The Portland daily press., 1869-06-15
Portland Dry Dock and warsheu.sss..

ldent OF tne ABOVE corporation, paid q visit to
the Cape side of the harbor and examined the
Dock Company's property, and was most
agreeably surprised to observe the progress
made in construction of the Dry Dock in so
short aaperiod. The dock is of mammoth pro-
portions, and is, in fact, the largest on this
continent, with the exception of two docks be-
longing to the Erie Basin Dock Co., in Brook
lyn, New York, built by Mr.. Simpson under
his patents. tsas ~ .rsrf7ti4 r, q
On enquiry we learned that when complete,
this dock will be esthe sixth that has been
built and are now in successful operation dur
ing the past sixteen years by Mr. Simpson,
three being located in Boston -harbor and two
in New York. sfhe1 dock WIN be completed
and ready toreceive vessels about the last Of
July, the foundation piles being all driHen, the
floors timbers laid! within twenty-five feet of
the head Of the dock, the braces all in, and
about one half the affairs I'M position gate sills
all down, abutments for the gate all completed
and the gate itself all in frame. Also the en-
gine house completed, and pumps and eng zines
all ready to set and boilers set. This gate
or caisson is solid piece of work, and is 86
feet long, "a feet beam and q feet deep, and is
SO arranged that it can be placed in either one
of two grooves made to receive it, and thus
lengthen the dock when, required. r. This gate
is floating one, and is being built in the dock
itself, and has all the appearance of a vessel.
1t will use water as ballast, and this Is pumped
in or out by steam pump on board, as there
may be occasion to move or settle the gate inl
its place. SSssAsS AStfs ~st@Ask4V&A
This dock, among its many advantages, will
possess the greatest draft of water of any dock
in this country, it being built on "a decline of
one foot to 100 feet in length, making rs feet of
water over gate silIs at high tide. = "A pier Isl
also built $50 feet long below the dock, where
vessels canlay before entering or after coming
out of dock, and the slip having been dredgedI
out to depth of 20 feet at low tide to the char
nel where there IL so feet Of water al The low
est tide, gives ample opportunity fdrfhe heav-I
lest draft vessels to lie with. perfect safety. !
When the fats are all dredged out below the
walls it win give great advantage to the har-
bor.s5EzgizE 9Eslss'ssz u srIossqzs1zotOEssE
We were shown the plan Of the Company'sl
property, which covers about twenty four
acres Of fats; upon this 1t is intended to con-
struct a second Dry, Dock, With piers, slips and
warehouses, and is now being rapidly i'm
proved. There is stone wall on the harbor
line from the bridge, 400 feet Hong, and crib
on the easterly side 650. feet from Dock street,
now being built, which is 1900 feet long, and is
about two thirds completed. Op y, gngfgq 4 |
These improvements reflect great credit on
the enterprisey liberalitySand ingenuity of Mr..
Simpson, and must prove,of immense value to
the commercial interest of our city and, in
fact, to the entire State of Maine, as disabled
vessels making this port will have the assur-l
ance that they can obtain all the facilities for
making repairs, and at less expense, that can
be obtained either in Boston or New York, and
we can now pride ourselves n.not only having
harbor but Dry Dock second to none. To
the skill and perseverance of Mr. Simpson and
his associates the public owe this important
and much needed enterprite, and we feel no
hesitancy in asserting that it will receive the
unanimous supporter all interested in the ad-
vancement of the commercial interests of the
city of Portland. = s99E1rEsg 4 ,S9yole I