The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-08-06
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
The Process Of Putting the City
OfChesteri In q Sectional Dock.
From the New York Sun, 81.
The City Of Chester, Of the Inman
line, while nearing Sandy Hook on Fri.
day, stopped to take on pilot. As her
engines were started again, shock that
ran through her machinery told Of the
breakSge Of her propeller,
Alter this discovery, two more reyolu-
tons OF the shaft were made, but II was
found bat whatever Of the wheel was left
hung loosely on the shaft, oud that IL
propelling power was gone. Capt. Brooks
hailed the steamship State OF Louisiana,
and by her the City Of Chester was toWed
into port. The two yessels passed the
City Of Richmond on her way 10 Europe,
having on board Mr.. Earnest s. IomAn,
sub.mAnager Of the Inman line. He was
taken to the disabled vessel, and returned
10 New York In her. She arrived At her
wharf on Sunday, her cargo was dis
charged by Tuesday night, and the next
morning she was towed around into the
East river, and floated stern foremost
into sectional dock atthe foot Of Rut-
gers street. She Is the longest ship in the
Inman line except the City Of Berlin, aud
the City Of Berlin Is the longest ship In
the world except the Great Eastern. The
City Of Chester measures 475 feet over
all, and weighs, after her cargo Is dis
charged, 6. 800 tons. To this weight, Cap.
tain Brooks added about 800 tons 10 trim
her before she was fosted into the dry
dock, because she was too much down by
the stern. Her Captain had doubts
about the ability OF the dock 10 raise her
out OF the wster. She was the Heaviest
vessel, he thought ever dry docked In
America. At home the dry docks were
merely basins Of granite and cement into
which vessels were foAted through gates,
and which afterwards we're pumped dry.
The City Of Chester, ata11:40 O'Clock
Wednesday morning, aoated exactly into
the middle Of the dock. Her position
was ascertained to an inch by dozen
sliding poles, which were pushed out hori-
zontally from the dock on either side IN.
iii each just touched the iron plating OF
the vessel. Each pole was graduated
into feet and inches. When the vessel
had been brought into position that al
lowed each pole to be pushed out exactly
as far rs the one opposite to II on the
other side Of the vessel, Daniel Doe, the
mechanic in charge Of the work, knew
that her keel hung directly over the row
OF stationary blocks prepared to receive
II. Then he set the steam pumps At
work, and the water began TO boil up all
around the weasel from ten or dozen
huge fiat oblopg wooden tanks that form
the broad bottom oil the dock. In a short
time these tanks arose, no that the sta.
tionary blocks touched the keel. When
the vessel was felt 10 be aground" on
these blocks Mr.. Doe took another OBJ.
seryation of the graduated poles, and
then ordered the biIge blocks to be pushed
out These are large blocks, from three
to FIVE feet high, whichslide on tracks on
the top OF the tanks. Each was pushed
on toward the keel Of the vessel until II
shouldered against the curved bottom OF
the vessel. There II fastened itself by
means OF an automatic dog. The City Of
Chester was now firmly in place, and the
pumps were again set 10 work. The wa.
Ter boiled up In great volumes, and In q
few moments careful observers could no.
tice that the 800 tons mass OF iron and
oak was being lifted. I f.,
But the steam engines worked in an
other way than In pumping water out Of
the sunken tanks. In each sectional part
Of the dock waE fitted two huge water
tight empty tanks. A system Of gearing
operated 10 force them down into the
water. Thus their buoyant power was
gradually adding itself TO that OF the
rapidly emptying tanks beneath the yes
sci. Half.inch' by half.inch abe rose
until the red merchant ensign that
drooped over the tsfrail nearly 10 the
wharf iimbers on shore was lifted above
the heads Of the hundred or more boat
men and shipping men who were inter.
ested spectators. At2 o'clock the steam.
ship was high and rapidly becoming dry.
The dock withstood the strain without
tremor. y
TWAS found that the wheel had broken
almoss exactly in two. Two Of the enor:
mous blades were 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 a foot 10 diameter, dan.
gled out Of place. A new wheel has been
borrowed from a steamship not now In
use, and when the broken wheel has been
released by drawing the end Of the shaft
into the vessel, it will be hoisted into its
place. It 10 expected that the vessel will
20 of the dry dock to-day, and will sail
Tomorrow. Her advertised sailing day
was yeslerday. The fact that there will
have been a delay Of only twoidays is
credited to, the energetic action OF Mr..