Admiral STANFORD. It was proposed in the temporary structure to use wooden siding and corrugated roofing in order to obtain a building of maximum dimensions to meet present needs.

Mr. BUTLER. Mr. Chairman, what is the policy of the Government, if you know, as to whether or not we are going to stay at Guantanamo and develop it?

The CHAIRMAN. All I know is that in accordance with present policy a moderate station is being built sufficient for making minor repairs and for the use of the fleet during winter maneuvers.

Mr. BUTLER. The appropriations for Guantanamo have not been large; rather of a hesitating character.

The CHAIRMAN. We appropriated $370,000 two years ago.
Admiral STANFORD. $378,500.

The CHAIRMAN. For the purpose of building a station there to accommodate the maneuvering fleet during the winter season.

It occurs to me, following the suggestion of Mr. Browning, that corrugated iron only means 8, 10, or 12 years at any place where you put it.

Admiral STANFORD. The bureau is making every possible effort to have its new constructions at the principal yards of permanent character to reduce expenditures on account of repairs and maintenance and in order that when the structure is completed it will no longer be a burden but a permanent and inexpensive building to maintain.

Mr. BUTLER. Please furnish us, within the next week, with an idea of how much a permanent recreation-hall building at this point would cost.

The CHAIRMAN. And also one built of weatherboarding material. Admiral STANFORD. Concrete blocks can be used to good advantage. The new magazine buildings are being constructed with concrete blocks. The amount of $378,500 which was appropriated has not permitted of any very expensive or elaborate building program. The plant is now nearing completion, and we hope to have it completed this coming spring or summer. It comprises three principal yard buildings, which are built on steel frame and covered with corrugated metal. There is one power house with a steel frame and corrugated covering, there is a wharf, there will be an administration building which will be small and inexpensive, there are several sets of quarters about as cheap as you could make them, there are several sets of quarters for warrant officers and a building for the use of civilian employees, inasmuch as there are no facilities in that vicinity for civilian residents. Plans have been prepared and were sent to the committee December 21, 1912, in accordance with above request.

Mr. BUTLER. Do you know what the policy of the department is? Is this to be one of our great naval stations?

Admiral STANFORD. It is my understanding that Mr. Meyer and the general board place a great deal of stress upon the importance of the Guantanamo station. The money that has been provided is not of such amount as will permit of any elaborate construction in view of the many features which must be provided, including shop buildings, quarters, power plants, distributing systems, paving, sewers, wharves, water supply, and power-plant equipment.

Mr. BUTLER. Has not the desirability and the availability of Guantanamo been in dispute among naval officers ?

Admiral STANFORD. The exact location has been in question, whether the station should be on the north border of the bay or on the south border. It is now determined that the station shall be on the south border, and improvements are now being made on the south border.

Mr. BUTLER. It has no natural defenses, however?

Admiral STANFORD. There are hills which separate the station from the sea and which protect the station from direct gunfire from the sea.

Mr. BUTLER. They could get in behind the hills. Is there any way to protect the vessels at anchor?

Admiral STANFORD. The hills offer some protection, but it is my understanding that fortifications at the entrance are an essential part of the defense of the station.

Mr. ESTOPINAL. Could not the station be shelled from the land side? Is it within gun range?

Admiral STANFORD. It is, but the naval reservation is quite large and the guns of an enemy would have to be at some distance from the station.

Mr. ESTOPINAL. It could be done?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. BROWNING. I believe that for $30,000 or very little more you could get a building of concrete blocks.

Admiral STANFORD. Adoption of permanent details of construction will require that with a fixed sum the building will be of smaller dimensions than would otherwise be necessary.

Mr. BROWNING. I do not think the building is too large.

Admiral STANFORD. My estimate was only approximate, as the plans have not yet been developed for the building; and if the money were provided there would be an effort made to make it go as far as possible. As requested by Mr. Butler, I will have some sketches prepared outlining a building of temporary construction and also one of permanent construction, the cost of each of which would be the

same.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Naval station, Olongapo, P. I.: Steel pontoons for approach to Dewey, $30,000." What service will those pontoons perform?

