The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-02
THE PORT ROYAL DRY DOCK.
It's Recent Test and It's shOrtcOm-
ings-Its Former Mishaps.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
Washington. Aug. 30-There will be an
other long delay in the practical use of
the dry dock at Port Royal, as the board
that has reported upon the test of it by
the Amphitrite discovered a number of
defects that must be remedied. 1t has
been fourd necessary to put the subject
in charge of a court of inquiry, which
will meet soon, in order to ascertain how
the defects in its construction arose.
1t appears that considerable leakage
was noticed after the Amphitrite had
been floated and the caisson had been re-
versed, and also that the oak stills in the
outer abutments showed some tendency
to move inward, especially on one side;
but it is believed that this can be rem
edied by using stone or gravel concrete
in place of the sand and mud now back
of the abutments, and employing anchor
bolts for additional bracing. There was
a small opening between the six-inch
abutment sheathing anu the timber back
ing. There should have been better depth
for the sheet piling. Indeed, an official
report made last year said that the steps
at the head of the dock showed weakness,
and this was attributed to the fact that
the sheet piling should have extended
at least fifteen feet deeper.
favorable report is made on the
strength of the caisson, which is we'll
constructed, but it needs additional air
ports, and also should have another large
discharge pump. The cost of all these
improvements will be considerable, that
of the substitution of the stone or Gon-
crete for the earth and sand back of the
abutments and the counter bracing with
bolts being put at $4,000 Proper piers at
the entrance to the dock are also recon-
mended, but these are Independent of the
contractors work. Then there must be
a good deal of dredging at the approaches,
in order to make the dock available for
our battleships of deep draught.
The timber dock on the east side Of Paris
Island, at Port Royal for the naval coaling
station there, the largest yet built on
the Atlantic coast, was undertaken long
ago. the contract being made Feb. s. 1891
and, in fact, its completion has been delay
ed two years beyond what was originally
intended This delay, however, was in
part due to misfortunes. Year before last,
during the great hurricane of the latter
part of August the dock was filled by a
tidal wave, and congress came to the
relief of the contractor with an appro-
priation of $1S.521.42, on the ground that
he was not responsible for this disaster.
the pit by the giving way of the Golfer
dam, and it was left filled for some time
1t was also at one time reported that the
floor of the dock had been raised by wa
ter pressure. One board Of civil engineers
of the navy sent down to examine it found
however, that the leakage that had been
reported was only similar to that of other
docks under construction, and was not
serious, and that there was nothing to
criticise in the methods up to that time.
The contractor for this dock is Mr. JUS
tin Mccarthy of Washington, who had had
experience as a brick and stone mason.
but had not previously built timber docks.
so that it was natural that some mishap
should occur. The time originally named
in the contract for completing the work
was April %, 1898; but extensions of time
having been granted for the reasons al
ready suggested. The original price stip-
ulated was S,91567 which was consid-
cred remarkably low. However, the cy-
clone disaster added, as has been said.
$lS,52l-42, and the trouble arising from hy-
drostatic pressure brought $4,000 900
more, the board recommending that the
government should make this allowance.
A third sum added was $4,000 for wild
ening the entrance to the dock. Exactly
what further expenses, if any, will come
upon the government the results of the
court of inquiry win reveal
When the work is finally completed the
Port Royal dock Will prove very useful.
perhaps, particularly for vessels cruising
in the Gulf, which will not then have to
go so far north for docking.