The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-17
DOCKING THE INDIANA,

i
Tne Great Naval Event Which Took Plac
at Port Royal--Some Facts In Regard to tn
. Dry Dock.
The docking OF the battleship In
diana, which took place at Port Roya
On the 14th instant, hes attracte,
much attention throughout tho coun
try. 1t was superintonded by Nava
Constructor Hanscombe, who had {,
large force of employees from the Nor
iolk navy yard, who were sent express
~ for that purpose to Port Royal
The News and Courier gives tho fol
lowing Information about the dry
dock at Port Royal, which will prove
interesting
For over year the Indiana has beer
In the water, waiting for tho docks
completion, and her bottom is said te
nave been fouled to an extent that
Affects her speed two or three knots.
Inc experiment OF taking vessel OF
aer size up narrow stream and into a
JOCK whose sill has barely ono foot
more water over it than the Indiana
draws will be watched with great
interest by the department, the off,
cials OF which acknowledge that until
tho big vessel is safely out thero must
necessarily be some apprehension re.
garding Its strength.
The new dock was begun April, 1881.
The design is that Of an outsider, and
tho department, therefore, assumes NO
responsibility for its success or failure.
rsnen Inc contract n price was e4l7, 900, but
recent changes and additions have
brought the total cost of the big basin
to over S450,000. Delays occurred
from time to time in completing it
through floods along tho coast, and It
was not delivered to tho government
until few mouths ago. The length
OF the dock on the floor is 42O fee and
the coping 496 feet, with total
length over all Of 526t feet. It's width
on the bottom is 81 feet at tho en-
trance and 81 feet at tho top. Tho
trance is twenty-six feet, although as
unusually high tides It is increased by
at least two additional fees. 1t In
known as timber dock, and, unlike
most OF those built by the government,
has little stone about IL. Foundations
for the floor and sides were secured
after driving piles into the soft ground,
and the department believes they will
etand any strain that they can be sub
lected to. There 10 but one dock
building on tho Atlantic coast larger
and that is the second dock at the
Brooklyn yard, which will have q total
length of 670 feet and depth ut tho
entrance of % feet. The Port ROYAL
dock is enclosed at its entrance by a
steel caisson OF the design In use at
New York. TO food the dock REQUIRES
about ono and half hours, and to
pump the water out after o. ship is
taken In about one hour, This week
tho department awarded contracts for
the erection OF a 6ne repair shop at
the dock. In time 1t is proposed to
<,f
naval stations of tho country, and the
most important next to New York and |
Norfolk on the Atlantic seaboard. |
Like that at Puget Sound, it is we'll |
protected naturally and will REQUIRE
no expensive forttications to make it |
safe from sea attack.
ANOTHER STATEMENT.
The Atlanta Constitution has the |
following sketch Of the event and its
surroundings
The docking Of this immense vessel
This dock Is the only ono in the United
States into which tho Indiana can be |
placed: Savannah, Brunswick, Mo-
bile, New Orleans and other ports
were bidders for this dry dock whom
the government board went around
through the South few years ago
looking for sites. Port Royal got the
prize because OF her splendid harbor,
which admits vessels drawing twenty
seven feet or more.
Since the foundation OF this dry dock
the United States government has ex-
pended upwards OF $4,000, 900 in com
pleting the works, draining the sur
rounding county, building the formid-
able rampant and equipping the shops
and ammunition REPOSITORIES.
The capacity Of the dock is sufficient
to receive the deepest draft vessels in
the world. 1t is 620 feet long, thirty
four feet deep and has mean breadth
OF sixty-four feet. The pumping en-
CINE is the most powerful in existence,
having discharging OF $4,000 gallons
minute and cost In connection with
the buildings and machine shop $SS, 600.
In addition to the s4,5Oo,OOO spent on
the dry dock and accessories, large
cum has since been expended on nee
essary works In improving the chan
mel entrance.
There are two officers and one COM
pany of marines and upwards OF sixty
four miscellaneous employees of the
yards and buildings, the latter force
being greatly augmented when war
ships are In the dock undergoing
cleaning or repairs. Commander
Charles 81. Rockwell, in charge of the
station, is distinguished naval officer
recently appointed to succeed Commo-
dore Bradsley, now in charge of the
Pacific squadron.
Paris Island has long been valued
highly by tho United States govern
ment on account of It's strategic pom
toon at the mouth Of Port Royal sound,
and also on account of its excellent
physical conditions, admirable climate
and pure water. 1t has been the sub
ject of frequent reports of the navy
department and In all cases tho recon-
mendations have been OF the most IA
vorable nature.
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A CLOSE SHAVE.-A Now Yorker