New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-11
THE MASSACHUSETTS OUT.
LEAKS. IN pRYDocK NO. COVERED
BY TIDE-wATER.

-, TILT p1o RArr1E-sHiP FINISHED YES
rrnn,v NoRNING-REpAIRs TO THE DOCK
TO BE BEGUN AT oNcE-EXTENr
OF THE DAMAGE,
x,-. ,,o ,ast rivet was driven and the cohnec-
t,ons were made there was hnai tes' oi VI. ,,n
-, ,re circulating system on board the o"'" ~
~,..oo,uzo,.s and the work was declared " -
co,n,e,e and safe. Then there was a sie" "a 49,,
Iaf from those who had the care OF ''e oe "a
ON their minds and the order was given " nj,
ths drvdock in the Brooklyn Navy iaiu.
order was given at about iV'SV - oeoat
forenoon and by Il o'clock the snip We 800
~ two hours previously the water from tne "a"'
which had caused so much anxiety mao pee o.
lowed TO flow into the dock uhhihue'eu' -, -,
nur,n that had kept the water al 'eNei ~. =,
;ovaa tho mon at work the MASSACHUSETTS, ~
80, 80 ,osks was stopped The water had
,nraossa Us eow since Sunday night TO such III
go, ,,at about ten inches an hour was pou'"s
,n,o the dock and as this meant ten iic"es W.
an area GO feet long by Ga feet wide some 'oe" VI
the extent OF the leaks may De hau' 49,, ~.
when the water had reached the t'de 'eNei ''-e
-, oa,e was swung back. and in tow OF TWO
,ugs the Massachusetts was taken 10 the COD DocA
wall and tied up. The gate was not s"uns o"oN
and probaby Will not be until the WORK OF p'eNe''
ing any further influx of water has SO iar ""N'"0
,he, tho engineers are confident that the dock VIII
be safe. .,o
Various opinions have been expressed as 10 'i'e
appearance Of leaks in the western wall OF 'he uis
dock but the engineers are inclined 10 peleNe .''
II was due 10 the water undermining 'he ,"
.nd seeking tho outlet which offered the least re-
s,s,ance II this view is correct, 1t means an ehoi
.,o,s outlay of money and tine before the ooc"
u,,u he AZ for USE as there is apparently ho''h's
70 prevent the cement floor giving wa! ui''e, ''
weight OF a ship. One incident when showeu w
inroads of the water on the structure oi tir ,a1
was the appearance of eel which had wrisgieu
&c wav between two of the altarpieces IN the west
wal, and calmly Topped down few steps 10 inc
water The eel about fourteen irlohes iois anu
an inch in diameter, showing that some id'se
racks had been made in the wall. With the water
q, hish-tde level all evidence OF leakage WAS CIV
ered IN but IL is the opinion of the engineers tha
xbi,e the weight of the water within the lnciosu'e
will prevent any bullying OF tho waiIs U! 'ne p
IRE Of water on the outside. the attempt 10 pump
out the dock before preventive measures arc 'ah
would result IN disaster. NO expaha'o"s Vi VIZ
,r.s.rce If the water beyond those already slNe'i
. have been offered. but that the driving OF sheet
splling along the eastern edge OF the pasH Will sup
the flow Is regarded doubtful poaru GU"
sist;ng of Captain c. s. Sperry civil Enelnee e.,
T. c q White and Naval Constructor Hibbs, VIII
make careful investigation of the difficulty ana
Commodore L. o. Matthews, CHIEF OF 'he bureau %
Yards and Docks. who has come from Washiis'on'
NIL, also look into H. II has been said that SIX
weeks time and 5000 will be sufficient 10 drive tne
wall ~ smiling mentioned but there Is posslplh'!
that the whole structure from the inner groove
of the caisson TO the ends Of the retaining VANS
az the entrance Will have to be taken down. 'he
dock being secured from damage by an inner cais
SON This would cause a delay OF lour VI H'0
months and an expense Of at least s25.c1
The engineers attach no blame 10 the contractors
John Gillies who started the Work, OF l. a.
Walsh who completed it-ard as the DOCK mas oeeii
accented by the Governme II from the hanos Oh
the latter firm. any work zone now VIII De Oh d
new contract The blame for the whole UouDie
is laid at the door of those responsible for the Sc
lection Of the SITE as 1t was well known tha' 'ie
ground is OF a spongy nature. almost a quicksiiiu'
and that the old timber basin of the yard where
live oak was kept under water 1oT preseIS a'Un,
came TO within thirty feet of the edge OF me 1h nm
the border Of the nde tSTee
rows of sheet spiling were found, ana as wv ~
removed but the third expected 70 aid the
new wall in keeping water away from tle uoSh
o 1e t hsW eaed for in the contract The seepage
SO it is said has been at worK ever had 6een made
sufciently large TO overcome the resisting poMe,s
p give ,sv wSV That the walls while not keeping The
water out were strong enough to withstano the
Msssachusetts was not injured is counted by those
who have watched the dSSk as coma Gne have been
wished for after the leaks started. .,o,oa o,. ~
The training Alliance was d hoaIep he Out pr @.
pared for her summer cruise AhSush, d no Leak
hsd msds sn % w aps'sn' the oor Which
not looked with favor by the YARD ohcer f anu
iS
ieni ~ al the hands of the Inspection Board II
was not admitted that the Aiance was mos'er pl
this do oS her Witch could be done created al
Vantage In the dock than out OF H. anu ~ - ~, ~
no means certain that there is no danger Oh 'fouoie
The battle-ship Texas sailed yesterday Tor Phlla-
delphia where She Will take part in the Wash r
ton Monument celebration on Saturday next Inc me
rnnni,or Terror which has also been detailed ,or
trip TO philadelphia. spent the greater par vi
the day outside the Hook bd Psehner vs." She
turned to the Tompkinsvile anchorage la'e III 'he
afternoon. - - -
Washington May "a long telegram was re-
ceived by Commodore Matthews. Chief of the Blu
reau of Yards and Docks Navy Depart men TO-
dav. from Captain +. ]. Hgginson captain Of the
New-York Navy Yard. respecting the development
of leaks IN the biz new Drydock No. g. This shows
tina, in the opinion Of the engineer AT the yard the
leaks are attributable to the improper filling OF the
old timber basin adjacent 10 the new drydock'
which filling was done before the construction OF
tho now dock was undertaken by John Gillles. The
engineers propose 10 drive a row of sheet spllns
along for a distance Of about two hundred ana MT!
Seet betweer the site of the old basin and the new
dock carving The lies well down below inc Doitom
OF the drydock They rstimate 'nat rhe Worh WIN
Weoks The Department acted Immediately upon
This report. sending by wire authoriy 70 'he coz OF
mandant OF the yard TO begin the work al once
ind ordering the necessary material 10 be hnrrle1
Along. s,r,o,,s consideration. however with
the Department officials is not the cost or the
repairs but the loss Of the use OF the COCK Tor an
vnknow9 period Of time ne a ,o be-
viceable for long time. Her sister snip tne
Indiana is badly in need OF cleaning, having gone
more than year without pant, ID NOIauos VI
naval rules and much delay in putting ms on, IL
Is feared will result in the injury OF the bottonl
West N@nSt.