The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-03-28

at least the largest naval dry dock
in the United States. 1t is built of
steel and granite blocks set in con-
crete, and cost $2,000,000. 1t is 1863
feet in length, las feet wide and AZ
feet deep. After the entrance is
closed the water is pumped out by
combination electrically operated
pumps, with such tremendous capac-
ity that the huge lake is drained in a
few hours. Before noon the dock was
flooded A I, estimated at from
10000 to $4,000 people, fringed the big
basin, crowded every elevation, stuff
fed windows with craning heads,
eager to witness the proceedings. The
booming of hoarse voiced guns indi-
Gated the arrival Of the governor and
the members of the legislature, and
at the signal, festoons of flags fioated
from every vessel in the bay. The fir
ing of the salute was also the signal
for the starting of the Oregon from
its moorings to the dock. With a dig
nifty and deliberatness befitting the
occasion the grard old ship moved
slowly and majestically through the
water. Without hitch, without jar,
without a single miscarriage of the
plans as arranged the great mass of
iron gradually moved forward to the
exact spot where it was wanted to be
placed. Then the casson was swung
back into place, the pumps started
throbbing, and in a few hours the
water was expelled and the vessel
rested in the cradle prepared for it's
reception. 1t was done so easily, SO
precisely, so perfectly as to indicate
that the new dry dock is in perfect
working order, marvel of it's kind,
the construction and manipulation of
which is beyond the understanding Of
the ordinary citizen.
There was some music, singing by
school children, and brief addresses
by the governor and others billed to
appear on the occasion, but the null
titude was so absorbed in watching
the docking of the ship that little at
tention was given to music or ora
absence. The IauihchIhg Ni6ff' i6ff' hhv riaaSe rifaaS
boat of ton carrying capacity would
create more cheering in the back
countries than did the docking of the
most historic, if not the largest, ves-
sci of the American navy. The papers
here mentioned the wild cheering, but
| was present and did not hear yap.
This silence can not be charged to
lack of enthusiasm or interest. The
of the crowd was so tensely
concentrated upon the actual process
of docking that there was no time to
devote to stormy huZzas. No one
wanted his or her attention distracted
from one of the most momentous
events that has taken place on the
north Pacific coast since the end of
civilization was planted thereon. The
docking was success from every
point of view, and those so fortunate
as to be present dispersed to their
homes happy and contented in a day
we'll spent.
From all outward and visible ap-
pearances the Oregon still looks to
be a formidable rover of the sea but
those who keep pace with improve
ments in naval warfare class the ship
as a has been. 1t is outclassed by the
new dreadnaughts that now are being
added to every naval force of the
earth. 1t seems squatty and unwield-
ly as compared with the two other
battle ships only a few hundred feet
from where the Oregon rests in the
dock. There talk of putting the old
sea dog out of commission. 1t may
in time have to go to the bone yard
in company with those crafts the Ore
gon class crowded out when it was
first constructed.
AS an entity the Oregon may go the
Of war that won laurals for our navy,
but the achievements of the Oregon
will live bright in the annals of Amer
lean history in ages yet to come, and
the long race around the Horn, the
arrival at Santiago at the psychologi-
cal moment to take an active part in
the destruction of the Spanish fleet
will ever be theme for song and
story.
FRANK NJ. DALLAM, SR.