New-York tribune., 1909-02-08
REPAIRING ST. LOUIS
NO NEED OF DRYDOCK.
Rudder Viii Probably Be Replaced
at Morse Iron Works.

+ba matter ~ was learned yesterday that the
American liner st. Louis would probably Dc to"eo
tomorrow TO the Morse Iron Works. IN South
Brooklyn to take on a new rudder. When tWeiVe
hundred miles east OF Sandy Hook. week ago. the
St Louis lost the two sections of her ruooer
and Captain Jameson was obliged to bring her 10
port, through high and heavy gales steering
solely with his propellers.
The International Mercantile Marine COMPANY
which controls the American, Red Star, White
Star and Atlantic Transport lines, sent request
to Washington asking that the steamer De alioNeo
to 20 into drydock IN the navy yard at BrooAlSh'
Permission granted, but 1t deTelopeo A@'oi
that 1t would not be necessary to put the steamer
into drydock as g new rudder could be put in
while the steamer was ahoat. The st. Louis. which
was built by the Cramps in 1895, is 5% ieet long.
II was reported yesterday that new rudder
was being built for her at the Cramp yards In
Philadelphia and that 1t would probably pc put
on the st Louis after she taken to the MoFse
Iron Works IN this port. By taking out her pa!-
last aft and loading her heavily in the bow. 1t IS
believed this will raise the stern sufficiently hlsh
to permit the adjustment Of the new rudder-
DRYDoCKs IN THIS PORT.
The wireless message sent by Captain Jameson
to the local Office after the damage to his
rudder. and the subsequent reqYest by the company
for permission to the government drydock In
the navy yard in Brooklyn, gave rise to the belief
that there were drydocks in this port able to
accommodate large steamers that might come IN
disabled.
The shipyards at Newport News. 1t is said can
accommodate practically any OF the large Vessels
entering this port, with the exception OF the Ls-
tania and the Mauretana, of the Cunard Line But
the towing Of q disabled liner from New York
to Newport News is expensive, as well as a
hazardous undertaking. the question Of building
unusually big drydOck In this port has been dis
cussed freely in shipping circles since the sinking
the White Star liner Republic off Nantucket and
the subsequent mishap to the ruddeT of the ST.
Louis
In the course Of discussion It brought out
that the American liner New York, more than
twelve years ago when she was known as the City
of New York, accommodated in the Robbins
drydock, IN Erie Basin, for a period OF almost
thirteen months, where she underwent complete
overhauling She foreign built vessel, COM
ing from the yards of ]. a G. Thompson. OF Glas-
gov, IN lSSS.
HIGH COST FOR DRYDOCK.
It decided to have her overhauled in the
Cramp shipyards, at Philadelphia, but the
Cramps did not want to cucumber their big dry
dock for year. it arranged TO have her put
into the Robbins dock in Erie Basin The cost of
the drydock toll for the steamer during her 60
journ OF more than year ran up to an unusually
high amount
It is contended that the Robbins drydock and the
Morse drydock. in South Brooklyn could easily ac-
commodate the disabled 81. Louis If the company
chose TO put her in. The Robbins Drydock Com
feet and another 51o feet long with depth of %
feet
A man who has been interested In the drydockng
business for many years said yesterday that dry
dock bigger than those owned by the Morse and
Robbins companies would be a losing investment.
The average person." he said, has little idea
OK the great cost Of building a drydock It may
seem TO the casual observer that It is not much
more work than the digging of basin the
shore and surrounding It with big concrete wall
q he rydo ante
return lor his investment, and. Judging from the
history OF disabled steamers entering this port
within the last twenty years. the outlook for fair
return on big drydock investment Is not encour-
aging The really big drydock could be used for
smaller vessels, it is true but then the cost
Of operating big dock for a small vessel is not
profitable The big drydock would pay we'll while
a big vessel was in It, but many months go by
with the dock empty that its earning capacity
would not warrant its construction"
LENGTH NOT CHIEF FACTOR.
The great difficulty in getting drydock to take
big steamers is not matter of length. The rub
comes in the depth and the width. While a dock |
might be deep enough to accommodate a steamer |
the problem Of beam might arise that would pre- |
vent her from entering. The possibility Of putting
vessel into drydock is all figured out TO the frac-
ton of an inch before the owners OF the dock and
the vessel Will consent TO put her In.
An instance was brought out yesterday where a |
drydock wide enough take on a steamer could |
not noat her high enough that her keel blocks |
would keep her bilge keels from resting on the |
sills Of the dock
The cost of putting vessel into drydock has J
huctuated within the last ten years between and |
10 cents a ton for twenty-four hours The current
rate of the drydocks in this port, with the excep-
ton OF the dock at Shooters Island is eight cents
a ton The rate at Shooters Island is five cents
The big steamer United States. of the scandi- |
navian-American Line. which had to go to Morse's
drydock for repairs after being in collision with
the Ward liner Monterey six months ago cost her |
owners a small fortune whilo she lay in drydock |
1t has been said that II the sunken White Star
liner Republic had been salved and toved to this
port the problem of getting her into drydock even
at Newport News, would have been a hard one
The possibility Of getting her into the harbor of
New York would have been slight as the big liner |
was drawing too much water IN her sinking con-
dlton to get her through the 45-foot depth OF the
Ambrose Channel Before she could get near a
drydock the Republic would have had to undergo
a patching up and a pumping out that would have
lessened her draft. 1t would also have been neces
sary to do this 10 get her through the Ambrose
Channel.
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