| Show GIVES REPLY ON OGDEN ARSENAL Navy Department Finds Place Not Suitable Smoot Informed At the NIU st of ot Senator Reed Smoot Rear Admiral I I L E Greg Greg- Gregory Gregory Gregory ory chief chic civil engineers of ot time tile navy outlined to the senator In Ina Ina Ina a a letter his views view on the Ogden arsenal and the navy naY seeks to build bund an ammunition depot In Nevada e ada when the Ogden Ofden arsenal stAnds stand almost useless The senator sends the letter to The Standard Examiner In iii answer to a telegram sent by the news news- newspaper newspaper newspaper paper to Mr Smoot as follows Citizens wonder why Wilbur wants three millions million to build nay nav naval al ai ammunition d depot pot In Nevada when government has big me arsenal near Ogden which Is standing al 01 almost most useless Wo We kno know you are not overlooking g opportunities to press Ogden n ars nal possibilities Senator Smoot acid ld Ald that a hear hear- hearing hearing ing lug was as held before the committee on omi naval affairs A full report ot t that meeting will not be published for some time lime but the senator sends end on Admiral Gregorys Gregory's letter which Is as fob fob- fol follows lows MUST BE DC ISOLATED TED With reference to our tele tele- tebe- tebe telephone J phone tone conversation con yesterday I note that a number of the citizens o Ogden have the opinion that the tho army ammunition depot 10 lo located catel near that city would 1 l ho bo boat liable for tor uso use by the tho navy While the arm army reservation Is la not at the tho present time In iii actual use It Is Isn isa lia n a plant that would not bo be of OC use ulle to the tho navy naV for tor reasons that I will vili outline below The conclusions drawn front the tho unfortunate experience at the naval ammunition desist at I Lake I ke Denmark on the lOth of ot Jul July Indicated the necessity for greater care In the selection ot of ofa ofa II a site as lIS well as 01 the necessity for tor intensive study In locating built build buildings ings higa and laying out plant where this plant Is 18 required to store ox- ox ex explosives plosives otI ot of a I high order Based upon a II study of ot the tha conditions at iko Denmark It has been ad advisable lc to layout lay hay out a plant ot of convenient access to the west coast naval na stations which shall have haye certain qualifications of ot which a afew afew afew few ot of the most tant are as folio Os Isolated led position First lani Second On government not required for Cor any other oilier pur- pur pur purpose pose In order to avoid expense Third Freedom as aa far tar as pos pos- possible sibl sible from Crom storm conditions either lightning or snow Other conditions condition are re of II a a na- na nature na nature ture lure that arc so obvious as not to tobo tobe tobo bo be enumerated such as water ater sup sup- supplY supply sup supply ply railroad connections etc which are not In question at Og- Og Ogden Ogden Og Ogden den OGDEN POSSIBILITIES The effect of ot the explosions at Lake Denmark Indicated that We would have to subdivide the stor- stor stor storage ago age Into very ery small units s these thes unIts nuts in buildings ot of about 5 25 feet teet by 40 feet In lit or order er that It would be Impossible to store there there- theren there n more than about pounds pound ot of explosives Also that the these buildings s be spaced In groups not closer than BOO feet Ceet apart that Is grOups to consist of ot front from five to seven buildings each ech and leaving I a space apace of ot not le lesa bess than 1900 feet between groups and finally II a neutral neutral al zone lone complete surround In the stored explosives of ot not less leu than two miles niiles In width Passing now to the site alto at Ogden I find that this la Is a altO within about eight miles of oC Ogden and Is very accessible accessible- accessible by highway and electric road which pass the westerly border The station Is two miles In length and one mile In width and there are three other railroads passing near Dear th the site The Tho entire length of ot this stall station on possesses a II width which tho the Is equal only to the neutral zone of ot the new station an and andas andas 1 as there are agricultural lands ad- ad adjacent ad adjacent jacent to this station the proba proba- probability is that It would cost a a great deal ot of money to secure the necessary land Furthermore the tho pres- pres presence prea eneo ence of ot the railroads and also ot of IrrIgation ditches and hl high h pow power r electric lines all make the site one which Is not at all feasible for Cor th the storage of ot high explosives explosive HELl NOT OT SUITABLE Tho The Ogden plant Is an a admirable ml able abbe one for tor the storage ot of fixed ammunition and would also be bevery bevery very lery suitable tor for smokeless powder It Is s not at au all suitable however for tor the tho high explosives which the navy now finds It necessary to store at an Isola Isolated ed place It has baa selected an area In western Nc- Nc Ne Nevada vada voda comprising II a total of ot about acres a II part port of ot which ch Is for Cor the purpose of ot insuring water supply and Is la land which has no practical purpose for Cor anything else Conditions or ot precipitation and climate are arc also of ot a kind 11 as asto asto to otter offer almost entire freedom from electric storms and front CroUl snow From From the above outline I thic you will see that under the tha clr- clr dr cir circumstances we wo could coull not consider r the army depot at Ogden of ot any use to the nav navy tor for tho the specific problem which confronts It |
