New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-10

series on the dock. He will not go with the ex-
petition, the dock itself being in charge Of the
dockmaster, who will attend to the manipulation
OF the structure, while there Will be a crew Of
twenty bluejackets under a boatswain to look
after the handling Of the tow lines. brides and
tackle gear
The crew attached to the dock is composed Of
men specially selected for the duty. They will
De housed in structure built on the dock it
SELF above the reach Of the waves They will
have a galley where their meals will be pre-
pared, and they will be IN charge directly of
trustworthy boatswain and the dockmagteT, who
will see that nothing goes amss in the holding
arrangements The crew on the dock will live
on the navy ration, and there will be maintained
Of course, the same discipline which exists on
board a warship. OF course. greater peril at
tends duty Of this sort, and for that reason the
members of the crew are better paid than If they
served deckhands Of a regular oceangoing
tug; then, too the men were selected from the
candidates who were unmarried or who had no
dependent relatives
The measure of the risk attached to the ex-
petition will depend entirely upou the weather
It is expected that the dock win Degfu its long
and tedious journey by December IL and it is
certain that the start should not be made later
than that date, else there Will be great liability
OF encountering hurricanes from the South At
lantic and the typhoons Of the Indian Ocean.
or course there is q chance. with all the precau-
tions, that sudden storm OF severe proportions
may overtake the expedition and that the dock
may break away from its fzstenings. In that
event. II VIII be out of the question to control
the 1900 ton mass of steeI. and it will he a
difficult matter for the Golfers to again pick
up their charge. But 1t is considered safe
Tor those on board the dock. even in a gale and
heavy sea, for the great structure unwieldy as
It Is Is likely to survive, when q ship might
suner. The real danger would be. of course TO
other ships. should the fugitive drydock lose its
consorts, the golfers It is SO planned how
ever, that * disaster should occur the dock
VIII not be likely to get into the path OF the
regular transatlantic liners
Naturally, with the structure presenting so
much resistance to the towing GOLFERS Il viii
be impossible to make good speed, and Com
mandeF Harry II. Hosley says IL he can travel
at the rate OF 100 miles in twenty-four hours
he will consider that he is towing all that may
be expected and even at that rate It will REQUIRE
a period OF I'VE months to make the trip of
nearly fifteen thousand miles It is estimated
that the cost OF getting the Dewey to Olongapo
will be about $500, 900. embracing the items Of
coal. wages Of crew special equipment in
stalled etc. The dock will probably go by vVav
OF the Suez Canal, which. 1t Is hoped, viii be-
passed in March, when 1t VIII be possible to
avoid the typhoons OF the Indian Ocean.
The Dewey will be the largest structure which
has passed through the Suez Canal Its dinen-
sions are 500 feet long by 1874 feet wide and ca
rect inches high. Returning to the comparison
or the new armory at the Naval Academy Il
exceeds that building in length by 100 feet and
In width by 80 feet while being about the same
height. The spectacle, therefore. OF pulling an
1000 ton steel hulk through the water win be
e marine event. in addition to the historical
slsnlncance attaching to the beginning OF the
@ockTard on the Asiauc Station.