The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-01-21
BIG NAVAL DOCK
. EN- ROUTE To
FAR EAST
Something About the Dewey, the
Largest Floating DYdOGk Ever
Constructed.

/ A recent issue of The Marine Jour
nal contained the following interesting
article on the big floating dry dock
Dewey:
Pictures of the great floating steel
drydOck now being tOWed on its long
and tedious voyage TO the Philippines
appear on this and the opposite page,
through the courtesy of the Scientific
American, which in its issue Of Jan
Uary 6 gives a detailed description of
this docks performance while lying
al SOlOmOn's Island. Chesapeake Bay,
shortly after il was deliYereI 10 the
Navy Department As pictured on
page s the dock is ready to lift the
L. 5. cruiser Colorado out of water,
and on page 9 this vessel is seen out
Of water and the dock at rest. The
Marine journal has heretofore given
a full description of this great struc-
tUre
At the present writing the Dewey,
as this dock is called, is several hun
dred miles 10 the southeast of Cape
Henry and out Of communication with
the nearest wirless telegraph station,
with which the dock as well as the
feet that is towing it are equipped.
At the start, with favorable weather,
the dock was being towei about four
knots per hour.
The arrangements for towing this
great structure were fully described
i'm the Marine Journal of October Z.
1905. All interests now centers in
the undertaking. owing to the great
length of the voyage. Consequently
the arrival of every transatlantic
steamer fitted with wireless will be
rallied with more than usual interest,
with the hope that it may have COM
mUnicated with this the most unique
flOtilla that ever left our shores.
The weight OF the Dewey is about
II. 900 tons. Its weight above the
water, its Unwieldy proportions, as
well as draft make il far more diff
cult to tow in a heavy seaway than
an ordinary craft. In fact, it is
question if a raft cannot be guided
with less difficulty. The towing fleet
selected is composed of three United
States cOlliers and one powerful tug
The largest of these is the Glacier, a !
ship Of 1000 tons displacement ana
having engines of 5000 horsepower.
The Glacier will be assisted by the
Caesar. of 5,016 tons displacement,
having engines Of 1900 horsepower
and the BrutUs. of 5000 tons and 1850
horsepower. Consequently, the en-
tire towing power will aggregate near
" 5000 horsepower. The smaller
craft will be used not only for direct
towing. but for steadying the dock in
rough weather In case Of a storm,
the suggestion has been made that il
- 10 J,
thus exposing but a small portion OF
its side walls TO the sea- The engi-
Eeers. however, are Of the opinion
that its construction is sufficiently
heavy to withstand a very severe /
strain.
The route selected is by way of the
Suez Canal While this is somewhat I
shorter than around the Cape of Good
Hope. il Is calculated that the dock
will cover nearly 1l.OcO miles before
reaching its destination. BY the or
binary sailing route the distance IS
u $50 miles going by way of the
Straits of Gibraltar, the MeGiter-
ranean Sea. the Canal, Indian Ocean,
the Straits of MalacCa. and the China
Sea. although il may be necessary 20 /
take the dock to the south Of Suma-
tra Island and not through the Straits. |
The question of towing through the
Suez Canal is no small problem, for
the minimum width which will accom-
nodate the structure is 200 feet, the .
width OF the dock itself being 134
feet. Therefore but Sc feet leeway is {
allowed TO work it through the mar
rowest part of the canal. The Navy
Department calculates that il will /
take about four months 10 complete
the voyage if all goes well, which
everybody hopes will be the case.