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1903.] MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. 21 Docking the Battleship Ohio in the New Dry Dock of the San Francisco Dry Dock Co., at Hunter's Point, San Francisco. NEW DRY DOCK AT HUNTER'S POINT. San Francisco now possesses a dry dock capable of accom- modating the largest vessel in the world. It was begun about two years ago by the San Francisco Dry Dock Co. at Hunter's Point and has just been completed. It is one of the largest an: best equipped dry dock in the world, being 750 ft. long, 122 ft. wide at the top and 80 ft. wide on a level with the top of the keel blocks. There are 28 ft. of water over the sill of the dack at high tide. It was built by Mr. Howard Holmes and is an enduring monument to his skill. The dock was officially opened, in the presence of the president and directors of the dry dock company and about a hundred others, on Thursday, Jan. 29, to receive the United States battleship Ohio, which has been under construction at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, for nearly three years. The Ohio is 393 ft. long, 72.2 ft. wide, weighs about 8,000 tons and draws 17 ft. of water. When she has her full crew, armament, stores, ammunition and coal on board, she will displace 12,440 tons. She was launched by the late President -William McKinley during his visit to the Pacific coast on May 18, I9OI. : The operation of the dock was in charge of John Habacher, the dock engineer, and J. J. Beaton, the dock superintendent. The battleship was towed from her moorings by the tugs Sea Queen, Sea Fox and Sea Rover, which brought her from the 'Union Iron Works to Hunter's Point. The big gate of the dock was floated away at 11:38 a. m., and the hydraulic pumps were set to work at 12:45 p.m. 'The three pumps discharged together _120,000 gallons per minute, and at 2:50 p. m., the battleship stood dry and comparatively clear on the keel blocks. Though the } 'Bow View of the Ohio. vessel had not been docked for ten months she was not so dirty as had been expected. She has since received two coats of anti- fouling paint and her immersed body has been thoroughly over- hauled. As the Ohio entered the dock there were 11 ft. of water be- tween the sill of the dock and her keel, and as she lay on the blocks after the water had been pumped out there were 4 ft. to spare on either side at the narrowest part of the dock. Between her stern and the dock gate there was space to dock another vessel of more than 300 ft. The docking of a warship is one of the most difficult opera- tions that concern such a vessel. Every detail entering into the question must be carefully considered beforehand for unless the strain is evenly distributed the bottom plates are likely to buckle and damages follow that will cost thousands of dollars to repair. A copy of the plans of the vessel is given to the officer superin- tending the docking and the position of the blocks that are io support her is calculated with precision. The stationary blocks must confirm to the curve of the keel and the heavy blocks above these must be placed so as to enable the vessel, when the water is drawn off to rest evenly and free from strain. . The vessel is then towed up to the dock, the dock gate is floated away and the ship warped in till her bow and stern rest exactly on lines the ends of which are marked by stakes driven into the ground on either side of the dock. The gate is filled with water and sunk - until it rests snugly on the rubber cushions of the sill.. The great hydraulic pumps are set in motion and, as the water is drawn out, men swarm round the vessel to scrape and brush off the barnacles and sea plants that have accumulated on her bottom. By the time the bottom touches the blocks it is clean. Stern View of the Ohio,