Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-18
GERMANY is BUILDING DOCKS
Facilities for Handling Floating
Forts Part of Naval Program.
COUNT REvENTLoN MOVING SPIRIT
BY End of Present Year the Kaiser
VIII Have Nine Immense Dry
Docks in Readiness, with
Others Provided For.

BERLIN, April 16.-An account of the ex-
listing big German docks and those that
are planned or In progress of construction
IN connection with the German battleship
program are given in the April number OF
Ueberall, a novel and military monthly
review edited by Count Heventlow. one OF
Germany's foremost naval authorities.
Six docks are described as ready, namely,
three admiralty docks, the imperial dock
at wlhelmshaven and two dry docks at
Kiel, the greatest dimensions 50oxs7xSS feet,
and three private docks, which are the
Kaiser dry dock at Bremerhaven. belonging
TO the city of Bremen and leased to the
Norddeutsche Lloyd, measurement OONSi
xs6 feet, and two floating docks belonging
to Blohm & Voss of Hamburg. the larger
of which is 6iix9Ox2 feet. The larger dock
consists Of three sections. one OF which can
be added to the smaller dock to enable 1t
10 take a warship of 22,50O tons.
In addition to the above there are two
admiralty dry docks at Wilhelmshaven
which are expected TO be completed by the
end Of this year and one floating dock
TO take 100 tons. which Blohm g. Voss
have Just completed. This new dock is con-
structed of separate pontoons firmly con-
nected by side boxes.
Each Of the side boxes contains complete
boilers and steam engines, dynamos and
compressed air machinery, 50 that the dock
is completely Independent OF the land and
can be anchored anywhere. Each Of the
pontoons can itself be locked In the dock.
The measurements are 7s3x1lOx3o feet.
Nine Ready This Year.
At the end of 1909 Germany will thus own
- 49, a-.nz- Laf aNHnrG ~ nra4aafaN
Thus the imperial yard at Kiel is to have
a floating dock capable of passing with a
locked cruiser through the Kiel canal when
enlarged. The Vulkan works OF Stettin will
have a 35.o0O-ton dock for their Hamburg
branch. These two will be ready at the end
Of 1910.
The admiralty further projects two dry
docks at Burnsbuttel, near the outflow OF
the Kaiser Wilhelm canal into the River
EIbe. The city OF Bremen will construct
a dry dock at Bremerhaven. An ingenious
adaptation OF canal locks as docks Is pro.
jected at Brunsbuttel and Holtneau, where
the locks now in process of enlargement
will be capable Of being used as dock:
without interfering with the canal passage
These last mentioned adaptations will b'
hardly finished until 1914.
All the new uoth6 are utelBncu u az
commodate battleships of a minimum ton.
mage Of 1900 and dimensions OF 5Osxs5xS
: feet, and cruisers OF a minimum tonnage
of 1900 and dimensions OF 5Ssx79x27 feet
The new German ships, owing to the shall
low waters around the coast, will draw
I less water, but with their CHARACTERISED
3 foresight. the Germans are leaving a mar
gin for further increase In displacement.
Nor are docks for airships forgotten
Trials have been taking place during thu
last week with a view to ascertain hov
quickly emergency sheds for military air
ships can be erected. The army author
tiles wish to know how long 1t would TAX,
70 provide proper shelter for an aeria
cruiser forced to descend on account o
atmospheric conditions OF breakdown.
Experiments were made with a transpor
table shed built OF canvas. divided int
segments capable of being quickly piece
togs tier like a tent. The equipment In
cludes a set OF several dozen tall stee
masts. between and across the tops o
which the walls and roof OF an airship docl
can be erected. The masts are eighty fee
high. The experiments are said to hav,
been satisfactory.
To open the German capital to mercan
tile ships Of considerable size from tn