Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-02-02
LARGEST OF SHIP DOCKS.
THE "DEWEY'' NOW FLOWING
THE ATLANTIC AND BOUND
FOR THE PHILIPPINES.

will Require Four Months to Make
Trip. Capable of Lifting Biggest
War Ship.-Superior to stationary
Docks.
The huge storm waves OF the Allan.
tic in midwinter seem to roll onward
in a resistless torrent Of destruction 10
all in their pathway. But this year
they are beating against an lndom-
liable structure, for the United States
Government is shipping to its 1ar-on
! naval station at Cavite something thaI
floats but is yet not war vessei, d
fortress or a merchant ship. Capable
,, of use in either peace or war, 1t Is q
,, very necessary adjunct to Uncle SANS
. NAVY. This structure which has been
: breasting the waves Of the Atlantic is
q the gigantic new floating dry dock
!. "Dewey." but recently built by the
:. MARYLAND Steel Company Of SparroW'
Il Point near Baltimore.
4 While there are numerous dry DOCK
j. in the far East which are available 10
d Uncle Sans Navy in times or peace
J.. the gates of these would be barred 7
e. his fighting ships were he to get int
Of an embroglio with any foreign power
ID This fact determined the Navy Depar
b. ment to build a great dry dock whlc
II could be towed from one port to az
be other. or used in the open seas. III
i'll recent success attained by the Cover
ly ment floating dry dock at New oriean
Vn induced the naval officials to decl'
on that this new factor in ship-repa
he should not be stationary, but rath
one of the floating variety. In ora
that it might be capable OF docking !
largest battle ships, not only OF I
present day, but Of such possible
pansion as the future might bri
forth. the Government specifcatio
required that the dewey" should
able to dock a 10000 ton ship in fc
hours from the time the warrior
tered the trough to the moment
keel was out of water
The Largest in the World.
Such specifications meant that W
completion of the dewey" the Cove
ment would possess the largest III
ing dry dock in the world.
contractors went further than the Z
eminent specifications and gave
new dock a capacity Of 10000 tons.
The question might be asked, W
sort of monster is this which floats
vet can bodily lift the huge fight
terrors of the sea? 1t is nothing m
than a large steel floating box, wit
bottom and two long sides but v
the top and ends missing, the bot
resting upon great square tanks,
- feet deep. With an opening OF cer1
y
NJ rush into sink the great trough u
W the floor is sufficiently below W
~ level for the largest warship to e
between the two protruding sides.
ter the vessel Is within the enclos
the water is pumped out OF the u
and the great trough rises unCl
floor is well above the wash OF the
| Any surplus water remaining on
floor of the tank drains of and the
on becoming dry may be pail
cleaned or repaired. The giant levia
| of war is handled as though 1t we
TOW The dewey" has total lie
Of about 500 feet, and a height {
Il feet from the bottom, yet In ord'
IL dock a vessel demanding depth
Az feet in the trough, the bottom O.
W tank sinks to a depth Of 63 feet. l
ing by itself. it draws but 6h re
water.
i The United States Government
very strict in all requirements
contract with the constructing
pany and insisted that the dock s.
be carefully tested before bein
copied.
Last spring the battleship low'