The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-09

upon the keel blocks it was found
that the DETECTION OF the bottom Of the dock
was less than three-tenths Of an inch. She was
afterward moved to u central place in the dock
and again left high and dry with equally sat-
~isfactory results so far as tho strength of the
dock was concerned. Afterward n similarly
satisfactory test was made by placing her on the
blocks near the mouth of the dock. After the
Puritan was taken out the big battle ship Iowa,
measuring about $50 feet in length and
weighing nearly IL, 200 tons, was successfully
docked and repainted. After this the dock was
accepted by tine Government from the contract
ors, 7. g. A. Walsh OF this city. who had conf
pleted the dock. taking up the work where Con-
tractor Gillies left off.
The main contract for the dock called for a
payment of $570,OO and the whole cost of it,
with the caisson gate and wing walls which are
now being built. will be a little more than
O. .000.OO0. Since the completion of the dock it.
self no trouble had been found with 1t until
yesterday. and ii has been in regular use. The
Washes also have the contract for building
heavy walls Of piling and stone. which are to
extend from the walls forming the mouth Of the
dock on either side Of the dock along the south
ern shore line Of the Wallabout Bay. These
walls are to prevent the crumbling of the banks
and consequent filling up of the channel for one
thing, and for another are to be waterproof, and
thus prevent the percolation of water in any
large quantities into the ground around the
dock and thus into the dock.
Yesterdays trouble Is believed to have been
caused entirely by the fact that the wall along
the shore of the basin east of the dock has not
been completed. The battleship Massachusetts
was put into the dock about two weeks
ago for the purpose of putting bilge
keels on her. The need of these keels
upon the ships of her class, the only ones
In our navy without them. was demonstrated
last fall when the Indiana rolled so heavily in a
Storm that some of her guns broke loose and
began revolving. thus endangering the
ship. The work upon the Massachusetts
was practically finished Yesterday morning
and It was the intention OF Constructor Bowles
TO Ill the dock and float her out on Monday
morning. Only a little painting remained to be
done.
The Massachusetts was lying In the dock well
up toward its head. When the men went to
ing they found considerable water leaking
into the dock from between the stepping
beams on the east side e the dock, nessGly .oS
from the mouth Of the dock. The leak was about
four feet above the floor Of the dock. Atthat hour
outside stood about twenty-eieht feet above the
level OF the dock floor. Under the head which
but fH1' s not in the sn ra alarming mfs s aaantfty in f Little f %as
thought of the matter at first, as a small leak
t hsd been zen R iSu at This place foT nearly s. all the
and II was thought that there might be a spring
at this point.
creased 30 much that water was spouting out Of
the cracks between the stepping timbers over a
the floor OF the dock. The leak after that grew
IN size steadily. and the constructing engineer
In charge saw that 1t was becoming a serious
Provision Is made in the building of such
S SSnSs. for %h, leakage ihtnS n At besides add . the two big
aminute when the dock Is to be pumped dry,
There Is a drainage pump which is capable OF re-
moving 10000 gallons q minute. This pump
until the work on tho Massachusetts was en-
isirely completed and she was ready to be foatcd.
estimated that the pump was removing between
GGooo and 5000 gallons a minute in keeping the
About 4 o'clock the work on the Massachusetts,
Hooded entirely had hat been deemed necessary
however, to let the water in gradually In order
to test the tightness OF the riveting which
he ship. At I G't o'clock oeS'' this III 'n Sa SO'' 6esu %.
ane gates In tho caisson were partly
S SniII "a, 3 eng o7c,o wst f6er was S.. ADMITTED IsIen t.d GRADUALLY.
IN the dock above the floor. Then the gates
S %Sr% closed; and ng no a more MATT water VII Re
,nornipg except what leaks in. unless
SoIlelhing unexpected occurs to Indicate
aoot the dock and bring out the Massachase,,s
M snort order. As the water rose In the dock
the II" backed @sII up the water IL the earth outside
h%he earth. and at Q O'Clock. the leak
nad extended along a distance OF about 900 feet
bringing in little or no earth. and the leak was
wal wall 9 Of Il" do to DO in any way weakening the
When the leak frat began TO develop to a
hoteworthy extent In the forenoon the engineer
liz hbsnSrge had q number OF holes cut between