New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-12
NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
REPAIRS TO THE DRYDOCK.
CIVIL. ENGINEER MENOCALs PLAN AP-
PROVED AND WILL BE FOLLOWED.
THE LEAKS SHOW NO SIGNS OF ABATING-
ANXIETY FELT FOR THE SMALLER DOCK
A NARROW ESCAPE.


"A NARROW ESCAPE.
1--WE or six feet of water were pumped out OF the
big drydock in the Navy Yard yesterday ana com.
nodore f. o. Matthews. chief OF the bureau Vi
Yards and Docks who had come on from Washing
tan made an inspection of a small portion OF 'he
,eaks which were revealed by the pumping out Vi
the water and approved the plaps OF ClNu Cnsi-
neer Menocal for preventing any lur'hei 'e
These plans provide for driving row OIL snee'
spilins POS feet long just east of the wall OF me
dock The work will begin until the material IS
received at the yard. and the civil engineer nus
asked for spiling measuring forty-eight iee1 III
length with a cross section OF twelve inches "'V''
way These timbers will be tongueo ana b'oo'v
and driven 10 their full length between lo"a Va
ordinary spiling four feet apart Ihe ia''ei sp'i'9
viii form trench which viii be boarded up 10 pre-
vent the sides caving in. ard filling VIII DC p'1eu
on each side Of the heavy tInbers, making soho'
and what the engineers believe will be an uSsNeh-
etrabe wall between the drainage OF the ianosiho
tho ,imbers of the dock. The leaks sho"eu ~
signs of abatng yesterday, aud the feehhs Oh an"-
iety in regard 10 the smaller dock just west Vi ''0
big one Is by no means abated. inc "hois VIII
tory east of the machine shops is believed 10 De
.,,,ro,aa With water and il is expected that a
steady inflow will be found when the trench Is dug
for the new spiling
These leaks and the trouble they nave o
have brought forcibly before the yard oluclais INC
need of something more solid than unper do
bosis for drydock the operation Of which WIZ not
be interrupted II pointed out yesterodF '""'
the expense of building solid concrse wall arou,u
tho dock while II would have been great IN the
first Instance would have been real eSpnoiA!' do
even with the improvements apout 10 pe ''"'' ~,
there Is no certainty that the present UouoS ",'
not come up again and be more veXata's 'iN'n ~ %
a, nresent Six weeks at least VIII pe requlru
ofter the material Is received at the yarc pelVe
me work will be finished and In this time II II If
necessary 10 use the dock II can only be done D!
following out the plan in operation al 'ne Ne"suo
Island yard in Philadelphia, where when me saoof
Are closed the pumps are started ana arr nc is
siopned until the vessel taken out OF water -
ready to be fioatcd again TIL, 90 or,,,,ed ~
One Of the minor accidents which are n tho
he called narrow escapes happened Just PACK on 'is
engineering machine shop yTs.era and Two feet IN
SSismeter which is part of the hydraullc system
of the Massachusetts and has been at .e 1rb car
of The cylinder was. held in place by bride MhS Sx
secured by only TWO o. ang ne marked $ pounds
there was a snap aud explosion ana InT f I Up
went Sa1 hob int" Wh 5he ragmens Of the bride and
other small pieces of wreckaee came down on ,f Of
go ~ ,he boiler-shop in a shower A nulnuvt VI
workmen we're standing around the cylinder ,bat Tf f6
the explosion happened ana 70 Inc i%y is due
tSeir escape from serious injury II not DEAN
There was Wns Done save the weckae Of
she e Was ouicky resumed test Of the Cyl
inder will be made in Gay or tWo' anu ~ - 70.
70 saw that the men engaged will keep al a. re-
epectful distance when the steam Pr ,ho COW,
demned stores and wreck7ce at the Saiu WI" ~
he Completed for or three days as n, .L d;far
and variety OF the articles 10 he SOFA anu t iaroe
sn5 XSu Of work Paymaster Boggs expects TO be
able 70 inform those whose bids have peen acceP'e"
Of that fact before the end of the week.
washington. May ll,~The Secretary OF the .",!
has received a full report upon the LEAKAGE .. u"
big Drydock No at the New-1orK Navy idiu'
through Admiral Bunce. the COMMUNICATE Oh t'e
ward The Admiral appointed board, GoinpoSodd
~ Commander Sperry, Civil EngNleer Nhite az. .ha
Constructor Hubs Immediately upon reahzlng t me
extent OF the damage, and TINS EsOafu mas az he
renort made TO the Secretary OF the Navy me
Board describes in detail the location anu ~
Of the leaks and makes Il clear that the s,a' 80
the dock probably is mucn more serious n Ths CON-
struction one corner OF the sheet spinng , couis
which runs around the dock was drNe1 Ill.,. .i.T
Mace Allied with the debris left in the Ola tltnDeI
BASIN and. in closing, the report STATES 'i rounS
both of the abutments at the entrance OF me d0sk
The failure Of this big dock in this 1ashlon nas
shaken the confidence Of the DeT1rtmcnt eApe.t s
in wooden drydocks altogether ana mas uoIe oOa
docks II is evident that the work OF repair IN
Sew-York IL successful in the end. Will occup!
months AT least and the Department "a enureiy az
a loss for means make the changes IN me na.l
~ the Indiana for which 1t has made al neces-
sarv preparations. These changes ineude me
fitting of hlge keels to the ship; without WnG IN
the rolling is so excessive as 10 be hazardous IN
heavy seas In addition. the ship Is 1oul ana she
cieaned II was at first intended TO SEND her 10
Port Royal S G.. but 1t has been found that tnere
are as vet no facilities a. that place Tor the Work
OF hitting the bge keels