Admiral STANFORD. Access to the floating dry dock Dewey is obtained by the use of two large wooden pontoons, forming a floating bridge that permits of the passage of workmen and materials from the shops to vessels in the dock. This bridge is very essential to the economical use of the dry dock, and the yard reports present wooden pontoons will have to be replaced during the coming fiscal year. Timber under tropical conditions of exposure deteriorates very rapidly, and it is proposed to build the new pontoons of steel, which can be docked and painted from time to time, so that their life will be at least as great as that of the dry dock itself. This item is for the construction of those steel pontoons.

The CHAIRMAN. How long will the present pontoons last?

Admiral STANFORD. It is reported that they will not last any longer than this present year.

The CHAIRMAN. How long since were they constructed?

Admiral STANFORD. About the time that the Dewey was taken to Olongapo. That was in 1906.

The CHAIRMAN. What did they cost?

Admiral STANFORD. The present wooden floats cost about $20,000. The CHAIRMAN. And also the date of their construction?

Admiral STANFORD. Wooden floats were constructed in 1908.

The CHAIRMAN. Can you also insert what it would cost to repair them and make them last a while longer?

Admiral STANFORD. Report from the station states that there is a condition of dry rot, which renders repairs impracticable.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Naval station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, water-front development, $100,000." Is that part of the general scheme for the improvement of Pearl Harbor that was submitted to Congress several years ago?

Admiral STANFORD. Every item which is now before you is in accordance with the general scheme previously submitted, except the item for marine railway, $100,000. This marine railway is of the greatest importance for the reason that the dock which is under construction is of enormous dimensions, and to use the dock for tugs or lighters or torpedo craft would involve excessive expenditures, for pumping; and, further, it is probable that the dock will be required for the large vessels, and there should be some provision whereby the smaller vessels can be cared for simultaneously with the large ones. Mr. BUTLER. What is a marine railway?

Admiral STANFORD. A marine railway is an inclined track which leads from the shore into deep water and on which operates a cradle on wheels. The cradle is hauled down the incline into deep water to receive the vessel, which is floated into the cradle. The cradle carrying the vessel is then drawn from the water on the inclined ways until the entire bottom of the vessel is exposed, permitting work to be performed upon it.

Mr. BUTLER. What do you intend to use this marine railway for? Admiral STANFORD. In connection with repairs to torpedo boats, coal lighters, tugs, and the numerous small craft which are always found at a naval station. The same result could be accomplished with a dock.

Mr. BUTLER. Why not build a dock?

Admiral STANFORD. Because the dock would cost very much more than the railway and would be no more efficient.

Mr. BUTLER. The cost of maintaining this marine railway will be great?

Admiral STANFORD. No, sir.

Mr. BUTLER. It usually costs a lot of money to maintain these devices and contrivances.

Admiral STANFORD. Ordinarily, the metal cradle when not in use will be hauled out of the water and will not be subjected to the corrosion caused by sea water. The only part of the device which would be subject to special deterioration would be that portion of the track which is in the water. Marine railways are very common and important accessories to nearly all ship-repairing establishments, and for each dry dock I venture to say that there are 20 marine railways, because they accomplish the result in a more economical manner and with less invested capital.

The CHAIRMAN. This marine railway is intended for small craft? Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Instead of going to the expense of filling and unfilling the big dock?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. Have we any marine railways at the other stations?

Admiral STANFORD. There is one at Key West, which was recently completed.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. If it is advanatgeous, why have we not got them at the other naval stations?

Admiral STANFORD. At the principal yards there are small dry docks which are suitable for such work as contemplated with this railway. Again, at nearly all the yards there is more than one dry dock, so that small vessels may be docked simultaneously with the large ones. At Pearl Harbor there is provision made for only one

dock.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. Why could not the dock be used for the same purposes that you want to use the marine railway for?

