New-York tribune., 1913-07-20
Beth Wet and Dry Dock.

A curious feature about the Gladstone
Dock is that II can be used both as a wet
and a dry dock The ordinary craving
dock has sloping sides, with steps TO hold
the vessel In position for repairs. This
, dock has perfectly straight sides. so That
Il may be used ms an ordinary wet or
floating dock in which vessels may lie 10
embark or dlsembark their passengers and
cargo and take in their bunker coal: and
II may also be used as n craving dock.
I'm which those vessels may be examined.
painted. overhauled and repaired. AZ high
water the depth in the dock will bc forty
six feet and OF low water the depth VIII
be thlrty-fve feet The Gladstone Dock
is 1850 feet long. 1851 feet Wide. with
an entrance I2O feet wide
The provision for excluding and retain
ing the water In this dock Is also n
departure. Dock gates were found 10 be
quite impracticable. The entrance was
too large for such contrivancc. Two
pairs OF gates would have had to be fitted.
and then all sorts Of unnecessary trouble
undergone To shut and open the dock 1t
was decided 10 provide sliding caisson
This huge sliding door is kept In cham
ber that runs on tho entrance 10 the dock
" hen not I'm use and II is operated with
tie greatest Of ease.
II has been found necessary 10 build an
approach channel Of considerable length,
because in moving a large Atlantic
liner into the dock almost at right angles
20 the run OF the tide II Us very impor-
tant that II should not be exposed to the
risk OF being caught by the tidal cur
rents and jammed I'm the entrance. To
avoid this danger the entrance has been
made like a huge trumpet mouth with
jetties and dolphns curling out on either
side. The approach channel has OF course
been dredged out. and the same depth
has been carried over "a large area out
side so as to provide safe entrance for
big vessels from the river
There are all sorts of dangers TO be
faced In emptying and filling huge dock
OF this kind: but the engineers have over
come these problems very successfully.
The ordinary rule has been TO admit the
water by culverts at each side OF the en-
trance and 10 remove II by pumps, the
water running TO the pump well by a
I
PARTS OF the dock bottom. When dock
fills by two cuverts at the entrance there
are dangers OF the rush Of water dis
placing some OF the blocks In the craving
dock or Of producing some damage by
surging round the vessel. With gigantic
liners these sort of risks were not to be
played with: accordingly special arrange
! nents were made. The water comes into
the dock through large number OF
drains all around the sides. and so rises
gradually and evenly.
Novel Features Provided.
/ To pump the dock dry there are five
! / O00- horsepower Diesel engines fitted In
q special chamber In this way the Glad
stone Dock has, apart from it's huge size,
[ q number OF peculiar features which are
( not 10 be found In any other dock In the
world
There are ledges around the walls Of the
/ dock To accommodate workmen at the
time Of repairing big liners, and access
/ 10 these az well as TO the bottom OF the
| dock 70 obtained by means OF staircases
constructed at intervals around the dock,
and leaving the surface to wind within
the walls Sets Of steps for access 10
boats and 10 the bottom OF the dock are
proyIded around the inner surface OF the
! head ~ the dock. The lodges are pro-
vIded with hand rails for the safety OF
men moving along them, and handling