The New York herald., 1845-11-05
To thu Public.
OFFICE OF THE BALANCE Dock,
Nrw Xnpu Doth nctnhor

October.
Uy- The New York Floating Dry Dock Company, in
putting FORTH in late article what they have seen lit to
call statement OF facts relative TO the Great Britain
having been raised the Sectional Dock have made
such illusions to ourselves and friends leave
alternative but to reply Without descending the level
OF the authors of that communication the language
they have employed we shall fearessly proceed to de-
monstrate what have heretofore now assert that
the Dock has proved failure in its application Of the
Floating principle, in wanting that PRACTICAL power
claimed for by its owners and compared with what
Its aameasurement indicates as is hereafter shown
We have it from their statement that Saturday,
the 18th inst the Great Britain taken int Dock and
alter raising her stern SO as to enable her propeller be
repaired aud while yet at work. and they wond have
It with the intent to raise the ship wa
ter they were informed by Captain Hosken that she
and wod aloD her 10 be raised any hshern By turn.
ing to the papers Of the day. will be notice
MersupoI inserted that, on Monday following the ship
would be taken entirely of water The fact OF their
having already exhausted the whole lifting power Of the
ledge OF their inability perform their promise as we'll
as tnat they had the power they would bc allowed
the public was that lhsy might proclaim the
and aoiy 81 me Company to 90 that which they knew
still further persisted in and attempted to be maintained
BY the certificate Of Capt Hosken which we shall here
prove wholly ranted by facts, and therefore
These gentlemen that the Great Britain weighs
about 2s0o tons they mean nett weight undoubtedly,
as her weight was stated in the English papers, when
she came out Of dock to be about 1000 gsssshps
being estimated in gross They then state the dock
sss Of seven sections OF 900 tons, lifting power each,
And one section Of 45o tons. -. 45o
1t has also Is end Of 40 tons each eouai 10 $40
Making as claimed by its owners, an entire
is ui,hs powes & o., 3l9o
sert that after Lifting about l7c0 tons they sounded and
found they had remaining about or 700 tons. Assume
the gieater amount claimed, 200 tons which added
l1Oo tons make 24O0 tons, which, deducted from 100 he
power claimedD shows deficiency Of 100 tons. Thus
they demonstrate the truth OF POSITION and achieve
avicory over their own ignorance In regard to this
statement, shall hereafter show they had neither
lifted 100 tons, nor had they remaining 700
stated but II may De true that alter short pause, and
when the water had found its way back inte the tanks
by working through the pumps by them stated they
prepared to prove they exhausted their tanks entirely
before disseminating their efforts raise shlp and
that they did not sound as stated until time after.
1t is here worthy OF remark that Captain Hosken the
eAubeance o his gratitude for exposing the tphoe
OF the bottom OF ms beautiful ship, visit
among the rocks and shoals Of Nantucket certes that
alter raising the ship u feet there remained 500 tons
lifting power unexhaus,ed while the overs who doubt
less did lot know as much the subject as himself
clam but or 7C0 tons We nave word more by the
bye for Captain II. and his certificate well as the use
which is made OF it, He says his ship was raised II
feet, and given out by the Company The pub.
lie are left TO and is doubt intended
TO nave them believe that the ship was raised u feet
tr0m end 10 end Now Capt. H. knows, and stated as
prove, that his ship raised only feet in the
bows and u feet aft We here leave the Captain to an
swer in his own way Tor this abatement obnoxious as il
Is to ths severe criticism.
We now invite attention to the report and opinion of
the commissioners appointed by the Navy Department
to examine, and who did examine the Sectional Dock
These gentlemen after ully considering It's power say
given to the tanks to meet the conditions OF which they
mad been speaking in o,hor words that the dock falls
49, per cent short IN its effective Of what is claim
ed Tor it. They also then show, VIII IL known all
naval gentlemen, that all ships in weight from
the seIn forward and that they much heavier the
bows than ait, which accounts for the position the ship
assumed on this OCCASION with equal power applied
to her bottom from stem TO stern We will now demon
state what have asserted thet this dock has failed to
sustain its pretensions The fact 10 SO, and if denied
can be proved, that by two hours and fifty minutes
tnued operation Of the pumps the tanks Of the sections
are entirely exhausted that Saturday, the 18th in
slant, her pumps operated three hours with in
PERMISSION Of thirty minutes only ntervc cnDg that they
then sucked and that the tanks Of the sections were
hausted that Of the inventors and part has
admitted as we can prove that the power Of the tanks in
the sections was exhausted, Sunday following. and
that the end floats third under water but he
conended that the residue OF the power in thes floats
(Which is not intended as lifting, but equilibrium
power) was equal to lifting the remaining 600 or 700
out Of water The ship raised higher oil Sunday
than the day preceding That there may be msuudor
and gentlemen Of iudspu,able Standing were in at.
tendance on this dock every occasion hsn she attempt
not only the truth of tho above statement but that they
never did raise the ship more than feet aft and feet
forward, or at most but shade more, at any time But
indulgng IN all Hbersllty towards tho dock, to
preclude all doubt win take for granted that the shin
lifted y feet aft and u feet forward Yielding the
advantage this gives in admitting the eeva.
ton in hei heaviest section il will then appear the shin
raised equal to feet from stem to stern leaving
feet OF her bottom under water The or average
displacement OF these feet being the feet below
her waerlne when she went into dock is by actual es
timation, traction less nan 100 tons nett per loot,
which, multiplied by d, makes tho whole weight 1900
tons and II this estimation be doubted let any
scientific gentleman who understands the subject
it erroneous And for the result: The tanks of
sections for which is claimed power Of 25o0 tons. and
one third the Of the endhosts equal to 200 TONS
making in all 1850 tons, expended in lifting less
man 1900, thus showing deficiency Of 1850 tons, loss
o. o. nearly ono hall her pretended power, ana showing
'hat 33t per cent stated by the Commissioners il
que witn the uth. In support OF the foregoing state
ment % we Will now compare the performances Of the
DOCK IN It's efforts to raise the Great Britain, with its
power as exhipted in docking tho Henry Clay. That
sup msssuIes I4ov tons hut weighs only 100. The
Company employed in thcir efforts to raise her out of
the water iour oi their sections estimated at 3C0 tons