Amador ledger., 1906-02-09

lest battleships of the Navy, it can lift
itself as well. In other words, it
raises its own bottom out of the water
while floating only upon it's great hol-
low side box. and the bottom in turn
lifts up the side box to a sufficient
height to permit of it's being scraped,
cleaned and copper painted.
Notwithstanding the apparently in
tricate problems confronted in the
construction of such a huge engine, the
Navy Department had still greater
problem to solve when it considered
methods of sending the Dewey to the
Philippine Islands. The great size of
the machine meant that it could make
but slow progress through the water
and the Government had had no expe-
r1ence in sending such structures
across the uncertain Atlantic. How.
ever, the inducement of extra good
salaries enabled the officials to obtain
crew of experienced men to handle
the dock. The hollow sides of the enor.
nous engine provide abundant living
quarters for the crew of thirty, and
are as good as the best quarters on any
man of war. There is on board com.
plete distilling apparatus for making
fresh water and the ration allowances
are double those received by the men
Of the United States Navy. Since the
dock has left the United States, it has
been in almost continuous communica
tion with the shore by means of the
wireless telegraphy apparatus on board
as we'll as on the three naval vessels
towing it. It is supposed by the Gov.
aTnnnanf al hof viii 4o1x
ly four months for the structure to
make the trip to the Philippines.
Games for the Mariners.
The great floor of the Dewey is OF
sufficient size to allow of regulation
game of base ball. fact which prob
ably will be taken advantage of when
the warmer climates are reached.
Should the little feet meet with hur.
ricane such as might usually be encoun.
tered on the Atlantic in winter, the
towing steams could throw off the tow
lines and the Dewey could be filled
with sufficient water to sink to depth
which would assure it's safety until
after the storm had. passed away, while
the towing boats could find safe refuge
within the dock.
The route taken by the fleet is as
follows: After passing out of Ches
apeake Bay, it takes course due east.
ward across the Atlantic to the Ma,
deira Islands. from whence it enters
the Mediterranena through the Straits
Of Gibraltar. until the Suez Canal is
reached. The traversing of the Suez
Canal was another problem which
faced the officials of the Navy Depart.
| hI1f q Ia f,rI
urements 1t was found that the dock
would easily pass through the Canal
The fee that the United States Gov.
ernment is called upon to pay for the
use of the Canal for this purpose is
$4,000.
After passing through the Suez
Canal, the squadron of three towing
boats and the dock will sail through
the Red Sea between Arabia and AT.
rica and thence on to the Indian
Ocean. Singapore will probably be
stopping place for the expedition and
after going through the straits Of Ma
lacca, it will pass up the China Sea
and thence to the Cavite naval station.
reaching there just about in time for
the Easter holidays.
Other Dry Docks.
The United States has a couple of
other floating dry docks, one at AL
giers, La, but recently completed, and
another at Pensacola, Fla, formerly
stationed at Havana. Before the float.
ing dry dock was considered a success,
the stationary dry dock was the only
kind available. This was completed
upon shore, generally of concrete and
granite, with sloping sides and con.
cave trough for the hulls of vessels to
fit into. The Navy has sixteen of
these, four being situated at Brooklyn.
three at Norfolk, two each at Philadel.
phia and Mare Island, California, and