The San Francisco call., 1907-02-08
LARGEST DRYD0CK
IN WORLD To Be
BUILT HERE
Navy Department Is Said to
Have Hand in Big Project
Begun at Hunters, Point
DESIGNED TO HOLD
TWO BATTLESHIPS

The largest drydock In the world,
with q stone and concrete basin big
enough to hold any two of the battle
ships of the United States navy at one
time, is about to be constructed at Hun
ters Point by. the San Francisco Dry
dock COmuDny at a cost of $1,250,O0O.
The land has already been surveyed
adjacent to the two docks that the
company already has in operation, and
the work will be rushed to speedy
completion.
This gigantic undertaking is, among
other things. calculated TO meet the
large feet rapidly into condition after
long trip around the Horn, or In case
of disaster 30 feet In engagement
near the harbor of San Francisco.
The Secretary of the Navy recently
called for the plans of the two
present drydocks, and the draw
ings were made and forwarded to
Washington. Although the company
which will build the new dock is pri-
vate corporation, 1t is understood that
the work has been undertaken with the
encouragement of the Navy Depart
ment, which Is also said to have ex-
pressed a wish that 1t be carried to an
early completion.
Secrecy has been maintained In the
matter, and Ii was not until the sur
vey0rs were at work at Hunters Point
that the information as to the purpose
of the company leaked out. The sur
veyors have been at work for week.
and from the statements that they
made to the other workmen employed
there 1T was learned that the new dock
will be 1850 feet In Iength-as long as
four blocks in Van Ness avenue, ITO
feet longer than the famous dock at
-lo g.
Alexandra dock in Belfast harbor.
SURVEYORS AT WORK
From the surveying party it was
learned that the cost of the dock when
completed would be $1.250,000 and that
by Howard C. Holmes, the engineer
who has built the docks along the wa
ter front and is at present engaged on
work for the Western Pacific and the
Key Route railroads.
When Holmes was seen he expressed
surprise that anything should have
leaked out concerning the plans of the
drydock company and refused to make
public the designs which he had pre-
pared. He admitted, however. that the
length was to be 1850 feet and that
the depth of the dock over sill would
be SO II feet. Holmes was ready enough
to talk of foreign docks and other
docks in the United States and fur
nished table which shows by COM
parison the gigantic size of the stone
basin that is to be built at San Fran
cisco.
Holmes was the engineer in charge
of the construction of the larger of the
two present docks at Hunters Point
and refers with pride to the fact that
it was built at a cost of $632 per linear
foot, as compared with cost of from
$1,000 to $4,000 a foot in other work of
the kind.
Some idea of the size of the dock
may be gained from the fact that it
will hold the two Cunarders, the Etru-
ria and the Umbria, at one time Even
the Hill liners, the Dakota and the
Minnesota, could either of them be
lifted out of the water in dock of
that size and leave 800 rect to spare.
WILL HOLD TWO BATTLESHIPS
The San Francisco Drydock Company
has two docks at Hunters Point, one of
them 755>feet in length, but the grow
ing commerce of the port has often
made it necessary for steamersIto wait
their turns for their periodical cleaning
and painting. In the event of it being
necessary to put a fleet of battleships
speedily into shape after a long voy-
age the only docks available here at
present are those at Mare Island and
the larger basin at Hunters Point But
with the completion of the new dock
and the floating dock which the Union
Iron Works proposes to construct it
will be possible to have five battleships
out of the water at one time Two of
them can be accommodated at one time
in the former.
The new dock will be of concrete and
stone and will rest on a foundation of
solid rock Great stability is necessary
to support the weight of a ship on the
blocks. When the nature and magni-
tude of the work is considered. the cost
OF S1.250,000 is to be regarded as a low
figure. The navy dock at New York
cost the Government over $1,000, 600,
and it is hardly more than one-third
the size planned for the new San Fran
cisco dock.
The president of the San Francisco
Drydock Company, William Babcock,
was out of the city last night The
reason for the secrecy with which the
work has been commenced could not be
learned. but it is thought that 1t was
advised to prevent any comment in
connection with the possibility of con-
f1ict with Japan.
The following table shows the dimen-
sions and cost of the other great dry
docks of the world and the superiority
OF the proposed dock at Hunters Point !:
COMPARATIVE TABLE
Dock Length depth Cost
Hunters Point new dock 1850 se.5 81. .25o, 600
ac crrnxu