Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-06

Patapsco from the hole in the ground was cut away and the water ran in and fioated the huge mass of steel, while Miss Maud Endicott, daughter of Rear Admiral Endicott. christened the dock Dewey with a bottle of champagne.
 The dock was not only completed ahead of contract time, but in excess of the requirements, for it will lift 20,- 900 ton battleship, whereas the contract called for only 18,OOO tons. It also ex- ceeded the speed requirements in lifting ship.
 When the big cruiser Colorado was placed in the dock to test it in the Pa tuxent river the contract called for the lifting in four hours. The Colorado was lifted until her keel was six feet above the water in a few minutes more than two hours. Then the dock broke all rec ords by lifting the battleship Iowa of 16,OOO tons, with heavy weights in her turrets and amidships, in one hour and thirty-seven minutes.
 A novel feature of the dock is its abil- ity to dock itself. All steel vessels take on a marine growth on their bottoms, which necessltates hauling them out every year or so, as their life depends on receiving paint to protect the hulls. Docks now afloat are so gigantic that they cannot be docked 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- tions are reversed. The big center pon- 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
 
 be filled with water until the body of the mass of steel is submerged and on ly the side walls extend above the sur face She will present large surface to the wind, which, it has been calcu- lated, may reach 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 sels 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 headway can be made with such a 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 flood 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 pun ling of several com partments. A teleL hone gives commu- nication with the boiler room, and a pneumatic valve in the valve house an nounces the amount of water in the dock.
 On the starboard side is machine sl, ,-4, of3f kitchen and bathrooms. The machine shop is forward. It is fitted with ev- cry appliance for minor repairs. On this side of the dock is the distilling ap- paratus, which has capacity of 2,500 gallons of sea water day. It 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 we'll 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 large range and with hot and cold water. It has, like the boiler and engine rooms, ce- ment floor. The pantry adjoins, and next to 1t 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 firemen.
 Running clear through the side walls of the dock is thorough ventilating system. a large fan whirling fresh air into every corner. It is propelled by steam. yentilators 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 H--, harnA