Admiral STANFORD. It could be, but the dimensions of the dock are designed to accommodate the largest vessels afloat, and involve costs which are disproportionate to those required for docking small craft. Further, the use of the large docks for small craft would interfere with its use for large vessels and would not be a good arrangement from a business point of view. The dry dock under construction will cost over $3,400,000.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. Would there not be the same expense in using the dry dock for these small vessels at all the other naval stations, and would there not be the same necessity for marine railways at the other stations if the saving of expense is the justification?

Admiral STANFORD. No, sir; because the small dry docks ordinarily used at other stations for these small vessels contain but a comparatively small amount of water to be removed when the dock is pumped out, and the manipulation of the caisson and other accessories are correspondingly inexpensive.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. Do I understand that at Philadelphia, New York, Norfolk, and all these other places where we have naval stations we have a large dry dock for the large vessels and a small dry dock for the smaller ones?

Admiral STANFORD. Small docks were not specifically provided for the small craft in use to-day but result from the fact that the first docks constructed were comparatively small because the largest vessels at the time the docks were constructed were small. As the dimensions of vessels have increased larger dry docks have been constructed and the small dry docks which were constructed at early dates have become particularly useful and valuable for use in connection with the smaller vessels.

The CHAIRMAN. The dock at Pearl Harbor is a thousand feet in length?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And the width is much larger in proportion. Some of these small docks are about 500 feet long with a narrow width?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir. The old docks at Boston, Philadelphia, Norfolk, and New York, are from 300 to 400 feet long and have

narrow entrances.

The CHAIRMAN. When a small boat goes into one of these docks, to pump it out dry is a small matter compared with the dock at Pearl Harbor, which is a thousand feet long and how wide?

Admiral STANFORD. It is designed for vessels having 110 feet beam.

The CHAIRMAN. "Water-front development, $100,000." What is that?

Admiral STANFORD. Sea-wall construction.

The CHAIRMAN. How much sea wall have you constructed already? Admiral STANFORD. There has been none completed. The first sea-wall work is just being started.

The CHAIRMAN. We have already appropriated $100,000, and you are asking for $100,000. The estimates submitted in 1911 for that purpose were $500,000. Is this part of the general scheme submitted in 1911 ?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Water system, $30,000." That is part of the general program?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. "Power distribution, mains, and conduits, $65,000." The total estimate was $140,000. This makes $140,000. Will this appropriation complete the water-conduit system?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir; in accordance with the original plan. The CHAIRMAN. What was done with the appropriation authorized last year?

Admiral STANFORD. A well has been sunk which is yielding 900,000 gallons of water per day. The water has been pronounced by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery suitable for potable use. The well is on an area which has been offered by Mr. Damon at a cost of $1, a nominal charge, and gives the Government what might be called an unlimited and satisfactory supply, which should be good for an indefinite period. Execution of title papers transferring the property is now being arranged. The money previously appropriated will be used for necessary pumping equipment and for pipe line to connect the well with the yard, a distance of about 3 miles, and, together with other funds under water system, will extend the distributing system throughout the yard to give the service required. The CHAIRMAN. Have you secured a right of way from the Damon property across the ridge over to the station?

Admiral STANFORD. We are obtaining a right of way from Mr. Damon over that portion of the line which crosses his property, but we do not have

The CHAIRMAN (interposing). Is that in the dollar proposition? Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir, but we do not have any absolute right over the portion which is between the Damon property and the naval property. That at present is along the right of way of the railroad company and in part along the bounding line of certain private property.

The CHAIRMAN. Have the mains been laid?

Admiral STANFORD. The mains have not been laid but the material has been requisitioned for, and the work is in process of development. This result is possible because of the public-spirited and very generous attitude which has been shown by Mr. Damon, and without his assistance would have been, I believe, practically impossible.