The daily union., 1846-06-29
C, A. WATRoU,, esq.
NEy YoRK. March 2,

NEw YoRK, March %, 1886.
DLAR sIE Ia reply To your inquiries on this sheet,
and IN accordance with your request that herein
state more fully the character Of the first sectional
dock constructed for the port Of New York under
the patent right Of Captain John Thomas, by Mr..
Samuel ID. Dakln, inform you that the dock
sisted Of four sections, OF two tanks each. The d.
mensIons Of each section 80 feet in length, by
l3I in breadth, and l6 in depth; raised deck to
each tank 81 feet by Sig gave each section gross
power, or displacement, of about &C tons, or 264
tons for the dock Of four sections The end floats
Tor preserving the equilibrium OF the dock, when IN
use, were l6 by 81, by p; that Is to say, ll-l2
tons each, gross OF 55 tons; thus in accordance
with the statement Of Mr. Samuel ID. Dakin, making
gross raising and sustaining power in the dock,
whole, Of upwards of 300 tons. This was Mr.
Dakins representation 70 when he induced me
To reconstruct the dock, and 1t was the basis of my
calculations, Mr.. Dakin having deceived me into
the belief that the dock would raise vessels Of that
weight, viz: 300 tons.
In reply to your second inquiry, state that my
practical knowledge of the power Of the dock en-
abos rae to say that Is actual raising power did
exceed 100 tons, dead weight. (D
The tonnage OF the first vessel attempted TO be
raised, (he brig Lagrange,) was 1872 6-95; and in
the merchant marine vessels estimated to weigh
60 per cent. OF the measurement, or tonnage. This
estimate Of weight is in accordance with the opinion
Of Samuel Humphreys, esq, chief naval constructor
of the United States. The weight of the Lagrange,
therefore, Is lis tons; (2) and although succeeded
in raising her nearly out Of water, the power Of the
dock and It's end floats not equal to sustain the
superintendent weight, and the natural conso-
qucnce ensued, the capszlng of the dock and vessel
With reference to the docking Of the ship Victo-
ria the large sectional dock, ] saw her when she
up, raised Mr.. Burgess, the constructor Of
the dock and the conductor manager Of its ope-
ratons admitted TO me that the whole power Of the
dock had been exhausted to raise the ship. There
Ave sections applied, and their power is est-
mated to be rising 500 tons | do not remember
the tonnage Of the ship, hc Victoria but her actu-
al weight at 60 per cent was 533 TONS as computed
by me at the time, and her custom house registry
will prove the correctness Of this statement. She
had 200 tons Of cargo and ballast; and thus the
power Of the dock, claimed to be 500 tons, ex-
hausted in raising 733 tens.
am, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
CHARLES A. WATROUS.
J. L. OSuLLIvAN, esq.
City and county Of .NsW York, IS:
Sworn before me this twenty-thrd day Of March
| 1886.
ID. WHEELER,
| Commissioner Of Deeds, &c.
| certify that have known Mr.. C. A. Watrous
| several wears as a respected, esteemed and inteli'
gent citizen, well worthy of respect and confidence.
ELIJAH F. PURDY.
New York, March 2Sth, 1916.
| CD If the old dock could only lin about 100 tons
how can a proposed dock Of only 30 fines the sam,
displacement lIt s, 200, or 50 times that weight
(2) If vessel of lis tons upset that dock, how
can it be expected that a vessel Of IS times thh
| weight will he borne successfully by dock onl,
3 3-5 ,cider, and having cnd-hoats only 30 timt
larger
Being inquired Of by Mr.. Gilbert respecting tn,
working Of the sectional dock formerly butt by Mr.
s. D. Dakin, on the patent Of John Thomas, and es
pecally respecting the capsizing Of the said dock
with the brig Lagrange, certify "a follows
| was the foreman Of Mr.. Charles A. WatrouS
the manager Of the said dock. The present section
al dock in this city has greater breadth Of beam,
handsomer, and has machinery to facilitate its work
ing With these exceptions, 1t is Identical with III
former sectional dock.
In the working of that dock, in the raising Of yes
sels my greatest care awsyso 10 steer clear Of 81
upset. The dock repeatedly upset. or fell down ant
threw the vessel. II did so when Il was used io
Mr.. s. D. Dakin. The Lagrange fell down npot
it, the dock having cnnted, upset ana she ieh uoS'
into the water on her beam ends tearing ana Smash
ing everything in her way. never SAID or signec
ANYTHING At variance with this, unless some improp
er trckerv NAV have been used TO cause me 10 sirr
what never meant to state. ] was asked by Mr.
Dakn whether the dock had ever turned bottom up
,,ord? This il never did, but It did repeatedly uPse
mr. can't go as to throw the vessel of. In the case %
the Lagrange, the vessel was property secured o'
both Sides not only with the bige blocks and ehocks
but with shores; and have said that she fel
over because the blocks and chocks were not prop
erly inserted on one side. remember various othe
occasions on which the dock did thus oapsiEe sn'
throw of the vessel | can specify the sloop Gener
al Jackson, the schooner Augusta, the schoone
Abraham Osborne, a sloop whose name think wa
the OthelIo, and an English yacht. do not remem
ber the exact tonnage Of these vessels, but none
Them could have exceeded l2j tons. was not th
foreman at the time of the docking Of the Lagrange
but stood by and witnessed It; and have
the statements from the person who was foremsE
Robert McVey, and from the workmen, respec,in