The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-14
A FLOATING
SHIPYARD
Steel Craft to Repair Uncle
Sans Fighing Ships
DERRlCKS FOR LlFTINGGUNS
Any Injury Above Water Line Can Be
Repaired by a Complete Movable
Shop Being Built at
Brooklyn.
DERRlCKS FOR LlFTINGGUNS

What Naval Constructor William j.
Baxter calls "a miniature floating ma
w yard" will take its first plunge into
the waters Of the East river in few
weeks. says the New York Times. For
months work has been pushed on this
strange craft at the Brooklyn navy
yard, but not until the other day did
the nature of the vessel get beyond the
knowledge of the naval constructors
and navy yard officers. The design and
construction is credited to Constructor
Baxter. who has the building of the
battleship Connecticut in charge, al
though he insists when questioned that
1t was only an idea worked out under
his supervision.
When the craft is completed the
United States navy will be IN posses
sion Of floating repair shop the like
of which the world has never seen and
one which. according TO the officials at
the navy yard. win make it possible to
repair second class cruisers. gunboats
and torpedo boats and torpedo boat de-
stroyers in the bay off Thompkinsville.
N. Y. the rivers or in any place where
there is water deep enough to anchor.
IN recent years Il naval officer at the
navy yard pointed out that the Ameri
can navy has been growing 50 fast
that it Is almost impossible to handle
repair work in the navy yards. How
to meet the problem has been under
discussion throughout the navy for sew
eral years. The new repair craft, 1t is
believed, will end the trouble for all
time
The vessels Of the north Atlantic
fleet win have begun to arrive In north
ern waters from winter maneuvers
when the craft is launched. and, nc
cordlng to one OF the constructors, the
floating navy yard" viii begin work
the minute it takes the water, repair
ing the smaller cruisers and torpedo
boats. This same constructor said that
he was certain that the floating navy
yard would pay for its construction
and equipment within four months. In
d year or two, he added, floating yards
would be scattered an along the At
lantic. gulf and Pacific coasts and at
the principal insular ports, especially
the Philippines.
"The floating navy yard is about
100 feet long and 40 feet wide and will
draw about six feet of water. It's built
entirely of steel, and every inch of
space has been utilized. At one end
will be a big steam derrick capable Of
lifting twenty tons, while at the other
end will be the boilers that win furnish
steam to operate the dynamos, air com
pressors and the derrick. Amidships
Will be the navy yard proper
Practically every machine used in re-
pair work viii be installed somewhere
in this space including a miscellaneous
assortment Of electrical and pneumatic
lathes, drills, slotters, shears, punches,
etc.
The apparatus will be capable OF TAX
ing off the smaller guns on battieships
and armored cruisers and Of making
minor repairs to the superstructuTe and
interior Of great ships. There is moth
ing pertaining to the smaller craft ex-
cept hole below the water line that
the little navy yard cannot attend to.
The roof will be fitted with number
of big slzylights which can be removed
at viii AID through which ordnance
and parts of ships can be lowered to
the shops.
The floating yard will not be self
propelIing, but will have to be towed.
This Is one Of its great advantages,
since to construct self propelling
craft would cost at least five times as
much as one that is to be towed, and
It would require about three times as
long to build It. Again, the propelling
machinery would take up a great deal
Of room.
The craft is practically nonsinkable
and can be towed anywhere and for
any distance by any steamgoing YES
sci. Should this one prove success
larger ones will be built.
When Constructor Baxter was asked
what name was to be given to the
floating yard he replied:
Il don't know, but how would Handy
Billie strike youw
Handy Billie? What's that?" be
was asked.
"0h, that's navy talk for man who
knows how to AK anything" be an
swered.