Show LARGEST OF SHIP DOCKS DEWEY NOW PLO PLOWING THE ATLANTIC AND BOUND FOR FOIl TilE THE PHILIPPINES Will m Require Four Months to Make Capable Trip Capable of Lifting Biggest I est War Superior Ship Superior to Stationary Docks The huge storm waves of ot the Atlantic Allan Allan- I Atlan-I tic Lie In midwinter seem to roll onward in a resistless torrent of at destruction to all In their pathway But this year they are beating against an indomitable indomitable indomitable structure for tor the United States Government is shipping to its tar off Y naval station at Cavite something that floats but is yet not a war vessel a fortress or or a merchant ship Capable of use in either peace or war it is a avery avery avery very necessary adjunct to Uncle S Sams Sam's ms m's Navy This structure which has been breasting the waves of at the Atlantic Is the gigantic new floating dry dock Dewey but recently built by the Maryland Steel Company of ot Sparrows Point near Baltimore While there are numerous dry docks in the far East which are available for Uncle UncIa Sams Sam's Navy in times of peace the gates of these would be barred to his fighting ships were he to get into an with any foreign power This fact determined the Navy Department Depart ment to build a great dry dock which could be towed from one port to another another an other or used in the open seas The recent success attained by the Government Govern ment meat floating dry dock at New Orleans induced the naval officials to decide that this new factor in ship-repair ship I should not be be stationary but rather one of at the floating variety In order that It might be capable of docking the largest battle ships not only of at the present day but of such possible expansion expansion expansion ex ex- ex- ex as the future might bring forth the Government specifications required that the Dewey should be beable beable beable able to dock a ton ship in four hours from the time the warrior entered entered entered en en- the trough to the moment the keel was out of ot water The Largest In the World Such specifications meant that upon completion ol ot the Dewey the Government Government Govern Govern- ment meat would possess the largest floating floatIng floatIng float- float Ing dry dock In the tho world The contractors went further than the Gov Gov- eminent eminent- specifications and Eay aa the that i sf g Ny bt ok ll new new-ao capacity ew a Tons s. s The question might be asked what sort of ot monster Is this which floats and yet can bodily odily lift the huge fighting terrors a of ot the sea It Is nothing more than a large steel floating box with a bottom and two long sides but with the top and ends missing the bottom resting upon great square tanks 18 feet deep With an opening of certain valves enough water is allowed to rush into sink the great trough until the floor Is sufficiently below water level for the largest warship to enter between the two protruding sides After After After Af Af- ter the vessel Is within the enclosure the water Is pumped out of the tanks and the great trough rises until the floor is well above the wash of the sea Any surplus water remaining on the floor of ot the tank tank drains drains off oft and the ship on on becoming dry may be painted cleaned or r repaired The giant leviathan I of ot war is handled as though it were a atoy toy The Dewey has a total length of ot about feet teet and nd a a. height of 64 feet from the bottom yet In order to dock a vessel demanding a depth of 30 feet teet In the trough the bottom of the tank sinks to a depth of 63 feet FloatIng Float Float- Ing lug by itself it draws but 6 feet of water The United States Government was very strict in all requirements of at Its contract with the constructing company com corn pany and Insisted that the dock should be carefully tested before being accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac Last spring the battleship Iowa was docked Clocked In the Dewey and within an hour and a half halt from the time that she sho was in position her keel was out atthe of at the water In t f tta same month the United States battleship Colorado with witha a displacement of nearly 2000 tons more than the Iowa was docked In two hours and sixteen minutes Will Baffle the Toredo One of the most essential needs for tor fora tora a dry dock In the Philippine Islands Is caused by the accumulation of a great amount of marine growth upon the hulls huns of ot all vessels spending any length of ot time In tropical waters Naturally a It steel dry dock In such a locality would also atso become befouled by barnacles barnacles barna barna- cles etc eta and It Is at this tM point that a most peculiar feature ture of f the Dewey Is la bron brought ht to ro a t ht bt for In 11 addition to