The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-16
Great Britain steamship and Sectional
Floating Dry-dock.
WAsmSeros, March I6, 1886.


Great Britain steamship and Sectional
Floating Dry-dock.
wAsmNsrosi March Is, 1886
I'm the 18th day of October last, an article was
" published in several Of the New York papers
purporting 70 emanste from the "0fies Of As Bal
anes dock Co." containing numerous misstatemens
reference to the sectional floating d'ydoek, and the
circumstances attending the raising OF the steam
ship Great Britain, and the Paeketship Henry
Clay, by the latter 49,.
So palpabls were the falsehoods contained in the
article referred TO, and often had similar caum-
MES been uttered from the same source, that no
kind Of Importance was attached 10 them in New
York, where it was known that no one would credit
them, and il was not deemed necessary ny the Sec
tionsl Dry-doek Company to answer them.
The attack, however, was intended for another
meridian and hare, where Il was intended TO be
brought TO bear upon those who were personally
unacquainted with the merits Of the controversy, or
the Individuals connected with II, where il was
hoped that in the mi Of tho busy labor Of legsla-
ton, boldly asserted lsshOod might be made TO pass
current for fact and where II 10 understood that the
article has been widely eircalated-here, and at
this time, it is deemed proper TO expose these viii
fu misrepresentation, which have no foundation in
truth.
On the 25th of October last the Sectional Dry
dock Company published statement Of the facts
relative 10 the docking Of the steamship Great
Britain and the reasons for elovatDg her entire
ly out Of the water. The following extract from
that statement gives all tho facts Of the casc'
"on the day Of her arrival at this port Captain
Hosken and Mr.. Irwin eAffed at ne once Of tho
dock and contracted with the company 70 raise the
ship eight feet for the purpose ofrepairng her pro-
peler. We, however, supposed that we should be
allowed To raise her entirely above the water, II il
should be found that we had the necessary power
"Aher her cargo had been discharged, she LEFT the
pier where she was moorcd about Il O'Clock, a. M,
and by halEpast - was placed over the dock, cen
tered the bilge blocks adjusted, and the pumps put
into motion. They were kept TO work until about
2 O'clock having then raised her "A feet, when we
were informed by the commander, Captain Hosken,
that, the shaft Of her propeller was abdye the wa
ter she raised sufficiently for his purpose; that
we had performed part Of the contract and that
he did not wish, and would not allow US 10 raise
her any higher We therefore stopped our pumps,
and Immediately number Of workmen were en-
gagged at her propeller. Thus il took bur three hours
from the time she len her bsrth TO the time the me-
ehanlcs commenced their repairs upon the propel-
Ter.
1.-THE register Of the Great Britain in England is
3,443 tons. Her displacement Of water or weight
light, is about $500 tons gross, and in raising her
~ or feet we had li'ted about l,700 tons, leaving
but or 700 to be raised to elevate her entirely
above the water
1--WE have in our dock sections, 7 Of which have
clear lifting capacity OF 800 tons each, and one OF
$50 tons, making 2 $50 tons over and above the
weight OF the part Of the dock above water; and tn
obtain this power il would be necessary 10 mmer,e
but small portion Of the end floats. This power
is obtained by exhausting water from immense
tanks placed In strong truss frames beneath the ship
The weight OF the ship is sustained by these frames
and does not bear upon the machinery at all except
in very small degree when we immerse the end
floats
was raised we found that not two-thirds Of the
water was exhausted from them. This demon.
strates beyond the possibility Of doubt that we had
abundance OF power to elevate the Great Britain
entirely above tho water, and had we been allowed
to drive the pumps but one hour more this would
hav. easily been accomplished"
Testimony OF Captain Hosken and Mr..
Irwin.
The statement concludes with the following let
tiers from Mr.. Irwin and Capt Hosken:
"NEw YoRK, Oct. Is, lSt5.
"GEsrLIMEs | enclose a letter from Capt Hos
ken, which so fully replies TO yours Of the 2lsl
inst, addressed to him and myself that have moth
ing to add, except to express my con6depce in ,es
dock, and my entire Satisfaction in its Performance,
in the case Of the steamer Great britain.
"Yours, respectfully. .,.
ORCHARD IRWIN.
ITO the president and directors of the New Yori
Floating Dry-Dock Company"
"GREAT BRrTAN STEAMSHIP,
"New York, Oct. "a, l845.
"GINrLEMEs: In reply to your request to rails,
| this ship completely out Of water, have to say
that there was no necessity on our part for tn,
operation, felt myself obliged to decline accedihs
| to it. At the same time must express my entir,
conviction of the capacity of your dock to effec
your proposition. | may also state to you that
entertained this opinion more than year since, ant
made report to my directors, that in the event o
the emergency arising, your dock could do it.
"The Great Britain displaced about $500 tons
when placed upon your dock, and was raised 4
| feet in hour and thirty. minutes, withou
the slightest appearance Of strain in any part o
her. This leff about 700 tons water borne. You
subsequently lifted her little higher at my request
leaving about 600 tons water borne; and then, from
my own observation, have no doubt you ha,
about 300 tons lifting power left--the power ex
erted having completely coincided with the calcua
ton you had previously made me acquainted with
and the result agreeing with the known displace
| ment of the ship.
| 81 remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
JAMES HOSKEN.
"To the president and directors of the New Yorl
Floating Dry-dock Company" ~.
II was in answer to the above statement and cor
respondence that the article Of the Balance-docl
Company, to which it is now proposed to reply, wa
| written. .t....#... nr
|
dock Company.
The first misstatement---or, in palmer language
deliberate fasehosdwhch seems worthy Of notice il
the article Of the Balance-dock Company, is con
tanned in the following estimate of the lifting powe,
which they state is claimed by the owners Of the
sectional dry-dock. We use the words and figures
Of the article quoted from. +.
Extract from the article published By the Balance-do
Company. .. .--.
"They (the Sectional Dry-dock Company state
the dock consists of seven sections of 300 tons lifting
power each, equal to-. Q, 100 tons
| And one section of $50 tons. .......... $50 Z"
| 1t has also l6 end-foats Of 40 tons EACH
equal 10 ..s..., ........... .....'.t. osU y
Making, as claimed by its owners, an en-
tire lifting power Of. ...............319 40
Such is the statement Of the Balance-dock Com
pany as to what is claimed by the Sectional dock.
First Statement of Balance dock Compa.
ny proved false.
Now let us refer back to the statement Of the lat
ter, quoted above, and see what the owners Of the
sectonal dock eallv do claim.