistice 21 Personnel 25 Yards and Docks, Bureau of — Con. Relation to public works of the Page. Navy 17 Yerba Buena (Goat Island) training station, San Francisco, Calif 41, 78 Yorktown, Va. : Mine depot and filling plant 288 Naval fuel depot 360 Proposed hospital 120 o f This book is DUE on the last date stamped below m^d ID-URL JAN 111988 Form L-9-15m-7,'32 3 1158 00557 3836 a^ UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 001 168 543 5 UNIVERSITY of CATJFORNIA LOS Ai^bl^LEt) LIBRARY