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1898. ] MARINE REVIEW. " NOVEL TYPE OF DRY DOCK. FORM OF FLOATING DOCK DESIGNED BY WILLIAM GOLDING, OF NEW ORLEANS, LA,--A COMBINATION OF LARGE PONTOONS. The distinction of novelty must assuredly be accorded to a type ol floating dry docks designed by William Golding of New Orleans, La., and which is illustrated herewith. The main feature of the plan is the asseir bling of a number of steel pontoons, aggregating adequate lifting capa- city and secured in such a manner as to form a solid structure, while still vermitting the removal of each pontoon for painting and repairs. The plan of the dock is thus outlined by its inventor: "For a dock of this type capable of lifting 12,000 tons the length will be 500 feet and the inside width 80 feet. There will be forty pontoons placed side by side, yet 214 feet apart, each 10 feet wide by 12 feet deep, and 120 feet long. There will be eight submerging tanks, constructed pre- cisely the same as the pontoons, which will be placed one upon the other as shown, yet being separated by I bars to facilitate painting. These tanks will be 500 feet long by 10 feet square each. When the pontoons and sub- merging tanks are placed in the position shown in the sketch they will be THE GOLDING TYPE OF DRY DOCK. secured by suitable stirrups, which will pass entirely around each pon- toon and extend to the top submerging tank, thus securing and combining the pontoons and submerging tanks as one structure. The pontoons will be divided into three compartments, each 40 feet long. To sink the dock water will be admitted into the two end compartments, the center com- partments being barely sufficient in the aggregate to balance the entire weight of the dock. When the pontoons are filled water will gradually flow into the submerging tank through suitable controlling valves, which will be closed when the required depth is reached. For removing the water from the pontoons there will be placed on the outside ends of same eighty pumps of proper type and size. These pumps will be oe in four sets of twenty each, on one shaft, at each quarter of the dock. T ue motive power will be electricity supplied from a power house conse located on land. No water will be admitted to either of the top tanks, in which there will be sufficient reserve to float the entire dock, even should all the valves be left open. The objects sought to be gained in this type of dock construction are economy of construction, Se ie oo ation, facility of preservation and absolute safety. Total weight of ma a ial is 6,000 tons, net lifting capacity 12,000 tons, gross lifting eee 18,000 tons. It is estimated that a dock of this type and capacity can be constructed and set up ready for operating for the sum of $400,000. r to Capt. Geo. P. McKay, of the Lake Carriers' Associa- Pad cauens det G 6. Allibone, inspector of the ninth fe ere se trict (Lake Michigan), says the work of establishing steam fog tee s at Calumet (South Chicago), Grand Traverse and ee an Ve light and signal on the crib at Racine Reef will be begun ee in , a coming year. Commander Allibone also refers to the report eee sc him some time ago by the captain of the steamer Victory, jis h vessel had suffered extensive damage by striking bottom va ' on fi Lake Michigan voyage. He says: Hee ee reas pe vere struction reported by the master o e ste 7 1 aries ein betes Lansing shoal gas buoy and Paey caus shoal buoy, but did not find any shoal water. At Beaver islan at : I sent for two fishermen, captains and owners of fishing es MES aye for a long time fished on and about Lansing shoal. oe in ore ne that they have never found shoal water, rocks, or bou crs Orne a eine ts oabey hi " EST MRSA aad E at you that i t the Victory struck ar , an Ss Wel ee cei effort to find it I have the promise of the bshere that they will look ey it, and ae FEO ee re Gee ten at en shoal or obstruction. gav 1 Sete of Mackinac. The poet me aes ete Bobet CE ne their nets on the shoals, bu ies meee duce prouds: is cheerfully promised, toe ere Pee: tion of going carefully over the localities of suspecte ae Pi us a better knowledge of the navigable passages, etc., 0 ne a Ga tend to interest all fishermen in this district to look out for an p any shoal, rock, etc., that they may find." i / L. Watson & Co., The magnificent steam yacht which Messrs. G._L. naval Penne of Glascow, have designed for A. J. Drexel, ine Hee York banker, will be built by Messrs. Scott & Co., Cpeence -S ee ca 968 feet over all, 36 feet beam. 20 feet depth and of 1.81¢ tn ad we have twin screws developing 5,000 horse power and calculated to giv a speed of 17 knots. CONTRACTS LET AND PENDING. LATEST NEWS REGARDING NEW BUSINESS IN SHIP YARDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY--NEW INCORPORATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS AT OLD PLANTS, _ The Gas Engine & Power Co. and Charles L. Seabury & Co., Con- solidated, of Morris Heights, N. Y., has the contract to furnish to the war department eight steam launches for use on the transports Mohawk, Mobile, Massachusetts, Manitoba, Mississippi, Michigan, Minnewaska and Chester. These launches are 30 feet long, 8 feet beam and 8 feet draught. They are fitted with fore-and-aft compound engines, with cylinders 4 inches and 8 inches in