New-York tribune., 1908-08-16
NAVY YARD DRYD0CKS
DANGER IN BROOKLYN.
Il Accommodations for the Homecom-
ing Fleet Not What They Should Be

When drydock No. 3 in the Brooklyn navy
yard sprans a leak fortnight ago. and was
partly flooded to avert possibly serious damage,
the question of the stability of the drydocks at
the big naval station was brought to the front
again in manner which demanded attention
The question becomes still more important
when it is remembered that the great fleet or
batteshps now in the South Pacific is home
ward bound and should be here late in Feb
ruary, barely six months distant, and that even
If the big ships in pressing need OF re-
pairs they at least will require some attention
and be improved by scraping and painting Oh
their under water parts. Barnacles and otner
sea growths on the great steel hus Will be
detriment facility Of movement when the
Caribbean Sea maneuvres begun and to
keep up to their high standard the ships must
be clean.
To get them clean, drydocks are necessary ana
the Brooklyn navy yard IS at present poorly
equipped in that respect. Dock No is still
half full of water, and although the place Where
the water came into the dock has been found
and the leak stopped 1t has not been deemed
advisable to pump the water out until furtner
work at present in the hands of divers mas
been completed
The cause of this latest defect in the dock Is
a striking exemplifcatfon, If one were needed, OF
the unwisdom of placing the construction or
these highly important parts Of a naval station
equipment in the hands of wharf builders,
bridge builders. and the like. instead or those
who are experts in the dock building line, Tor
both the big wooden docks in the Brooklyn yard
are chronic subjects for repairs, and have cost
the government many thousands of dollars, the
expenditure of which might have been avoided
The stone dock, built of huge granite DlockS' is
as good as ever although forty years DID,
but it is too small TO be of any use IN the
emergency which is likely to confront the yard
next winter.
IMPROPERLY BUILT SEA WALL
II seems that the leak which has caused this
latest trouble was due to the fact that the sea
wall at the end of the narrow strip Of land be-
tween the two wooden docks was not properly
rebuilt and allowed free access of water 10 the
outer casing of the dock while only single
valve stood between the tidal flow in the eJector
pipe and the suction holes in the bottom OF the
dock the soil which the whole tnlns rests
being in many places veritable qulcksa'io-
The result was that water found its way under
meath the dock and forced itself through the
bottom in the form of a small geyser "hich
only a partial flooding could keep within bounds
This hole has been stopped up the sort ground
around the pumping plant and the elector pipes
filled in with grout. and it is hoped that tlie
dock will be ready for use within snort TIME
4 walk along the edge near the entrance Ho"-
ever. shows the inherent weakness of the struct-
ure for the heavy cement coping IS prokeIi III
places even to the extent of moving the rallroad
tracks for the great travelling crane which does
the heavy lifting for ships in the inclosure-
The cruiser Baltimore which is now in Dock
No g. My a few rods away from It's weak SIS
ter is slated for a long stay, as II is estimated
that year will be required TO complete the work
planned for her but she will not be allowed to
interfere If the big ships the dock, although
there is no telling how that dock will have
m he Hooded on account of leak, and these two
docks show strikingly that in matter of that
sort the cheapest is seldom If ever the best
The story of the building of Dock No B. with
its list of contractors, who gave it up, or were
forced out for failure comply with the con-
tract terms, seems to be in a fair way Of dupli-
cation in the case of the dock, No +, which
is at present hardly more than muddy, soggy,
leaky hole in the ground. but is already in the
hands of the second firm TO undertake its build
ing.
There is a saving clause in connection with
this dock however, for the insertion of which in
the act authorizing its construction the Navy
Department may later thank Richard c. Hol-
Iyday. chief Of the bureau Of yards and docks.
1t provides, after limiting the cost OF the dock
to 81 100000 that the Secretary of the Navy, in
his discretion, may construct the dock by
tract or day labor or both, as he may deem for
fairly puts it up to the bureau to make the con-
tractors toe the mark, and it is pleasure to
note that the bureau is doing that very thing.
SHIPS DOCKS AND SHOPS.
| But with all the bureau can do and all II can
| compel contractors 10 do there remains the fact
that in the desire to get the docks near the
shops for facility in handling the work and ma
! terials used in ship repairs attempts have been
made to overcome natural conditions which so
! far have refused to give way to efforts toward
! remedying let alone abolishing them; for soil
! conditions are such that stability there seems
! almost out of the question.
1t will be recalled by those familiar with navy
| yard affairs that when plans and sites for Dock
5 (known as the Gi1Iies Dock were under con-
sultation. Francis T. Bowles, then at the head
| of the bureau Of construction and repairs, and
the late Peter c. Asserson. then at the head of
the yards and docks bureau had argu-
ment over the proposed site, in which Mr.. As
| serson advanced the theory, since proved to
! have been wise that it better to have the
docks safe and bring the shops to the docks
than to bring the docks to the shops and build
them in quicksand-
Had this idea been acted on with the
expense of moving the shops the government
would have been saved heavy cost and con-
stant threat of danger avoided, danger not only
as far as the docks are concerned but danger to
| the ships themselves for turning and twisting a
16.0OO-tcn batteship through the channel be
! tween the mainland and the Cob Dock which is
at present the only way of reaching the dry
docks is matter calling for a high degree of
skill and careful handling.
IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED.
This latter danger will be obvfated when pro-