The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-02
4 GREAT sHfP mon IND DRY.
The Process Of Putting the City Of Chester In
sectional Dock.

The City Of Chester of the Inman line,
while nearing Sandy Hook on Friday. stopped
to take on pilot As her engines were started
again shock that ran through her machinery
told OF tho breukage Of her wheel.
After this discovery two more revolutions Of
the shaft were made. but 1t was found that
whatever Of the wheel was loft hung loosely on
the SHIFT and that its propelling power was
gone. Capt. Brooks hailed the steamship State
of Louisiana. and by her the City of Chester
was towcd into port. The two vessels passed the
City OF Richmond on her way TO Europe. having
on board Mr. Earnest S. Inman. suhmanager
OF tho Inman line He was taken to the dis
abled vessel. and returned to New York in her.
She arrived at her wharf on Sunday. her cargo
was discharged 10y Tuesday night, and tho
next morning she was towcd around into the
East river and noated stern foremost into
a sectional dock at the foot Of Rutgers street
She is the longest shin of tho Imam line except
the City OF Berlin. and the City Of Berlin is the
longest ship in the world except the Grent East
ern. The City Of Chester measures AS foet over
al. and weighs after her cargo is discharged
S2qo tons To ' 9nS WEIGHT o"p; BroSbE sr
before she WIS 1oatcd into the dry dock. be-
cause she was too much down by the stern;
Her Captain had doubts about the ability OF
the dock TO raise her ont OF the water.
She WAS the heaviest vessel he thought.
over fly NNfNtu III AlNfIlEb. Al HpHlt
the dry docks were merely basins Of
granite and cement. into which vessels were
fioated through gates. and which aiterward
The CIV Of Chester was warped by eaps,ans
and donkey engines at II 40 o'clock We'd;
eysctis i nro ''P to m middle Of tho dock.
Her position was aSceriained ~ an inch
bya dozen sliding, poles. which were pushed
side until cach. just touched the iron plating
Of the vessel Each p9le was graduated int nG
lowed zach poll to be pushed ont exactly as
far the on" opposite 10 It on the other side OF
the vessel. Daniel Doe. the mechanic in charge
Of the work. knew that nor keel hung directly
over the row oi stationery blocks prepared TO
recelvcit. Then h"s"i tllf steam prhiis AT work.
and the water began 10 hoii M all around the
vessel from ten or doom huge nat obicn;
dock. In short time these tanks arose,
50 that tho stationary blocks touched
the keel. when the the yess| WIS felt
| to he "acround' on these blocks Mr.. Doc
| took another observation Of the graduated
| poles, and then ordered the blEe books TO be
! pushed out. These are large blocks from three
| 10 five feet hlh, which slide on tracks on
! the top OF the tanks. Each was pushed
il shonldered neainsi the curved bottom 81
| the vessel There II lMstened itself by means
OF an automatic hog. The city OF Chester WIS
| now firmly 10 place and the pumps were again
set at work. The water boiled IN M great vol
| umes. aud in few moments careful observers
could notice tint the $500 tons mass OF iron and
| OAK WAS being lifted.
| But the steam engines worked in another way
| than in pumping water out OF the sunk IN tanks.
| In each sectional part Of the dock WIS fitted two
! huge wal er-tight empty tanks system oil genr-
| ing operated TO force them down into the water.
| Thus their buoyant power WAS gradually add
! Ing itself to that Of the rapidly emptyin tanks
| beneath the vessel Half inch by halt inch she
! rose untilthe red merchant "nsigntlat dropped
| over the tanrail nearly TO the wharf timhers on
shore was lifted above the heads of the hundred
| or more hoatmen and shipping mon who were
| Interested spectators. " o'clock the steam
| ship was high and rapidly becoming dry. The
| dock withstood the strain without tremor
| Ii was found that the wheel had broken al
| most exactly in two, Two OF the enormous
| blades we're gone. The crack had run directly
| through the hub. leaving hardly enough OF 1t TO
| clasp the shaft The ten tons Of iron that yet
| hung on the huge shaft. over foot in
a. Weter. dapclrd out OF plnce \ new
! wheel has t-n borrowed from n steam
| ship not now in use, and when the
| broken wheel has been Released by drawing the
end of the shaft into the vessel IL will be- hoisted
into IL place. II is expected thnt the vessel will
! 20 Of the dry dock to-day, aud Will sail to-
| morrow. Her advertised sailing day was ycsicr-
! day. The fact that there will have been delay
| of only two days is credited TO the energetic
| action ~ Mr. Iumau.
! The cause of the accident is inexplicahe 10
| thos,' ON board tho ship. The entire breakage
| surincs Is covered with coating of new rust.
! and il was impo>s bic Yesterday from cursory
| inspection. 10 discover whether there had been "A
! flaw IN the iron. There was not a heavy sea
| when the wheel broke.