New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-09-25

We visited the nval Floating Dry Docks yes
terday and advise all those interested IN ships
Ship Building AID Mechanical lmPrUg ement gene
rally u Do 50 - day. The Docks lie SIDE By side
or rather On opposite sides Of the same pier he
tween Pike and Clinton sis East River and %
the Sectional the BkIra>SIs, CA the Balance the
N0ETHEESEE ere now undergoing repars-tso
large aud beautiful Steamships Of Tie hrst order
e sood sn opportunity Of examining and oompar-
in- the nvd Floating Decks may not be ahordei
la months AID Ne trust that intelligent strangers
now IN our City NIL not lightly neglect il
When We were there iron u O'Clock yester-
dsy. the Sectional Dock had not quite hoisted the
Britannia out Of water. though her bow Was clear.
and workmen had just begun to clear away the
wreck made by her terrific smash upon the rock
which she encountered during her late passage
from Halifax y Boston. She must have struck the
ledge fairly and squsrey while going at early iull
speed. and Il seems a marvel that she was not
wrecked entirely and sgnk- She may doubtless
be seen 70 the best advantage today, though she
couli not yesterday
In the Balance Dock lay the Northenaer, one Of
the Arrest and finest steamships ever built IN
America rs easy and true as Il IN amllPond, with
the floor Of the Dock beneath clean as that Of a
parlor and as free from water while ffty or sixty
worklnen were hammeriny away 70 the best posi-
bic adv antage. The Northerner IS -lo feet long
which is nearly the fan capacity Of the Dock. but
is width was hardly half filled, and II cannot be
doubted that vessel Of twice the tonnage could
be locked here without the least difficulty Mr..
Gilbert the inventor. informed Us that he coup
readily raise and repair IN this Dock any yessei IN
the Navy OF the Uniied States. even the Pennsyl
vania mounting l20 guns. as none OF our ships Of
war exceeds in length the Norhemer. She was
locked IN JUS. three hours. from 70 8 clock yes
terday morning having been got ready too ate Tor
the evening tide. and the Dock with all on board
draws but feet water. With q ship OF s,l0s tons
the Northerncr measures but II to 1000 she
would draw about feet and requires that depth
beyond the draft Of the vessel locked IA order 70 do
the work properly. But, in case such depth IS
not attainabe where the Dock IS located or where
the bar Of Harbo- iorbids the entrance Of some
great vessel needing repairs the Balance DOCK
NAV be hoated over il and the vessel locked ia
deep water outside and thus taken safely and ex-
pcditiously t. the regular berth Of the Dock. To
iii this Dock with water and sink Il 50 that re-
paired vessel may glide cat and another needing
repairs take her place requires something Ike an
hour though We arc assured that Il may and will
be done in about half that time
This Dock was commenced some eight months
ago. and has been completed and set to work at
cost Of less than s2500O0. Right opposite, on the
Brooklyn shore Of the East River is the Naval
stone Dock. which the Government began to build
some four or FIVE years ago, and on which It has
already expended some Half To Three Quarters OF
q Million Dollars at which cost we believe the
foundation has been fairly laid and little done t.
wari the supersiructure No one doubts that II
vii cost over One Million Doars-pobably much
Overland when completed II will be far less con
ycnioni aud useful than Floating Dock. Nobody
but Government aud no Government but ours,
nov thinks Of constructing such memento OF the
Dark Ages as a Stone Dry Dock aud yet this
Buollyu absurjity- this monstroas waste oi Pub-
d. Money t. subsert the personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
II a few Political sPeculstors-is kept alive from
year t. year by fresh appropriations from the
Treasury, and we suppose will be- Tor several years
IN come How many shall Il be