New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-16

marks distinct advance in naval drydock con-
structOn in the Western Hemisphere. II is
triumph for the Navy Yard. which designed and
constructed the dock within about year with
out outside help, except in the construction Of
the new caisson. And it rounds out the remark
able career Of its designer and builder. Captain
Peter z. Assessor, chief Of the Civil Engineer
ing Department and the departments Of Build
ings and Docks. who has applied for retirement
on January =. when he Will be sixty-two years old
Captain Assessor originated many Of the most
important Improvements in the yard. and per-
sonaIly supervised the work Of construction.
Drydock 30. is probably the last OF his
achievements TO be completed before his retire
ment, although there are many others which will
be enduring monuments to his foresight and
skill when others shah have carried his plans
into execution. He gave the yard its excellent
walls, its modern buildings, its light and
power plant, its paNements, its application OF
electricity as a pumping power. its two con-
crete drydocks, each capable Of receiving the
largest Warship owned by the United States or
Yet authorized 10y Congress. and railway sys-
TEN that has greatly facilitated the performance
OF almost every kind Of labor in the yard
In 1s!,o Timber DrydOck No. >, then known
as the Simpson DOCK, in honor Of its builder,
was completed Owing 10 the fact that il was
built in quicksand and near Drydock No. 3. il
was several times flooded by leakage, ana much
damage was caused 10y the accidents About
two years ago Captain Assessor discovered that
the timbers OF the abutments had decayed 10
such an extent that il was necessary 10 re-
construct the dock. He prepared plans for a
concrete drydock. the only one entirely Of con-
crete on the Western continent. His plans We're
approved and IN due time Congress authorized
the construction Of a dock which Captain As
serson unhesitatingly declared would be one Of
the best in the world. The Secretary Of the
Navy decided in favor OF the construction Of the
dock, except the caisson, by Navy Yard help eX-
clusively and under the direct supervision Of
the designer. The work was begun about year
ago. and has been completed in a much shorter
time than the Navy Department expected and
at an expense below the estimates but which
is not yet made public
The old tirnbe- dock was - fee wide and 800
feet long The new concrete dock is a. feet
wide AT the entrance and 1870 feet in length, and
has 2 deptb above the sill al high water Of 20
feet The caisson Of the old dock has been
utilized during the work Of construction as
dam in connection with lO-foot wings Of strong
thanking braced with heavy timbers al the
ends. but. Of course, cannot be used in admit
ting a ship 10 the dock, as the structures al the
ends are only temporary, and depend parity on
the caisson for stability. These timbers and
- q a
have kept back the 20 foot wall Of water Of the
XaUabout, and viii remain in their places until
the new caisson arrives and the dock is flooded
"a hermit il 10 be ioated into its place Several
times during the building Of The new dock
water has broken through the treacherous SANDS
and has delayed the work but Captain Asser-
sons resourceful mind and the efficiency Of
his assistants have triumphed over all obstacles
without assistance from outside the yard. The
last Of the concrete was laid about a month
ago. and since that time the "ofAineh nave DeeH
e,r-lo,,ed chiefly in smoothing the rough places
and rlacing the keel and docking blocks The
latter are new and Of the latest design and con-
struction. The bige blocks are set in grooves
over notched rail. in which a ratchet works
in such a way that the blocks may De drawn
into place and securely held IN posluon by
chains from the summit OF the wall
The position Of the track for the great traV-
cling crane is necessarily changed on account
OF the widening OF the dock. and plans are being