The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-01-31

10000 tons, with heavy weights in her
turrets and amidships, in one hour ana
thirty-seven minutes.
A novel feature Of the dock Is It's abll-
ity to dock itself. All steel vessels take
on a marine growth on their bottoms,
which necessitates hauling them out
every year or so. as their life depends
on receiving paint to protect the hulls.
Docks now adoat are so gigantic that
they cannot be locked to be cleaned or
repaired, with the exception Of the
Dewey.
The Dewey can release the two side
walls and disconnect the three pontoons
that are Joined together In the flooring
or hull. Then the two smaller pontoons
are filled with water and sunk under
the larger or center pontoon. They are
then pumped out, and the two smaller
steel pontoons rise with the larger one
on top of them. When it Is desired to
dock the smaller pOntoons the condi-
tons are reversed. The big center pom
toon is sunk and the two smaller ones
placed on 1t and the big one pumped
out to raise the little ones.
When heavy weather comes on at sea
the bottom sections OF the Dewey will
be filled with water until the body OF
the mass Of steel is submerged and on
" the side walls eXtend above the sur
face. She will present a large surface
to the wind, which, it has been calcu-
lated, may reach a pressure Of thirty
pounds to the square inch. There will
be no effort to tow the vessel while it
is partly submerged. The towing yes
sells will simply hang on, drifting along
with the giant where the wind chooses
to send it and waiting until the storm
blows itself out, for no Roadway can
be made with such q tow in heavy
weather.
Three twenty-four inch centrifugal
pumps, the steam for which Is furnish
ed by three separate 225 horsepower
boilers, will pump out or food the
Dewey. These pumps are controlled
In the engine room. On the port side,
forward, is the valve house, where
there are twenty four levers. The
three sections Of the dock are divided
into sixty water tight compartments,
and each of these levers controls the
flooding and pumping of several com.
partments. A telephone gives commu'
nicatiOn with the boiler room, and q
pneumatic valve in the valve house an
nounces the amount Of water in the
dock
On the starboard side is a machine
shop, quarters for officers and crew.
kitchen and bathrooms. The machine
shop is forward. 1t is fitted with ev
cry appliance for minor repairs. On
this side of the dock is the distilling APP
paratus, which has a capacity of $500
gallons of sea water a day. 1t will
be used principally for feeding the
boilers. Three tanks contain the dis
titled water. An electric light plant
on the port side gives light for the en-
tire structure.
Everything possible for the comfort
Of officers and crew has been provided.
Their quarters are on the starboard
side. The officers will occupy large
staterooms, that of the dockmaster be-
ing big enough for an Office as well as
a sleeping apartment
Next to the row Of officers state
rooms is the messroom. Between this
and that Of the crew Is the galley,
which Is fitted with a large range and
with hot and cold water 1t has, like
the boiler and engine rooms, a ce-
ment floor. The pantry adjotns, and
next to it is the crews messroom, and
farther on, between their messroOm
and the machine shop, is the bunk
room Of the crew. Accommodations
are provided for officers and thirty
men. Bathrooms, with hot and cold
water are provided for officers and
crew. On the port side, just aft Of the
boiler room, is a shower bath for the
flremen.
Running clear through the side walls
of the dock Is a thorough ventilatng
system, q large fan whirling fresh air
into every corner 1t is propelled by
steam. Ventilators are thus dispensed
with except over the boiler room, where
there are two. At the forward end OF
the dock a bridge connects the walls.
Two lifeboats are carried The mem
bers of the crew will get double pay
and free passage home.