Charlevoix county herald., 1906-02-03
LARGEST OF SHIP DOCKS.
THE "DEWEY' NOW PLGWLNC
THE ATLANTIC AND BOUND
FOR THE PHILIPPINES.

Will Require Four Months to Make
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 to
all in their pathway. But this year
| they are beating against an indom-
table structure, for the United States
Government is shipping to its far-of
naval station at Cavite something that
floats but is yet not war vessel, q
fortress or merchant ship. Capable
Of use in either peace or war, 1t is a
very necessary adjunct to Uncle Sans
Navy. This structure which has been
breasting the waves Of the Atlantic Is
the gigantic new floating dry dock,
Dewey" but recently built by the
Maryland Steel Company Of Sparrows
Point, near Baltimore.
While there are numerous dry docks
in the far East which are available for
Uncle Sans Navy in times Of peace,
the gates OF these would be barred to
his fighting ships were he to get into
an embroglio with any foreign power.
This fact determined the Navy Depart.
ment to build a great dry dock which
could be towed from one port to an
other, or used in the open seas. The
recent success attained by the Govern.
ment floating dry dock at New Orleans,
induced the naval officials to decide
that this new factor in ship-repair
should not be stationary, but rather
one of the floating variety. In order
that 1t might be capable of docking the
largest battle ships, not only Of the
present day, but of such possible ex
pansion as the future might bring
forth, the Government specifications
required that the dewey" should BIZ
able to dock 10000 ton ship in foul
hours from the time the warrior en-
tered the trough to the moment tht
keel was out Of water.
The Largest In the World.
Such specifications meant that upoI
completion of the dewey" the Govern
ment would possess the largest float
ing dry dock in the world. The
contractors went further than the Gov
eminent specifications and gave the
new dock capacity Of 10000 tons.
The question might be asked, what
sort of monster is this which floats an6
yet can bodily lift the huge fighting
terrors of the sea? 1t is nothing more
than a large steel floating box, with q
bottom and two long sides but with
the top and ends missing, the bottom
resting upon great square tanks, 1917
feet deep. With an opening of certain
valves, enough water is allowed tc
rush into sink the great trough until
the floor Is sufficiently below water
level for the largest warship to enter
between the two protruding sides. AZ
ter the vessel Is within the enclosure
the water is pumped out of the tanks
and the great trough rises until the
floor is well above the wash Of the sea
Any surplus water remaining on the
floor of the tank drains off and the ship
on becoming dry may be painted
cleaned or repaired. The giant leviathan
of war is handled as though It were a
toy. The dewey" has total length
Of about 500 feet, and a height of Ga
feet from the bottom, yet in order to
dock vessel demanding depth Of &c
feet in the trough, the bottom of the
tank sinks to depth of SO feet. Float
ing by itself. it draws but 61a feet OF
water.
The United States Government was
very strict in all requirements Of its
contract with the constructing com
pany and insisted that the dock should
be carefully tested before being &C
cepted.
Last spring the battleship Iowa was