The Delta independent., 1906-02-09
LARGEST OF SHIP DOCKS.
EHE ssDEWEY'' NOW RLORUc
THE ATLANTIC and BOOXD
FOX THE PHILIPPINES, =

Trip.-Capabis Of Lifting Bixeost
0ar Shlo-Suoefior to Stationary
Decks.
TIC In midwtnter seem to roll onWArd
al In their pathway. But this year
they are beating against IN indo0-
liable structure, for the United Stats9
Government u shipping to its far-oe
naval station at Cavits something tAat
0oats but 10 Jet not . war veaDea. .
fortress or . merchant ship. Capable
OF uso in either peace or war Il u Q
very nscessary>adj to Uncle Sans
Navy. This structure which has beea
breasting the waves Of the Atlantic =
the gigantic new floating dry dock
Dewey" but recently built BY the
Maryland Steel Company Of 0pafroWs
Point, near Baltimore.
While there arc numerous dry 6oc1D
in the far East which are available 6oe
Uncle Sans Navy In times Of psoca.
the gates Of these would b barred -
his fighting ships were he to gse info
an embroglio with any foreign p0Woe.
This fact determined the Navy Depart
ment to build . great dry dock which
could b towed from enc port to a.
other. or used In the open ssas. Ths
recent success attained by the Govern
ment floating dry dock at New Orieana
induced the naval oGaciAlS to dec36o
that this new fActor In ship.repalf
should not b ststionasy. but rathse
one Of the floating variety. In ordsg
that 1t might b capable Of docking IL
largest battle ships. not only OF ths
present day. but Of such possible a.
pansioa - the future might bring
forth. the Government speci6cafiona
required that the Dewey" should -
able to dock . $1,000 ton ship IN faas
hours from the time The wazrioe -
tered the trough TO the Womoot IL
keel was out Of water.
TIE Largest u tie HeeSl.
Such specifications meant that uDon
complstjon Of the Dewey" the Govern.
meat would possess The largest 1oat'
ing dry dock In the world. n
contractors went further than the 0ov.
ognment 0poci0catjoas end ea1o thl
Asv dock . capacity u 10000 tons.
The question 1isht b aeksd, Whist
sort Of monster b this which 1pats and
yet can bodily lift the huss Ashtine
terrors oe the 50? It - nothing more
than . large stsel Seating box. With .
bottom ana two long sidss but with
the top and snds missing. the bottom
resting upon great SQUARE taal1, 1sM
feet deep. With IN opening of certain
valves, saoush water = allowed to
rush into sink the great trough until
the door is sufaciently below water
level for the largest warship to enter
between the two protruding sides. Al.
ter the vsssel b within the enclosure,
the water u pumped out ol the tanks
and the great trough rises until the
door u we'll above the wash of the sea-
Any surplus water remaining on the
door Of the tank drains OF and the ship
on becoming dry may b painted
cleaned or repaired. The giant leviathan
OF war 10 handled - though Il were q
toy. The "Dewey" has Q total length
Of about 500 fest, and . height OF 81
feet from the bottom, yet In order to
dock vessel demanding . depth Of 80
feet In the trough. the bottom Of the
tank sinks to depth Of g fest Float.
ing By ITSELF. Il draws but ek fsst Of
waAse.
Ths Unitsd States oovsramsnt was
vsry Strict IN an rsqpiremsnts Of It's
contzact with the constructing com.
paAy and insisted that the dock should
b carefully testsd bsfors being 90
La spsins tie bast,a.hip Iowa vas