The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-10
CONDITION OF OUR DEP DOCKS.
Tho Board OF Omcers Says IL Will Require Ahous
$1,000 o to Make Permanent Repairs.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9.-The report Of the
Naval Dry Dock Board. made public today,
shows that there Is urgent need of repairing dry
docks on the Atlantic coast The board rec
ommends that all of these docks-two at
Brooklyn, one at League Island, one at Nor
folk, and one at Port Royal, 8. C.-be fitted
with concrete entrances in place Of those of
timber and that other alterations consequent
upon this change be made as described in the
report, mainly in the direction Of charging the
capacity of the docks and of making repairs of
such a nature as to look to the gradual trans
formation of the docks into solid concrete
docks OF full capacity. The board says:
timber docks named will have reached such a
state as to be unit for use, endangering ships la
tnsIe from from coIiapss Of sP their sas stract 1nsrs Snde or
the pressures about them"
Touching the present condition q the docks,
'Au docks examined show q condition of
more or less rapid deterioration OF the material.
due to its perishabls nature, and in certain in
Ptances weakness due to the lack Of secure fas-
Jennings OF the tim9ers, The most rapid dets.
Norfolk Is In tho worst condition, and Ii now
qnder extensive repairs. Dock No. 3 at New
No information in regard to It's condition 10
Obtainable beyond that contained in the report
OF the Board or Civil EnYineers."
The board says that the cofrerdam which 10
now being built 1t the New York dock would
therefore the alteration could DO made at com.
paratively small expense. No change is ro-
quired In the coferdam.. and the work.of altera-
ton should be begun ut once. Tho estimate for
this work, presuming the cofferdam In plaoo,
ninety days from tho commencement Of the
The three docks at League Island and Nor
folk, and No. 2 at New York, being alike In d.
mensions. are covered by the same
ton. This Is that the entrances be enlarged
sill. that the gate or caisson be heightened cor
respondingly by twenty feet, that the cross SEQ
tion Of the docks DO widened by placing q CON
crete supporting wall along their sides TO sup
port the altars above, Aud that the new entran-
ces be made OF concrete. All timber In the pros.
ent floor abutments, except piles, to be replaced
by concrete. The estimate for making these
extensive changes Is $3.50, $50 for each dock.
The board evidently does not deem 1t worth
while 70 attempt 10 mako temporary repairs To
the timber docks, for 1t says that even the ex.
hminations necessary to ascertain what should
be done would entail q considerable expenditure
of money. and az long As timber Ii retained In
the structures the work would be very tempo
rary In It's results. The board says that it
based It's recommendation for the substitution
OF concrete entrances upon the fact that the al
Tentative would DO 10 rebuild the entire dock of
concrete, and this would require about two
years during which time the navy would DO de-
entrances could be completed In from six to
eight months, and they would mako a founda-
tion upon which tho docks could DO further ro-
paired. The alterations would give
the docks ample spaco-t to take In at light draft
such ships as tho Rearsarge. the fullest form OF
place. All the work recommended IL Of a perma'
hont character. and will serve to permit the
gradual change Of tho docks into complete con.
orete structures In tho end.