The evening times., 1899-11-08
cARD1Frs NEW DRY DOCK.
Consul Philiipr be.lrlbe. How
Difficulty Was Overcome.


Consul Philips be.lribe. How q
Difficulty Was Overcome.
Daniel T. Phillips, United States Consul
at Cardiff. transmits to the State Depart
ment an interesting 4epdt on the new dry
dock at that port, in Which he says:
Cardiff has long been known as the first
port in the world for outward-bound tom
mage. 1t is also one Of the foremost
ports for ship repairing, In no other do
we find so many up-to-dAte dry docks; In
no other do we find greater volume and
value Of business. The development in the
dry docks at Cardif is now watched with
profound interest by shareholders, ship
owners, and merchants generally.
The management Of the Butte Dry Dock
Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
has introduced an entirely new principle
in connection with their enterprise. Owing
to the increasing length Of steamers, the
company. large as its dock is, has often
ships at the same time. 1t has frequently
happened that a ship requiring extensive
repairs to her bottom has monopoliEed the
whole of the dock, though actually only
about half Its length. This statement may
seem contradictory, but the explanation
makes 1t simple enough. The ship may run
past the caisson by few feet, and thus
the lower portion Of the dock Is rendered
useless. because another vessel could not
be let in without flooding the one which
Is being repaired. Thus, the dock may be
robbed Of nearly half its capacity. When
such conditions prevail, work has to be
handed over to rival dock. 1t is obvious
that the remedy for this trouble is to pro-
vide two docks.
Here two serious considerations arise
the expenditure involved and the space re-
quired. The directors OF the Butte dry
docks have found IT impossible to exc out
sufficient land on their estate to make a
new dock. This dificulty has perplexed
the company more than the question of
cost. Mr.. Good has mitiEated the dim
Guilty by planning something like a / alf
dock. leading of the dock they now have
Stripped OF all technical verbage, the plan
is this: Excavations are being made on the
office side of the present dock to half its
depth. and the bottom and sides concreted
ind stoned.
"The distance between the blocks on the
bottom OF the present dock and the bot
tom OF the half dock will be about rixteen
Ieet. Inc entrance 10 the present COCK Is
from the Roath Basin, consequently the
level OF water is always about the same.
A ship requiring extensive repairs to her
bottom will be brought into the present
dock in the customary way; water will
then be pumped in to a height sufiicient TO
haul her broadside on to the blocks paced
in the half dock. AT such time there
would be thirteen feet six inches of water
over the blocks in the half dock, and as
the mean draft of an ordinary cargo boat
on an even keel is about eleven feet, IL
will be clearly seen that there will be two
feet and over to spare. The water can be
reduced by the opening OF sluices.
"A ship thus placed on the blocks of the
half dock would remain dry, while vessels
passed in and out of the present dock. for
painting or other work. The new wing,
of course, can be used fbr any purpose the
present dock is put to, and will undoubt-
cdly prevent 1t from being obstructed in
any way. The successful completion OF
this important undertaking will mark a
new era in the history OF dry-dock extern
sion under straitened circumstances. This
new dock will be 400 feet long by 10 feet
wide. The company anticipates that the
new addition will increase its accommoda-
tion and earning power by 80 per cent.
The estimated cost is $l21, 600. The con-
tractor has agreed TO complete the work
in six months. I hopeIth that this idea can
be utilized by some of our American ship
ping interests which are hampered for Isck
NJ