The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-02
FLoATING DOCK QUESTION.


| A N article was Published in the Union of Mon
! n day evening last, addressed "io Members 1
Congress" containing atfdavlts from nan by the
name of Henry G. Shu, and another by the name
OF Charles A. Watrous, asserting that small hoa''
ing dock, which they call sectional dock, had up
set. They admiLlhat Il was not hs sectional JOCK
which we are presenting to the government nat
dock has been built under different patent, ana mas
many new and important Improvements
But the assertion that the small floating dock rsie'-
| red To ever upset is phOliy untrue.
The following affidavit, nov in our hands, made
by This same Shull, their tolasss, three years
ago, when the facts fresh in hs memory, Is
sufficient to show the utter asity of their assertion,
and the piuab'e degradation Of their own witness,
viz:
NEw YoRE, January 81, lS4j.
DEAR sIR. A statement or letter, has been pub-
lished under the signature Of Charles A. Watrous,
in relation To the small sectional dry-iock tins
city, which, II not explained conlu,dieIed, might
have some influence with those enuTeIy uHac9 ua,i-
ed uiih the man. and the two sectional docks ~ upet-
alton in this city. have been m the charge Of the
dock mentioned by Mr.. WaIrous as belonging to
him, and worked It during nearly the whole time II
has been in his possession, AM been IN cOnneEion
with Mr. Watrous IN repairing vessels On H. and
have no hesitation in eOrlTadeing hiS SiaisHsui IN
lalion TO its being worked with difficulty. Bot rus
all his statements true IL should haze bearing Oa
| THE sectional iock, rs Was the hust buIt, on
/
working model to show the operation of the prInci-
pe and Is 0iihoUi any Of the improvements s.nes mads
| which alone make II practicable on u large scale,
| and as is universally confessed by oil practical aud
mechanical men, as the most perfect machine IN use
10 accomplish the purposes for which Is intended,
either for the smallest largest vessels that float la
raising the first vessel after the repairs Of the old
| dock Mr.. Watrous himself having the charge, with
| no pretension TO mechanical or practical knowledge
in anything relating 10 any kind OF machinery or It's
/ - Il H. H.ls.
ter Without any shores Of any kind side, but
balanced on her keel until the weight was thrown
little on that side and, Of course, hdUing support,
j. tipped over and threw her whole weight on one
half the dock, which, being very narrow, was d.
pressed into the water, when the other side
lowered also and the Vessel dOdtsd II ruth only
| Eto dollars damage Mr.. WHtrous's candur can be
estimated by thu fact that up 10 The time ofhs being,
as bsIisp, e0nvinesd that he could get nothing from
the Sectional Dock Company for adrOcliing their
claims h, lauish Of his praises II the sectional
dock any 0f Us ol0ntrS, and rdieusd The idea Of he
adoption Of the balance plan for the gopsrnmeHl am
sltuated between the two floating docks proposed
for the government, and have an opportunity of
judging Of them, and Of knowing something OF the
public sentiment in relation 10 them, and unhesia-
tingly declare that | never heard any TniHtrssisd
person express any other opinion than that the sec
tona plan was perfection, and the other the reverse
Of it; which will be fully sustained by every one
competent to Judge who is familiar with both.
Without a particle Of pseunidTy interest IN either
dock or hSr adoption by government, VOLUNTEER
this statement, DESTROYS that the subject may Le
full understood truth prevail, and the government
not deceived into the adoption Of a machine that
our citizens and the government will find othtue or
no value.
; Very respectfully,
= HENRY c. SKULL.
d S. d. DAKrN, esq, Washington.
City and county Of .NsO York IS Henry C. Shull,
the writer Of the foregoing statement, being duly
sworn, says that the contents Of the said statement
are true.
Sworn before me this 3lst day of January, lS4S.
w. r. BEEBE,
Commissioner Of Deeds.
The respectablity of Shull is attested to by Mr.
j. L. 0'Suivan, as the following certificate will
show. The affidavit referred to is not the one in
| serted above, although on the same subject. The
certificate is cited to show Mr. O'Suivan's opinion
of Shuls character, and his evidence of the super
orty and excellence of the sectional dock, he beng
D Mr. O'Suhvan's own witness-vlz:
81 was present when Mr.. Shull made the affidavit
respecting the sectional DOCK March 81, 1876, and
took down his statements as he made them. was
remarkably struck with his intelligence, carefuness,
and scrupulous anxiety to state nothing but the
truth without exaggeration or ambiguity; every
part being carefully ponderod by him; and tho
WHOLE both in parts and in the whole, being num-
Der of times read him before he signed aBd swose
i to it, A. ID. Logan, esq, highly respectable law
: yer of New York. a New street, was also scci-
dentay present; and both united in the remark,
that we had never more intelligent and con-
scentious witness, or finer specimen Of the Amer
: lean mechanic. "
AZ l.. oSULLIVAN."
OF the character of this Watrous the public can
now Judge The exposition which Shul makes OF his
motives in the above affidavit Ia both graphic and
r true The falsehood fastened upon him by his CO.
witness, Shu, was uttered in pursuance of a threat
made to one of us time previous, because we
; declined complying with his wishes in a certain par
ticular) that he rould thereafter do us all The harm m
his po,oer. He is too contemplate for our notice.
We respectfully submit to the public. whether
there is any enormy too bad to expect of persons
" who can resort to such base means as We have eX-
8 posed and drag out such miserable witnesses to
vent their malice, revenge their dsappointments,
I and accomplish their sinister purposes. AND we
also submit whether such persons shall be cohsia-
cred as entitled any credit seeing that they bring
forward to sustain their assertions, none but such
= miserable witnesses, who have some interest to
serve or some spleen crafty; whereas we produce
to sustain our positions, the whole undivided body
9 of ship-buiders and ship-owners Of New York;
Z s. d. DAKlN,
n DANIEL DODGE,
I'll In behalf &c.
!, WAsHMeroN, July l, 1916.