The Dry Dock Dispute: Seattle Fights for Its Maritime Future
When the War Department refuses to send warships to Puget Sound for repairs, local leaders accuse Washington D.C. of ignoring Seattle’s strategic value in favor of San Francisco.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
PROTEST TO BE SENT TO SECRETARY OF WAR
The publication in yesterday's Star of the letter from Acting Secretary of War Melickjohn, declining to bring the Washington volunteers direct from Manila to Seattle, has caused a feeling of surprise and disgust throughout the community. The Secretary's position in the matter is generally ascribed to the hostile influence of Naval Constructor Kendell, who, for some reason best known to himself, is working persistently against the marine interests of Puget Sound and in favor of San Francisco.
Many expressions to the effect are heard on the streets. Attorney J. P. Hartman, who personally well acquainted with Mr. Melickjohn, informed the Star this morning that he had just written Dr. to the Secretary, enclosing a copy of yesterday's War, asking how it had happened that erroneous conclusions had been arrived at by the War department in regard to the 'drydocking.' Mr. Hartman assured the Secretary that there was no reason why a transport could not dock them after landing the first Washington volunteers to city. Further protests by prominent men will be made to secure a reconsideration of the action taken by Secretary Melickjohn.
E. O. Graves, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said to Star representative this morning: 'The matter contained in your letter received from A. D. Melickjohn, Acting Secretary of War, will be brought up in the chamber of commerce tomorrow. The officials at Washington seem utterly ignorant of the fact that one of the largest dry docks in the United States is located on Puget Sound. They seem to disregard the fact that the Orion, the owner of the navy, previously was sent to Manila, on the Port Orchard dry dock, and so put in condition to make the most remarkable warship run on record. They also seem to forget that the United States cruiser Iowa is now on her way to the dock to be overhauled.
'The officials ought know that at Quartermaster harbor, near Tacoma, is a dock capable of holding large ships and equal in strength to any British warships, but also in United States boats. Then, again, the fact has one of the finest torpedo boats, the Rowan, built here, and that revenue cutter Golden Gate, was constructed here, may also be kept in sight of.
'I will send a letter about the drydocks, supplying all the better information to the Secretary of War.'
Graves, in speaking of the refusal of request on the plea that there were no facilities for docking and repairing the transports on the Sound, said: 'The Quartermaster General of the Army has several times sent the ship by refusing to recognize the fact that a dry dock suitable for almost any boats is situated at Port Orchard. Why don't the officials get a map and study the geography of country, and then remember what is going on out here?'
This 1898 dispute highlights an early battle over Seattle's infrastructure and economic identity. While Washington D.C. favored San Francisco as the primary Pacific naval hub, local leaders like E.O. Graves fought to establish Puget Sound’s dry docks as critical assets for both commerce and defense. This mirrors modern debates about federal investment in regional infrastructure versus coastal hubs.
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