The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-18
GATES OF THE DOCK.
Great Caisson at Port Orchard
Nearly Finished.
THE SIXTH N THE COUNTRY.
Hsw the Mansssr Iron Vessel Was Euiit
which viii Open and Close the
Gosersment Dry Dock

tractors. hy james Eiglsr. the bulat@r,
By February l. Ar Idea OF the enorrfs1l1s
nlxe Of this floating gate IL given IN TIC
Dimensions which are: Length. 81 feet:
breadth, 3 rect: iepsfs. - feet. Ah@si
finished the gate viii weigh about ss,ts9
ropula. which Is heavier than any gate
now being used IN the United States.
Much al the wcrk has beer dons under
difficulties. sssssiy as rain and SNOW. hut
wstsai wifi be completed within contract
tame. This makes the sixth gate built
by Mr. Blgisr in the hast six years. the
Others beirg. Newport News. |irgsala.
for g. f. Huntington. Norfolk navy yard.
Virginia: Brooklyn navy yard. philadei-
pslla navy yard; Port Royal. E, G.. nsvai
station.
The contract was let during the spring
or 1855 ard active work vas begun about
November l. at the shspyard In New
burg. Work Was prosecuted rapidly ana
the gate was all finished and placed on
board the ship Henry e.. Hyde In New
York hasbor By February = and brought
around the Horn. arriving in San Fran
cisco In good condition after a voyage
OF Isl days. II was then transferred 10
the facafc Coast Steamship compaDy's
beat III 81, and brought up TO tbs dry
deck rlte. arriving on July =. 1885,, The
Whole cargo weighed 60 tons. and two
days ard two nights were consumed In
unloading 1t. Mr. and Mrs. James Blgler.
and noTs James 81 sri Robert n. Bigier
ard ten iron workers arrived on July
II from Newhurg. Mr.. RigIer remained
for several days arranging details. ard
wlth his wife returned East. leaving me
work In charge Of his sons james ard
Robert. tie former having had a large
amount az experience In cafssosi bui.d-
Ing Active work was begun on July e
afsl has continued without cessation up
10 The present time.
Wat the tassson Ia Like.
cvar all. s feet breadth Of beam, Is feet
N III Inches desp. and It's breadth at the
top Is - feet. II II : .lestslc-enled hull,
ezsh end being formed similar to The fer
ward end Of ship. II has an uppesdeek
OF FIR, a main deck nj SIS inch steel, and a
lover deck OF steel OF the same thick
Hsss both water tight, ard two sets OF
beams with Is inch shelving plates on
them The top OF the water way and
the deck at the sides are level. on the
Nrper deck is placed a capssan for the
handling OF the iines for working the
gate when placing II Ia position and the
necessary ehocks and eyeats
On the main deck Is a Iarge-slxed To-
eoHnotife boiler. q capstan engine with
two cylinders. finch diameter and To-
iisfh sirDke: an Edwards rump, with n
capacity OF a6oec gallons pe. minute: a
fresh water tank for the boiler. and six
teen hand wheels fer operating the six
teen aasIneh valves which are placed ON
~.
Twelve In connection with cuiveats which
extend through the gate, and which are
used TO ill the dock when the gate Il Il,
position: two for sinking the gate Into
pace. situated on the side Of the rate
near the bottom in connection with
stra!ners which are drilled through IN.
sides OF the plating. and two which are
epep To the seSl for filling the space be-
tween the lower ansi main decks, 80 that
thr hold, when the gate Is In position.
can be pumped cut Tor The purpose of
repairing II neosi be.
Extending along the entire length Of
the kesl ls placed feur feet OF osscrete
Tor The purpose % allowing the water 10
reach the suettSu Of the pump. whis.st Is
piaced ahoszt a quarter OF the length Of
The gate from one end. Directly on top
OF the concrete is deck made of Mood.
on which Ia placed loo ions OF pig iron
ballast.
Running tho entire length OF the keel
aisi stems are two steel angles. sx,xs-ls
iRehes. spacea "a receive a timber pack-
ING sxia iacAcs. which * accurately flttn,,
and creoso,ei FOR tho purpose of prevent.
Ing obstruction by feresioS. A ruhhar
.csst L.
a s-9neh brace. Is secure,t 10 the timber
BY composition rails. the exposed par,
Of the woot being covered hy sheet fead.
This rubber Is placed on the sides 10
make a Perfectly water tight joint BE-.
twsssa the store entrance u the dock
and the gate.
The Freezes Of Contraction,
The first thing done after the sr~tva, a,
the doek was TO SORT out xie kstl ana
place The keel blocks sa position. There
Nere IN aii thirteen keel blocks. These
blocks are lexis inches feet long, and
On TOP % them were placed 7-foot block
OF HE dimensions. s-toof block and a
i-foot elssek. al made 81 Whsle oak which
Tasae frnsn kea,ueky. III top of an ;hess
@as niacesa Il piece 81 iir four ,n.,h,a
fhsck and thTee fees lonw. This was
placed on tie oak hlos-ks TO furnish a xof,
rest for the vessel, TIE flrst niece OF the
seei MAS pat "a piaes on July -. and
weighed about i.Sa pounds. Tic box az
shc keel VAS turned up lgze place. all
sivcteNi. or July 81 There Was y,,st in
place during the first thirty-gwo days
sask over @Is.9o pounds 81 steel plates
sna ANGLES aecoFyt.yEs 20 government, aS-
Inmates. This was over two-nftfYs Of the
sfsire weight of eatSson construction.
The work progressed rapidly. ana the
n1ssre keel with che exception eg thirty
six fent. was finished by October l. AZ
he essi Of shs FIRST month tAerc IVES
iniSsNi end IN place tea feet az the keel
tni stosaas asd thirty fun frames, all
sycses. THIS usniSsh's w~srk waa by Tar
se fargSst ever kuown IN ,>*@ ooai:Ftry
cr this class of structure As work on
Re extension progressed the interior
res rS@dly paShei ahead and was nrac-
kally sinlsAssi hefos,s shs outside Waiting
Eas touched, ana has given thS, hess az
abstraction 20 ~ enStfssef in charge at
!. ssaes,
On the outside Shelf th7re are rs pAatex.
sAsying = we1Eht f~sssn 50 ess ! 90 is,uusss
sea, and n thickness fr,syn IS so s~,e e
n saeA
The entire Sti,hs % the cssssaa - "a
oitewS: Steel plates aaa aneie -
sssnsss etS-. s>Ngso uouaaS: pig snou h,l- |
ar, conersta anst wool. zeAes y,,,,r.ps
saess have ben esaptcyna on IRE ea.e
sEco weTS hcg&a anywhere from ,s,,
shirky ns>n, there a. nrxses,t l.,,,.-
Netyc essysts.sesf 60 <sts fsfssss,4s-ss $500