New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-21
NOT ENOUGH KEEL BLOChS.
THE ACCIDENT TO THE PHOENlClA IN
THE ERIE BASIN EXPLAINED.
THERE WERE LOCO TONS or GRAIN IN THE FORE
HOLD OF WHICH NOTHING WAS KNOWN Ia
THE DOCK PEOPLE. AND 40 PROVISION

TAIN ITS WEIGHT

HAD BEEN NApE 70 So
TAIN ITS WEIGHT
The nearest approach TO serious accident 'h4'
ever occurred 1T The Erie BASIN drydocks since uie'
Mere baili. fourteen o. fifteen years ago was '""'
Ia tho siean,er Phoenioa on Wednesday night
There is hardly any room 10 doub' that the occur
renee was entirely due 10 tnr fact ihAi Inc p'S
freghter had on board oOt tons OF grain IN the Tore
hold O. which nothing appears 10 have Deeh Sa" y!
the captain agents OF ihe ship
Every yessel is supposed to be equipped with SCI
of docking pans giving the weight and dimensions o,
me ship and the sheer OF the keel. These a:e hihdeu
TO he docamasier and upon them he bases MS cacu-
ia ions az 10 the neigh, and number o. the heel DOCKS
10 De used The greater the weight OF the vessel inc
srger the number Of keel blocks employed 10 sustain
the weigh, Of the ship The fac o. mere pelns l'''
Ton. of cargo board the Phoenicia. OF wNlch the
docklnaster knew nothing. explains the whole si'ua-
ton and the crushing OF The Insufficient h'hner o.
kecblocl;s me result.
The keel blocks OF OAK eighteen inches
square and about four feet in length When me
receding water left the entire weight Of the ihoe-
nicia upon them the stout oak t'mhers crnSned ''o
ni.ces or fraved apart under the tremendous
weight and the big snip pitched forward. s'riRlhs
the noor Of the dock with thud that shook the
houses in the neighborhood Fortunately none OF
the skilled dochmcn. who were the only ones
around received injuries. The dock was AT once
flooded and at O'Clock in the morning th' fhos-
ncia was hauled out to adjoining pier
All day yesterday and under the electric lish's
last night a hos Of ship carpenters ana the dock
mon toilcd 10 replace the crushed blocks with new
ones The loss Of these is the only damage sus-
tanned as the ship appears TO be unhurt ana II
speaks volumes for the style in which she was
secured that the shores held the ship perfectly up
right and only TWO of these broke under the ire
mcndous strain.
General Superintendent William ID. ID. Dlchey "du
this TO say abou; the acciden: yesterday:
The keel blocks simply gave way under the
weight of the steamer that was all. There was 10
damage done other than the de ,ucion Of q Sc, OF
blocks which worth perhaps Sio), ana th"' l'S9
belongs entirely 10 the dock .A
What caused the blocks TO give way uilut' ."'
Phoenica more than any Other OF the big SHIPS. l.,
'Priucipall. because there were l.W toS OF X ''i
in the forward part Of the Phoenicia = hold which W.
knew nothing about, The ship had been docked
here before. and the captain no DOUBT lhoueh, "
added weight would make no difference IN the dock-
ing Had we known IT, however. we shOud hnNe
increased the number OF blocks under her; nus IrS
SEEMING the strain and precluding the crushing We
take great pains in the selection OF the BLOCKS anu
il is easy to get enough under the keel to mold UP
the largest ship ahoat. The 1aVel ana the Spr"c
were in the same dock only recently ara We nav
had the Fuerst Bismarck and score or the DINER
great ocean liners in the same dock without incur
ring the slightest accident 49,, ,,.
us il true that the foundation under the DOCK
gave way and caused the ship TO sink upon the
blocks" . 49,. o. ,r,a
"There is absolutely no truth in that report. Inc
foundation is as sound Il ever was. and capaDIe
of supporting the heaviest ship ahoat.