Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-22
A SOUTHERN DRY DOCK.


coast at which work can be done
properly upon war vessels, or
upon the commercial marine of
larger sized ships. Two commissions
have reported in favor of Algiers, oppo-
site to New Orleans, and that undoubted-
ly Is the proper point.
The secretary of the navy has several
times recommended that the appropria-
ton of 100000 should be passed with the
naval appropriations bill for the purpose
of beginning work on this dock, but it
has been defeated, owing, no doubt to
the want of a proper understanding as
to the necessity of such an expenditure
The first commission reported November
Is, 1889. the following recommendations:
After carefully weighing all the adj
Vantages and disadvantages of Algiers
as site for q naval station, the commits
sion is of opinion that, while the spot
is not an ideal one, no other place on the
gulf compares with it in the advantages
offered, and that the advantages are so
many and SO great and outweigh the dis
advantages to such an extent that the
commission has no hesitation in recon-
mendng the location of a navy yard and
dry docks at the present government res
ervation at Algiers, La" 40 a,
A second commission was appointed
June 30. 1890, to select a suitable site,
having due regard to commercial and ma
val interests, for a dry dock at some
point on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico
and waters thereby. The report con-
tanned a clear statement of their investi-
cation of seventeen different points on
the Gulf of Mexico, and the following
conclusion was reached: "The South
Pass of the Mississippi river affords the
only entrance 26 feet deep to a port or
harbor on the Gulf of Mexico or waters
connected herewith far enough from the
sea to be safe from gun fire."
The commission Incorporated into their
report an opinion of Gen. C. b. Comstock.
president of the Mississippi river COM
mission, that the channel at the South
Pass jetties is permanent, in the sense
that it will be possible to maintain a
channel there of at least rs feet depth
at low water in the river as long as the
jetties are maintained to deep water and
the damages from storm repaired, and
the commissions report is as follows:
New Orleans is the only port on the
gulf coast or the waters connected there
with where the three primary requisites
for dry dock are to be found 1t Is sit
uated about 100 miles up the river 1t is
the largest city in the gulf states. From
the entrance of South Pass to the city a
depth of more than &c feet can be car
ried at all times. The soil of the river
banks In its vicinity at the surface light
is from to feet below the surface, of
clay, or sand and clay increasing its
density and solldity with the depth of
the boring or excavation made insuring
foundation amply sufficient to support
a load of $4,000 tons in the dock by the
employment of the usual methods in it's
construction.
This port has other and great advan-
tages as the site. Being the greatest CEN
ter of population of the gulf states la
Dor. skilled or otherwise, can be obtained
at short notice. It's foreign commerce is
greater than that of all the other gulf
ports together, last year reaching 2.O34,-
OH tons; all others. ,197, 1872 TONS A fresn
water harbor. its water communication
with the interior by the Mississippi. and
its tributaries, Is nowhere in the world
equaled, and this Is supplemented by six
great railroad lines"
We nderstand that the house com
mittee on naval appropriations, upon the
recommendation of Colonel Herbert, sec
rotary of the navy, is about to report ia
vorably upon the appropriation of $780,
900 for the Agiers dry dock. In view of
the Importance and the great necessity
for recommendations of this commission
pcihS Soi leu Jul NituOul lQTlneF ay,f
the appropriation seems totally made.
quate to the necessities. From the bureau 4
of yards and docks of the navy depart-
ment we learn shat in view of the in
creased size OF vessels now being CON
structed and contemplated, a dry dock
must be at least 600 feet long, 81 feet wide
at the top. 66 feet in the clear at the en-
trance, with a depth of at least rs feet,
and of sufficient stability to support
load of $4,000 tons"
1t is proposed that the dock at Algiers
should be 700 feet long, while it's width in
body will be 1914 feet. The width Of the
floor will be 70 feet and the width of the
entrance 100 feet. The draught of water
over the entrance sill at the high state of
water, it is thought, will be 43 feet. The
purpose is to have sufficient capacity to
receiye and sustain any warship or other
vessels in the world. The estimated total
cost is placed at $l,2O0,0OO. The designs
for this dock were furnished by Civil En-
gineer Mordecia T. Endicott of the Unit
ed States navy. This officer is the de-
signer of the dry dock at the Norfolk
navy yard 9
Here we have q fresh weber harbor
second to none in the world, sufficiently
interior to be absolutely protected In case
of war: and It must not be overlooked