diameter and 7 inch stroke and Sea- bury water tube boilers. They will have a speed of nine miles an hour. The Neafie & Levy Co., Philadelphia, Pa., has launched the steel seagoing tug Swatara building for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co. She is 170 feet over all, 29 feet beam and 18 feet depth and is fitted with triple expansion engines with cylinders 18, 28 and 45 inches by 30 inches stroke. Steam will be supplied from two Scotch boilers each 12 feet by 12 feet 6 inches capable of a steam pressure of 165 pounds. The four-masted schooner John C. Haynes, recently launched by Washburn Bros., of Thomaston, Me., is 201 feet keel, 41 feet beam, 19 feet depth and of 1,200 registered tonnage. She is equipped with a 20- horse power engine, built by Rossen & Morrison of Cambridgeport, Mass.; a Knowlton Bros. patent steam windlass and a 6-inch Dean wreck- ing pump. Lieut. Col. M. B. Adams, U. S. engineer at Detroit, has received bids for furnishing two sets of boilers, machinery, etc., for four steam fog signals as follows: Fulton Iron & Engine Works, Detroit, $4,496;. D. Connelly, Cleveland, $4,634; John P. McGuire, Cleveland, $4,950; Thom- son Kingsford, Oswego, N. Y., $9,299; James Clark Co., Baltimore, Md., $11,966. ' A. G. Cuthbert, naval architect and yacht builder, has leased the property on the Calumet river just east of the Ninety-second street bridge, Chicago, and will establish thereon a modern yacht building plant. He has already booked several orders, among others the contract for the construction of the challenger for the Canadian cup. ; The Manhattan Dry Dock Construction Co., principal office New York city, was incorporated last week to build, repair, sell and operate ships, vessels, etc. Authorized cauital, $0,000,000; subscribed capital, $1,000; paid in $100. Incorporators, C. F. Peck, J. A. McDuffie, W. A. Davis, G. H. Smith and W. H. Brower, all of New York city. The Toledo & Ann Arbor Railroad Co., for which the Globe Iron Works Co., Cleveland, recently completed a car ferry, will, it is under- stood, next season contract for the construction of a powerful steel tug to maintain an open channel between Menominee, Mich., and the Sturgeon Bay canal. "4 The New England Co., Bath, Me., has launched another of the barges, building for the Consolidated Coal Co. of Baltimore, Md. The vessel measures 193 feet over all, 35 feet beam, 17 feet depth and is of 898 tons gross or 790 tons net register. The steam yacht Impatient, owned by William H. Jackson, Salis- bury, Md., has just been thoroughly overhauled and repaired at the works of the E. J. Codd Co., Baltimore, Md., and has been fitted with a Roberts water tube boiler. Arthur Sewall & Co., Bath, Me., will be ready early in January to launch the four-masted steel schooner under construction at their yard and the keel for another similar ship will be laid aimost immediately thereafter. : Bids opened by George A. Zinn, U. S. engineer at Louisville, Ky., for the construction of a steam tender were as follows: E. J. Howard, Jeffersonville, Ind., $3,025; the Charles Barnes Co., Cincinnati, $2,975. It is rumored that General E. N. Whitlock will have a steam yacht built similar to the Hildegarde and that plans will be furnished by H. C. Wintringham, naval architect, Havemeyer building, New York city. The steamer Pathfinder, building for the United States coast survey and recently fully described and illustrated in the Review, was launched last week at the Crescent ship yard of Lewis Nixon, Elizabeth, N. J. The Upper Yukon Co., of which F. H. Kilbourne of Seattle, Wash., is president, will next year build (probably at Seattle) three 100-ton river steamers, which will cost in the neighborhood of $30,000 each. The R. M. Spedden Co., Baltimore, Md., will build for Norfolk, Va., parties a wooden tug 90 feet in length, 20 feet beam and 10 feet depth of hold. Types of engines and boiler have not yet been determined. The New England Co., Bath, Me., has secured the contract for the construction of two barges 200 feet long, 35 feet beam and 17 feet depth. They are to be completed in April. A contract has been awarded to Capt. E. W. Visger, Alexandria Bay, N. Y., for the construction of docks along the St. Lawrence river, com- prising the international park. The Lockwood Mfg. Co., East Boston, Mass., in addition to building the machinery for the new Boston ferryboat have on hand contracts ageregating $100,000. . . The Union Towboat Co., Boston, Mass., has awarded to the Atlantic Works, East Boston, Mass., the contract for two tugs, each of 110 feet keel. J. Pierpont Morgan's new yacht, the Corsair, was launched this week at the yard of T. S. Marvel & Co., Newburg, N. Y A new design in steamship propellers has been made by an English- man. The blades are arranged in two pairs, one pair pointing aft in the usual manner, while the other pair inclines forward. The object of the de- sign, as described by the inventor, is for "the blades to obtain a Propes grip of the water, as each has a solid body of water in front of it." The same action takes place on the reverse motion. It is claimed that the advantages of a two-bladed propeller are thus obtained, accompanied by the steadiness resulting from the use of a larger number of blades. The principle can also be applied to a three-bladed propeller.