being able abl to lift the 0 lest est battleships of the Navy It can lift itself as welL welt In other words it raises its own bottom out Jut of at the water while floating only upon its great hollow hollow hol- hol low ow side box and arid the bottom in turn lifts up the side box to a sufficient height to permit of its being scraped cleaned and copper painted Notwithstanding the apparently intricate intricate in in- problems confronted in the construction of such a huge engine the Navy Department had bad a still stUl greater problem to solve when it considered methods of sending tho the Dewey to the Philippine Islands The great size of ot the he machine meant that it could make but jut slow progress through the water and the Government had had no experience experience experience In sending such structures across the uncertain Atlantic However However How How- ever the inducement of extra good salaries enabled the officials to obtain a cr crew of experienced men to handle the dock The hollow sides of at the enormous enormous enor engine provide abundant living quarters for the crew of thirty and andare andare andare are as good as the best quarters on any man of war There is on board a complete complete com com- distilling apparatus for making fresh water and the ration allowances are double those received by the men of the United States Navy Since the dock has left the United States it has been in almost continuous communication tion with the shore by means of the wireless telegraphy apparatus on board as well as on the three naval vessels towing it It Is supposed by the Gov erum t t officials that It will take nearly nearly near near- ly four ninths months JJ for the structure to tomake tomake tomake make the trip to the Philippines Games Cames for the Mariners The great floor of at the Dewey Is of sufficient size to allow of ot a regulation game of at base ball a fact which pro probably ably will wUl be taken advantage of when the warmer climates are reached Should the little fleet meet with a hurricane hurricane hurricane hur hur- such as might usually be encountered encountered encountered on the Atlantic in winter the towing steams could throw off oft the tow towlines towlines towlines lines and the Dewey could be filled with sufficient water to sink to- to toa a depth dept which wo would ld assure Its safety until after the storm had passed away while the towing boats could find safe refuge within the dock The route taken by the fleet is as follows After passing out of ot Chesapeake Chesapeake Ches Ches- Bay it takes a course due duo eastward eastward east east- ward across the Atlantic to the Madeira Ma deira Islands from whence It enters the Straits Strait the through taU t Le reached The e traversing of ot the Suez Sue Canal was another problem which faced the officials of ot the Navy Department Department Depart Depart- ment but after making careful measurements measurements measurements meas meas- It was found that the dock doc would easily pass through the Canal The fee that the United States Gov Gov- Government Government is called upon to pay for th the use of at the Canal for this purpose I is After passing through the Sue Canal the squadron of ot three towing boats and the dock will sail sall through the Red Sea between betwee Arabia and Af At rica and thence on to the Indian Ocean Singapore will probably be a stopping place for the expedition an and after going through the straits of Malacca Malacca Ma Ma- lacca ft it will pass up the China Sea and thence to the Cavite naval station reaching there Just about In time for fort forthe forthe t the e Easter holidays Other Dry Docks The United States has a couple of other floating dry docks one at Al Al- glens giers La but recently completed and another at Pensacola Fla formerly stationed at Havana Before the floatIng float floating Ing dry dock was considered a success the stationary dry dock was the only kind available This was completed complete upon shore generally of concrete am and granite with sloping sides and a concave con pon- pon cave trough for the hulls of vessels to tofit tofit fit into The Navy has sixteen o of 01 these four being situated at Brooklyn three at Norfolk two each at Philadelphia Philadel- Philadel phia and Mare Island California and A 45 5 t tl l e x t x C f fI I N r S 'S n u BATTLESHIP IOWA IN NEW DOCK DEWEY one each at Portsmouth N. N H. H Charleston S. S C. C and Puget Sound Washington The nearest rival to the Dewey among the floating dry docks of the world Is that at Bermuda While It Is 45 feet longer than the tho Dewey its lifting capacity Is but tons which is tons less Jess than the American structure In Austria there is also a floating dry dock of capacity and one In Germany capable of lifting a burden of tons |