Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-10
THE GREAT DRY DOCK.
RAPID PROGRESS Is BEISG MADE
HUGE CONTRACT,
Notes OF The Sh1pyard. Pacific Mail Line
Compared with Other DC. an
Steamers.

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The Newport News Shipbuilding and
Dry Dock Company has just placed an
order with the Ringwood Manufacture
ing Company, OF New York. for anoth-
eF galloway for use on the new dry
COCK which is being built at the ship
Sarf. The company already has one uf
7hes. travelling cableways employed IN
this work and such excellent progress
was made with this method of excavat-
ing mat IT was deemed advisable to
place a duplicate order at once.
ne actual work OF excavatinS for
the new dry dock was commenced in
the early spring months Of this wear.
The travelling galloway. which spans
the site Of the dry dock, wars installed
at the start ana rapid progress has
been made. Las this will be by far the
largest dry dock in this country and
the equal of any in the world consid-
cradle interest is manifested in its ON
r!etion. The government. especially is
anxious to have it comrleted. as it will
be the most servceable dry dock on the
coast for the docking Of naval ships.
1t will be sufficiently ..,rse to receive
two of the largest katticshps or crus-
crS atloat at the same time with ease
and the big ocean liner Oceanic will
be able to go in this basin with plenty
or room to spare.
The novel galloway by means Of
which the excavating is done has a
span of 233 feet ana is adapted to han
die from five to eight-ton loads
The material is filled by hand into the
Tat steel skips. six being; used. Each
skip as filed is in turn hooked on to
the fall block of The galloway, hoisted
to the main cable then conveyed along
the cable and automaticaI dumped,
through hopper. into narrow-guage
cars. by which it is conveyed to the
final spelling ground on the water
front. The skips have a capacity of
about two yards. water measure being
feet square and 10 fact deep
The galloway is operated by one en-
sineer, one fireman ana ore signal man.
The labor force required forthe excava-
ton consists CT Il foreman twenty-four
ShoNelers. six pickers and two drllers
who prepare for the blasting. The men
who fill the skips also do the hooking
Oh. The material is Very compact
blue mari and requires to be blasted
before it can be handled. The hopper
through which ii is discharged into tbs
dump cars is attached to the head tow
ers and travellers with it being partly
supported by the tower and partly car
cars pass Immediately underneath it
on 2-foot 6-incll guaGe track and an
extra track is provided in front of the
hopper for switching purposes.
one OF the most interesting features
of this galloway is the employment Of
towers with a very contracted base,
made necessary by the small amount
of space available for .aem. These tow
ers are built of heavy timber and are
exceedingly strong and substantial for
carrying the machinery. ca bles and bal
last. and each travels on five rails, or
an arrangement which is equivalent 10
three standard railroad tracks
The engine for operating is contained
within the head tower, and is especially
adapted for this class Of work. The
local conditions made It impossible to
handle the material by any method 9TH
er than that of hand labor
The cable way has been used both
day and night. handling an average of
from 800 to $50 yards Per day of ten
hours While an early spring record
shows $50 yards in the same time.
General Superintendent Post of the
shipyard, expresses the belief that the
galloway is better suited to his work
than any other kind of a plant.
This galloway for dry Gock excava-
ton may be said to be only a develop
rnent in the direction of q perfect dry
dock galloway. The perfect plant could
be arranged with TWO independent ca
bles and systems of ropes supported by
single pair of towers With.an operat-
ing engine on each tower each engine
controlling one Of the galloway sys-
TENS and each galloway handling a
self-flling and self-du:nping ''oranse
peel bucket. by means or which the
al, in, nar Il
away with and the digging capacity
doubled With enc set Of towers and
tracks.
While eXcavating is going on at one
end Of the big hole. the work Of putting
down the heavy tinbers for the floor
of the dock is in progress at the east
end. where the excavation has been
made the required depth. Thus no time
is lost and there will be no delay III
completing the basin.
Various figures have been published
in Northern papers purporting to be the
dimensions Of the new Pacific Mail
steamships which are to be built here
and for Which the keels will be laid in
Il short time. Some statements have
made it appear that the displa cement
of the ships will be only 1880 tons
The actual displacement will be $500
tons and each ship will have capacity
for 10000 tons Of cargo, in addition to
accommodations for ii: first-class and
1880 steerage passengers. The length