The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-12
70 BE Completed One Year
Ahead of Contract Time.
sceNe or oEnsRAL ACTIVITY.
~ Largest Dock fn Ameriea-Its Vast
Proportions Already Leoming Up
Details of Its Construction.

tbe dock proper - com piete1, ana the I'M
rxuss cgisson forming the gates will be
tnisbed Ia about three weeks. several
ueuths ahead of time. and quicker than
ane has ever been made before. Men are
,orking night and day. there being three
shif.s OF eight hours each. A Thomson
Heu.ton dynamo, 1900 candle power,
vanishing twenty lights, is used during
he night Piledriving is completed on
me main dock, and on the lower end they
are eut of level and ready for Gaping.
Between 300 and 80 men are constantly ~
vork. and the scene a. all hours Is busy
ose.
The dock will be so feet long. 70 feet
vsas AZ the bottom and 10 feet wide NJ the
eoping. 1t is ~ feet deep, and mean high
de comes within feet of the coping.
irving IS feet depth of water. The
80 OF the floor, which is entirely
eompIeted for 40 feet. consists of hard
eompscIed yellow sand. which is par
ta.ly-formed sandstone. and in this the
t..es are driven four feet apart length~ise
ofthe dock, and averaging three feet apart
srro@s IL Above these. icngthwise, are
r2ri2-inch caps, secured to the piles by ~
inch drift bolts driven twelve inches into
thsm. Trausversely across these are i4x
Binch timbers, seventy-two feet long. ex-
txpdng from side TO side OF the dock,
these being unprecedentediy long tirnbeFs.
onsy procurable in this section. On the
natural bed between the rows of piles is &
retsork OF square box sub-drains with
holes bored In their sides TO admit the
water. ell leading into the cross drain.
The latter runs into an emptying culvert
formed BY brick arch twelve feet in di-
smeler. leading into the sump or we'll
hole OF the pump room. Above these sub
drains Is a bed Of concrete three feet at the
shslloxest. on top OF which.
between the umbers on each side
of the keelway. are surface drains six feet
vide extending from the head OF the dock
10 the cross drains. The floor is COM
posed OF 3xi2inch pianks placed half an
ZACH apart lengthwise to allow the water
10 dram through easily.
To support ships when the dock Is
finished I2xl6inch blocks. made OF Ohio
oak, rest four feet apart on heavy timbers
running the whole length of the dock. and
on each side of the keslway are the bilge
blocks sixteen feet apart and similar in
FORM made To slide on each eide OF the
bilgs Of the ship.
are great flights of steps. called affairs.
which are formed Of timbers eleven inches
square, and run up on braces 1oxi4 inches
and fortv-nine feet long. starting from the
ends OF The transverse door tinbers. As
means of keeping out water row OF sheet
piles is driven on the outside Of all the
Hoor tiInoers. penetrating i've or six feet
Into the undlsiurbed soil and rising ten feet
shove tho fioor behind the affairs. About
half way up the rear end and sides Is
table twenty five feet wide. on the outer
edge of which Is another row OF sheet piles
driven about thirty feet, as an additional
rrecsution against leakage. Batter piles
are also driven all around the three sides
eonnected BY tInbers. 10 which the affairs
are fastened Behind the affairs and be-
tween the piles puddled clay. taken out in
the work of excavation. Is beaten into
width of three feet. thus making the sides
thoroughly water tight
The entrance will be built Of Sucis island
stone for length of sixty-tive feet and
viii be inclosed by the caisson forming
the gates. which is now almost finished
and which will be tioated into place when
the water is let IN. The floor and affairs
are now finished for $50 feet and the piles
are all driven up 10 where the stonework
viii begin.
The caisson, which is built entirely of
steel, is ~ feet i0ss inches long. "A feet
wade, 80 feet deep, and its breadth at the
top Is rs feet. IL is double-ended hull,
each end being formed similar To the for
ward end Of ship. II has an upper deck
OF wood and main deck of steel and
lover deck of steel. both water tight. and
ha. two sets OF beams without decks. The
Top OF the water way and the deck at the
sides will be- level. Running the entirs
length of the keel and stems are two steel
angles. ax4x1< inch, spaced TO receive
timber packing of 6xi0 inches. which will
DO accurately ttted aud creosoted for the
purpose of preventing being eaten by
ieFedos A rubber packing, oval shaped
on top. vita a tsiuch base, will be secured
TO the timber strip by copper nails. This
IS placed on the sides to make IL perfectly
water tight. a water chamber leading
inio the harbor Is located beneath the
man deck. This deck and the next below
being water tight, connection between
Tie chamber aud the harhor will be
BY means OF culverts. which are provided
With valves bv which communication can
be closed There will be twelve twenty
iaes diameter filling eulyerts. The catsson
can be fi0ated about at will. and when
placed In position and filled with water
sill sink into its place. thus shutting of
The water from entering the dock. Ihls Is
aissr the ship has entered and is IN posi-
ton The water is then let into the sub
Drains. and out into the twelve-foot emp
tFing culvert 10 the well hole OF the pump
rom. The three centrifugal forty-two-
Inch pumps are then started and the n alter
spampel nto the eulveFts that carry II
eat into the harbor. The ship is then
A.gA aad dry and ready 10 he cleaned and
rpaiFea.
Ihere a i'll be three centrifugal s1-tneh
t1nps. with separate engines, now being
sett by Moysu Rros., OF this city, and the
largest ia cost in this country. and
smaller one toT pumping cat the secpaSe.
TIE three rumps will have = capacity OF
ioeo gallons Ter minute. Win s1esFa
rfessnre 81 i1o pounds, and viii pump Gus
ne deck. Sateh when fun VIII ho'a
les0 e0 gallons OF water. IN two hours
taeFe W.l 10 two double gate valves 10
saSA pump, enc On the suction aud one ca
ne discharge
The eaxsaes are 20 be vertical. high
Pressure. compound. 2sx2s inches
iasy ags 70 be coupled dtreet 30 The pump
'ash, vitaaat intermediate gearing
steam Ill he supplied by SIX cylindrical
ooNsFs. 81 feoi in diameter, sixteen sset
song aad whsch contain eighty foaF-lnea
sasss each.
The paulp house. when finished. viii es
sese-ssory brick structure. and VII be
very attractive looking building. u Is
aes ready 10 resolve the pumps.
There Vii be two wing walls bust q