New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-17
NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
MASONRY WALLS NEEDED.
THE TROUBLE WITH THE NAVY YARD
4 DRYDOCKS EXPLAINED.
FALSE ECONOMY IN CONSTRUCTION ALLEGED
THE MuJBrRS RESERVOIR A SIMILAR IN
ifiw sr.NcE-A POINT OVERLOOKED

THE MII.I,BU RN kESEkNOlN - SiAii~>i> '
anw srANcE-A POINT OVERLOOKED
shnu >,,,s
Thomas Stratford, for twenty years an ehsiee'
IN the CITY Works Department ana one Oh p'ooN
ivn.s hest Unknown engineers. has taken deep inter-
est in the concition OF the Navy lard or!ooeAs
since the story OF the leaking Of the docks was hrs
nub,,shed Mr. Stratford resigned his city pace
two wears ago and Is now In private business MT
Stratfords experience has given MIN cohs'oe'ao'o
knowledge of the building OF drydocks ana sina,
structures and at the request Of number Oh ms
friends who are interested In the AFFAIRS at the
,Nuvy Yard he has put in writing the results OF MS
observation and study OF the docks. This Is what
he says .
I'm the discussion now going on In relation 10
the timber drydocks in the Navy Nard the o"i!
point TO which the Engineering Board mas ao-
dressed itself is whether the water comes from 'he
old timber basin or from the Wallaoout creek OF
I Channel. 1t goes without saying that the ehure
soil of the Navy Yard is saturated up TO the ievei
OF high tide. and that given an opportunity inc
water will flow through any crevice with the
velocity due TO the head OF water or In other worus
the distance of the leak below high tide.
NO one seems TO have addressed himself to the
question. How IS II that dock costing nearly s9yv
It's acceptance by the engineering officers OF the
Navy 4 glance at the style Of construction
% SSGp' ss its afsTeS ae syed 60
What was msy the ON hs south and
on the east the high plateau of the Naval Hospital
grounds. This entire was filed In with all
kinds Of city refuse. The bottom of the excavated
dock is about thirty feet below high tide which
level saturated sand In this sand spiles were
driven and the entire level of this bottom was COW
cred with concrete a depth Of about hVe rect
But the sides projected by puddle-waH Gov
cred on the fronts with timber steps or affairs. Inc
material which forms the backing to these puddle
walls is saturated sand city refuse such as ball
last, cellar dirt and street sweepings; is IL any
wonder that this material has settled or shifted
and brokenu puddle walls and allowed the water
held in the saturated material to flow in through
the broken puddle walls?
again. as the plan Of driving tongued and
grooved spiling around the docks 10 keep out
the water. What is to keep the water out OF
space between the line of sping and the puddle
wall?
"The use Of puddle-walls for the making OF tight
Orbankments is not permitted In good engl-
neering practice. The use of concrete or rubbie
masonry has taken its place. II inclosing walls OF
concrete or rubble masonry had been used instead
OF puddle-walls there would have been no leaks
and the docks could be In use to-day. The fault
then lies in the fact that the design of the dock
IS not up 10 the requirements of modern engineer
ing practice ..,. s. xo,o. ...uo,,. t. a.
be seen in the Millburn reservoir. where puddle
used instead of masonry and. as result. the
city of Brooklyn has reservoir OF a sieve-like
character and now the Commissioner Of City Works
proposes 10 expend $4,000 TO do what should have
been done In the first place. The Government viii
find II necessary to masonry walls before II has
q dock in which 1t can have confidence at all times