New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-01-26
The Sectional Floating Dry Dock.


Brooklyn. and we have examined and described
the Balance Dock, of Mr. Gilbert, We yesterday
paid visit te the Sectional Dock, to take ne
note gifts peccari.ies which We shall here briefly
attempt to exhibit:
The Sectional Dock consists OF series OF very
strong, wa,er-tigh, tanks made OF wooden tinbers
ard plank. which are placed close together or with
inserspaces, according the length OF the vessel
TO be repaired thereon. If a vessel is small, only
a part of them need be used, two vessels may
be taken up at once These tanks are "a feer
wide, strongly trussed and their length constitutes
the working width Of the dock-25 TO 10 feet, as
NAV be required. These are secured to strong
framework on each side, resting on e narrower
trunk, which holds them level and firmly in pos
ton By opening the gates, the tanks readily NIL
with water and are sunk to any required depth
the vessel to be repaired then hoated over tnen
and, when placed inst where it's wanted, over the
centre of the ways o, blocking, is secured there
and a steam engine commences pumping out the
water from the tanks, all at once and the same
quantity from each; whereupon they gradually
rise unit, the vessel is lifted completely out OF the
water, and the surface of the Dock is above
tina. of the water, when she is ready for
the ship-carpeaters, caulkers, &c. Yesterday
the large packet ship Iowa was taken out of this
dock, (Which requires merely that the gates of the
tanks be opened, and in q few minutes the vessel
is fairly and clearly aaoat,) and the noble sn,am-
boat South America taken up ias,ead-the whole
operation of undo cking the one and docking and
raising the other requiring aboatthrce hours. The
South America is $50 feet long and required that
the Sections compr ising the dock be considerably
spread apart, but no Inconvenience was experienced
therefron. We tried hard TO make out that the
vessel would be strained by the want of sufficient
support at these nters spaces, but the Captain and
several eminent shp-builders were unanimously of
contrary opinion.)
The advantages claimed for the Sectional over
the Balance Dock are these:
l. Abundance Of ROOM light and air for the
rorkmsn. The vessel lies up fair and square
level with the whaIves on each side; and, whether
she be large or small, there can be no lack of day
lighs or room. A ship wright insisted that there
would not be room to bend on plank properly to
the keel of a large vessel in submerged Dock.
Q Perfect adaptation Of the supporting poaaer
to the actual shape Of the vesssrs bottom. If that
be out of line either way, the several Sections will
unavoidably adapt themselves TO it; while in any
other Dock the ships bottom must conform to the
ways which sustain it, but will resurn its former
shape on being released, opening seams and start
iuc leaks which would have been stopped on the
Sectional Dock.
g. Facility Of Repair. ANY Section of this
Dock which shall get out of order may readily be
lifted upon two others, and repaired the
vessel. The repair of any other Dock is alleged
be far more difficult.
T. Dura6il1y-The pressure or strain upon
any portion of this Dock being comparatively
slight while all its important parts are continually
submerged in salt water, and the residue directly
within reach and easily repaired or replaced.
5. Not only may any part of it be used sepa-
ra,ely or all together, for either large small
vessel, without, injury or peril 10 the rest, but,
Sectional Dock adapted to SHIPS of the line, trco
smaller vesses--say fdgate and slooP-may
be taken up and repaired at once which can be
done on no other Dock.
These, if We have not mistaken, are the
main grounds of superiority claimed for the Sec
tional Dock. That it works we'll now is certain,
and has been used successfully fer the largest
packets that it would answer on the very largest
scale we see no reason to doubt. Its friends made
good many objections to the Balance Dock
that it must be liable to get out OF order and diff
cul, TO repair-that it could not be built on large
scale without liability to collapse from the inward
pressure OF the water upon its sides and gate, &c
&c.-nto the consideration of which we do not
feel called to enter. The choice between the two
rests with Congress, who will of course be guided
solely BY practical demonstration and the testimo-
ny of scientific officers, ship-owners, and eminent
shpwrights, whose opinions worth far more
than ours could be. But that one of these is
far preferable 10 Stone any immovable Dock
we have not doubt. The Stone Dock at Nor
folk cost the enormous sum of 1914 1885, and seve-
raj years were required to build it. The interest
on the cost Of such Dock before its completion
would suffice to build a Floating Dock or to re-
new the latter every four or FIVE years.
Capt. Stoddart, of the large packet Vile de
Lyon, cer,i6es that his ship was on the Sectional
Dock during furious gale in an exposed sisua-
zion, and was only unframed, but lay throughit
without the least strain or motion Several years
experience would seem to have established the
safety of vessels on these Decks.
The AFFAIR OF THE BIBLE.-We see that it is
stated in Pla,tsburg paper, that the clergyman
of that village ha, taken measures to secure an in
vestiga,ion of the affair of burning the Bibles in
Chamslain 1t is to be done in accordance with