New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-12
DYKMAN TO STRONG.
A LETTER TO NETWORKS MAYOR ON THE
DRYDOCK MATTER.
HOW THE BUILDING OF A DOCK BY THE CHI
WOULD INJURE PRIVATE iNTEfhSi'
SMALL PROFITS FROM TRANsAT-
LANTIC LINERS.

I.ANTIc LINERS.
Several DAYS ago The Tribune announced ex-
clusively the probability that there wculd sho'''
be erected in the Erie Basin diydoch 'a'h'
enough TO accommodate any ship now ahoa'' "
likely TO be built for some years. Prior 10 '''''
Mayor Strong Of NewYork, had stated tna' III Ills
onjnior such a drydock was an absolute neces-
sity If the port of New-York was 10 maih'ai" 10
Prestige. Ye thought that such dock shou'd
be built uptown in Nev-York and recoInmeh"Su
the appropriation Of large Of money for
that purpose. This project now appears 10 I've
abandoned. on me ground that there are other
more urgent improvements needed on the Ne"
York waterfront that will take all the money
available for such purposes although Mayor
Strong was deeply impressed with the aosu'o'.'
OF the St Paul the New-York and other vessels
of their class being forced to go to Newport
News to be Grydocked at an expense Tor to""Se
ilcne above what their dockage would cost mere
IL tne needed facilities existed here. MAY
Strong was seen Yesterday the subject ne
said that the drydook project was not a'an-
doned however but was merely laid aside 'or
the present.
Such p project il carried ont. would seriously
interfere with the building Of drydock IN
Brooklyn. which is believed to be con;emrla''h
by the New-york Drydock and Repair Company
which now owns all the drydocks OF large ca
pacity in the port. as already told in Inc II'"-
unc William y. Dykeman is rresiden; OF 'he
concern. representing. II is believed, the r"''"
delphia capitalists interested in the trust speak
irg Of this proposal 10 abandon the corftru'''o"
of drydocks in Ncw-York he said
~ saw Mayor Strong on Monday. and he insists
thai the por, shall have dIydocks long and large
enough to accommodate anything a1oat. He pre-
by private clpital. as the improvements or
wharfs and piers exhaust all the city's money
think he will insist that shipowrers for whom IL
is proposed to have our dock heightened shall
give some assurance that they will use II. W"
estimate that a new dock, 700 feet long. Woulc
cost 81. 800 600 and that 10 lengthen our longest
dock TO that size would cost 100000 while II
would cost New-York 81 900 900 for land and build
inE a similar deck. do not think Mayor strong
will insist upon us spending 100000 10 enlarge our
dock unless there is some guarantee 81 return
for tn, investment. What Mayor Strong would
have us build would be he largest drydocH on
the Western hemisphere. 1t would be larger than
the new navy yard. the Newport News or fort
ROYAL drydock There is now vessel being
built In Hamburg that will require a dock s75 feet
in length 10 take her in. and We have arranged 10
get her plans and lay them before Mayor Strong.
strong : greatly In crested in this project and
whether he has abandoned Il or not We shall Try
and have vessels do their docking and repairing
here; W. VIII build all tho dock they want. ~"
have the land and the money. and We want IN"
business.
Mr. Dykman has written n long letter 10
MAYOR Strong. in which h" states that the New
York project. II carried out. would destroy the
millions of capital now invested In drydocks In
The mort. and shows that the Erie Basin dry
dock can accommodate any vessel coming to
the mort save four the Campania. Lucania.
St Louis and ST. Paul The former belong 10
tho Cunard Line which has never yet locked
vessel In this port. although there is capacity
FOR all Of them except those named The other
two can be locked draught OF il Feet
inches Such vessels as La Tournin" ana the
Augusta Victoria have been drydock"d In the
Erie Basin Though the rates for many years
have been phenomenally low the Cunard Line
has never made use Of the Erie Basin drydocks
Mr.. Dykman tells the reason thus:
1.-THE reason" he says that mono OF the
,ransatlantic lines ever drydock here. II they
can avoid II IT, ships only put In drydocks
to be painted or repaired and owing 10 the an
ference between American and European rates
of wages the cost OF repairing or painting mere
Is so far In excess OF that on the other SIDE
as TO exclude us from that class or WORK eH-
cept when vessels cannot be taken ABROAD II,
proof OF this | submit a complete stateHe'. ~. VI
all the Transatlantic liners OF more than o'VVo
tons gross measurement which have used our
dock Nhat being a comparatively small 'o"
mage for a modern transatlantic steamer anu
considerably less than the tonnage OF the Ves-
sells OF the regular ners) together with inc
full amount paid by them FOR dockage Iron"
January !, 1897. to January ]. 1896: