The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-22
DRY DOCK DEWEY
THROUGH SUEZ
Great Floating Mass Taken
Through. BysCaanal Authorities
Without Mis1ap.
RAN INTO BANK ONLY ONCE
(specIal to The Tlmes-Dlspateh

NORFOLK. VA, May GA special
correspondent OF The Ledger Dispatch
Norfolk, who Is aboard the dry-docK
Dewey, wrote to that newspaper report
Of the progress of the dock toward Ma
nila which was printed to-day. Inc
Dewey, al the time the letter was written
was Yet 5000 miles short of reaching It's
destination. Manila whence 1t sailed from
solomons Island. nd. via the Virginia
Capes.
In Suez Canal.
The letter which reached Norfolk this
morning follows:
suez Egypt May g. 1906.
The big floating dry dock Dewey on
MAY list successfully completed one OF
the most difflctflt stages OF the long
tourney to the Philippines-the passage
through the Suez Canal-which was be-
gun at Z A. NJ on April 9th and finish
ed at eco p. M. May list, most ap-
propriate day-Dewey Day-for her en-
try on the second half of the voyage.
Four days and eleven hours were oc-
cupied in making the run through the
big ditch, and with far less trouble OF
mishaps than one would have expected
This was In most part due to. the COM
plete and careful plans of the cana
company, who had full charge OF the
Dewey while in the canal. and though
they, expected Ito occupy six or seven
days In making the passage the fact
that 1t was made so much more
Quickly speaks we'll for the efficacy OF
their plans. The trip through the canal
was made in advance OF the Dewey by
the three towing ships Glacier, Caesar
and Rrutus, who awaited the Dewey
anchored in suez bay. The little Poto-
mac remained with the Dewey at Port
Said and acted as n rudder nstern OF
the dock or hor way through the canal
with two very powerful canal company
tugs towing ahead
Made Good Time.
The first twelve hours In the canal
were without incident. the Dewey pro-
ccedIng at IL rate Of about three and
half miles per hour. and the canal be-
Ing widest from Port Said to Ismaila
on Lake Thrash. no trouble was had
until she tied up tho first night at
o'clock about thlrty-fve miles from
Port Said A high wind had come up
ana It's pressure on the DeWtys great
slide walls snapped the moorlng lines,
some of them eight inches In diameter,
and made much trouble for all h>nds
during the night and next day. until
she was finally secured with wire haw-
scrs to the canal bank. At one time
she Law crosSwise OF tho canal for about
twenty four hours, completely blocking
It. Four sdinSs Cor passing statlons)
for the Dewey to haul Into to allow
steamers going either way to pass had
been dredged and In there she was
hauled as soon as reaching them In
addition anchorage was made In Lake
Timsnh and tho Bitter Lakes, where
the canal tratflce also had opportunity
to pass on their way. Other than the
trouble with tho mooring lines during
the high wind there was none 10 speaH
OF, and when the high wind subsidized
the Dewey once moro proceeded on her
way. The last stretch of the canal be
fore reaching Suez Is tho nnrroWest ana
for an hour on the last day she was
held up by running Into the canal pank
and blowing up the sand for little dis
lance. The buoys In the canal were not
taken up for her passage, but were run
over, those whose mornings had not
been carried away coming up after the
pewey's passage; others w.lich had been
torn adrift being picked up and replaced
by small tug following on behind
Right for Egypt.
Never since the days of Pharoah has
ancient Egypt seen such n sight as the
leviathan dock cutting It's way through
the narrow ribbon OF water with the
desolate African desert stretching away
in illimitable expanse TO the desolate ho-
rizon, stark, staring. pitiless. IN the blaz-
ing sun, with not q vestige Of lear or
shrub, imbuing ono with feeling or
fear and terror at tho thought OF wan
dering alone over Its trackless wastes,
forsaken and forgotten.
And with this homogeneous background
for a frame or setting, the Dewey-the
most modern achievement in structural