New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09
A FLOOD IN THE DRYDOCK.
DANGEROUS LEAKS IN THE NAVY YARDS
BIG BASIN.


ING THE GATE vALvEs-THB BATTLE
SHIP MASSACHUSETTS TO BE rLoATED
AS SOON AS PossIBLE-cAUsE
OF THE TROUBLE AND
ITS REMEDY
Misfortune to be the lot OF the dry
docks of the large class which the Government
has attempted to construct, the latest example
OF 1t being the danger Of collapse which threat
ened the big structure in the Brooklyn Navy
Yord yesterday. A series OF leaks, which start
ed early in the morning in small stream
the east side Of Drydock No. 3, by the middle
of the afternoon had grown so large and poured
into the dock such a volume Of water that it
was deemed advisable to food the dock to the
depth OF twelve feet as a precautionary measure.
The big battle-shp Massachusetts has been in
the dock for the las: month while roller chocks
or bge kees have been fastened to her hull
and her system of outboard ejector valves at
tended to, and the workmen have been swarm
ing all over the structure and inside the ship.
The bilge kees finished only few hours
before the leak became apparent. and the last
stroke OF the painters brush was given to the
iron wing on the port side Of the battle-shps
hull less than fifteen minutes before the valves
Of the caisson opened and the water of the
Wallabout had an unobstructed flow into the
basin. The big holes made in the hull by the
ejector outlets were covered temporarily, and
when the Inflow Of water stopped work on
them was resumed and rushed ahead with the
intention Of getting the ship ahoat and out of the
dock as quickly possible. At the floating
depth Of the ship the valves will be seven feet
under water. and until they are finished and the
dock is flooded TO a depth sufficient to float the
hi vvilI be
work.
The leak was first discovered about $50 IN
the forenoon and was a stream not much larger
than a leadpencil issuing from between two OF
! the alter pieces on the east side OF the dock,
about 100 feet south Of the inner caisson groove
and six feet above the floor. Civil Engineer
| Menoca in charge OF the department OF yards
and docks did not like the looks Of II. and called
| the attention OF the other officials TO it.
| WORK ON THE MASSACHUSETTS RUSHED.
By noon the area OF the weak place In the wall
had spread both north and south. and while
nothing could be done to stop ii everyone was
on the alert to see what would come next II
was known that there qucksands under
meath the structure and fears were entertained
! that a total collapse might follow the entrance
of water through the walls In the mean time
| every effort being made to rush the outside
work on the Massachusetts so that the dock
might be flooded and the pressure on the
structure relieved in a measure. At o'clock In
! the afternoon the alters in the first section of
| the dock south from the casson grooves. to
| height of eighteen feet from the floor, were pour
| ing a steadily increasing volume OF water into
| the dock and the small drainage pump was hard
at work keeping IL from riowing the drain
| ways and covering the floor The leak extended
| In a slopng line from the maximum Of eighteen
feet to point only three feet above the floor,
| but 800 feet away from the casson.
| BY order of Naval Constructor Bowles large
| augur holes were bored at intervals in the at|r
| pieces in order TO relieve the pressure and to
! allow the water to flow in more rapidly, but
! this seemed to increase the flow, rather than
! diminish it, and the line of wet the soping
! wall of the dock mounting higher steadily
| when, at a few minutes before y o'clock the
! great valves connecting with tide-water were
opened and the smaller inflow was drowned In the
| rush Of water through the gate of the dock.
! The dock and the battle-shp were both safe,
| and the problem of how to overcome the diff
! Guilty was the only one left to be confronted
| on board the Massachusetts there was no
| alarm nor confusion, and visitors to the snip
| and her officers were coming ana gong as II
there was nothing the matter In the dock
things were different, a few Workmen were sus-
pended on a staging near the holes In the yes,
| sells hull preparing them for suDnerslon ana
| there was n general sigh of relief when it was
| announced that the danger line had been passed
| Commodore Bunce had been informed or the
trouble and sent a message to the Department
! In Washington. giving as detailed an account
as could be made up at the time
THE BLAME FOR THE ACCIDENT
Inst where the blame for the accident belongs
is difficult to determine, but It IS the opinion OF
experts on the subject that the fault rests with
the Government engineers who drew the piah'
for and decided the location OF the DOCK
The water which is leaking into the dock comes
through the earth from the Wallapout Chaili,el,
| and is believed to have found its way under
the line of sheet spiling which Is supposed TO
keep it from the walls OF the dock. me oiu
timber basin Of the yard. whch was nileu IN ~,
after the war and afterward cut IN TWO u! tilc
! wau dividing the Government property from
that ceded To the city of BROOKLYN had lor ts
western point a spot less than thirty feel ir1n, on
the eastern wall Of the present dock ana the
whole territory from the dock coping 10 the yaru
boundary is flled-n or made ground On
the other side of the wall the city mas pue ph,h III
sheet spiling to the end or the basih Wh'tn
| Il has constructed. and the weight OF water III
the channel can find an outlet In that olrectlon
only through the earth between the wall ana
,o' tha end of the dock structure. This is unpro-
tncted nv stone quay wall or sheet spiilns ana
the dock will he useless until the spl.ihS 10
driven and the inflow OF water stoppeu II ~ tbo
This weak spot in the protective system Oh w .hF
vard that much Of the blame is laid, ana TO Ihe
fact that no provision was MADE 10y Ihe De
! nartment to meet the danger II presehtu.
pa AZ soon as possible the protective spiling back
NJ the waterfront will he put In place ana IL Is
! expected that this will stop the leak ana pernnt
the humping out of the dock when any ,, lepaIa
Wv Wv IA ,,av no made The accident Is peculiarly
unfortunate at this time. as 1t VIII force the
battle-ship Indiana TO walt long Tune peloIe
she can have her bilge keels htted' ana .,is
dnct was scheduled for use for many months
ahead No blame for the accident can apparent,
ly be attached to the contractors VINO nnSieu i,,i
| the dock. T. e. 4. Walsh, nor 10 Johh I'm
- hogan the work the faulty location or
the dock in face Of the trouble eXperienced py
the simpsons in building Drydock No - which
| is only a short distance away from the new Vte,
| being held TO be the principal cause OF the
| trouble.
n,DrD rnuDiNy