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Twin Launching of Two Oil Tank Barges from Floating Dry Dock Two All-welded Tank Barges Launched from Drydock N JULY 10 the “Truss-Weld O division, United Dry Docks Ine.. launched two oil tank barges of its patented all-welded construction from the floating drydock at its plant in the Crane-Twenty-seventh street yard of the company in Brooklyn, N. Y. The launching was accomplished while two similar vessels in the proc- ess of construction were under way on the drydock. This is the first launch- ing carried out by the Truss-Weld di- vision on its new floating building plant. of which it took possession when the Staten Island yard, at Mariners Harbor, became crowded with naval construction and other work. Officials of the company see in the new method many marked advantages, of speed and economy. Work Progresses Quickly Both of the vessels were launched on the fortieth working day after their first plate was laid. They are the barge Grose No. 10 and the _ barge RICHFIELD No, 21. The first of three sister barges, GuLoBE No. 10, is a 150,000-gallon non- propelled tanker, of truss-weld con- struction, built for the Globe Oil De- livery Corp., 155 East Forty-fourth street. New York, under the direct supervision of that company’s presi- dent, E. L. Halstead. Its dimensions are: length, 100 feet; breadth, 30 feet; depth, 8 feet; it is of rake type, with 10 foot rake forward and 5 feet rake aft, 12-inch sheer forward and 6-inch sheer aft, with deck crowned 6-inch and with 6-inch deadrise on the bot- tom. The hull is divided by one centerline and four thwartship bulkheads, into six compartments; three port and three starboard. It has a steel cabin 20 x 12 x 7 feet, located aft, with a bulk- head separating the crew’s living quar- ters and the machinery room. Drive shafts lead through the side of the cabin to the pumps on deck. The pumping arrangement is an unusually simple and effective one, de- signed by H. E. Read, vice president of the owning company, and consists of two Mack engines of the automotive type, direct connected to two 6-inch 750 gallons per minute Viking pumps, with normal pump speed of 200 revo- lutions per minute and engine speed of approximately 1000 revolutions per minute. The regular automotive clutch and change-speed gears are utilized, a distinct advantage where there is excessive back pressure to overcome. The engines may be oper- ated singly or in battery; when used together they will empty an entire 150,000-gallon cargo in 1 hour and 45 minutes through the two 6-inch pipe lines provided. Large Capacity Tank Barge The remaining two sister ships will be delivered in early August. RIcH- FreLD No. 21 is a 550-000-gallon non- propelled oil barge, built for the New- town Creek Towing Co., 17 Battery place, New York. It is of patented truss-weld construction, and is classed by the American Bureau of Shipping. Its overall length is 208 feet; breadth, 40 feet; depth at side, 12 feet 6 inches; it is of rake type, fore and aft, and has a one-foot sheer fore and aft. The hull is divided, by one centerline and MARINE REvIEw—August, 1934 six athwartship bulkheads, into ten compartments (5 port and 5 starboard) and two peak compartments. Aft, there is a steel cabin 12 x 16 x 7 feet, on the port side of which is the stair- way entrance to the pump room. Walls and ceiling are insulated and compo- sition floor covering is provided. The cargo pumps consist of two Waterous bronze-fitted rotary pumps, with 8-inch suction and discharge, capable of delivering 850 gallons per minute at 60 pounds discharge pres- sure and at an operating speed of 420 revolutions per minute. These are driven by 20-inch double-stage Coppus steam turbines, equipped with totally- enclosed constant speed governor and excess-Sspeed safety trip; they drive through double reduction gears of the herringbone type. The turbines are designed to operate at 3400 to 3800 rev- olutions per minute and at steam pres- sures from 90 to 120 pounds; they are nominally rated at 50 horsepower, with 100 pounds of steam. The piping consists of two 8-inch suction lines beiow deck. Six-inch valved and bellmouthed suctions are installed in the after end of each tank near the centerline bulkhead and each connected to its respective port and starboard main suction line. The main suction lines are cross-connected so that either pump may pump from any cargo compartment. History of a Drydock A history of unusual interest, going back to the days of the Spanish-Amer- ican war, attaches to the floating dry- dock plant which the Truss-Weld divi- sion of the United Dry Docks has es- pecially equipped as its building plant. This five-section steel floating dry- dock of 8725 deadweight tons lifting capacity, had been built for the Span- ish government for use in Cuba. When war was declared, the new dock was at sea, on its way to Cuba; but the tow never reached its destination, for the United States struck quickly, captur- ing it and bringing it back to Pensa- cola, Fla. For a number of years, the dock was used there by the United States navy, until it was bought by a predecessor company of United Dry Docks and brought north to Brooklyn. Equipped as it now is with a 5-ton traveling crane of the overhead type, which can travel the entire length of the dock in one minute and has a span of 91 feet, it serves as a compact and efficient shipbuilding unit, which shows up well both during construction and at launching time. It is equipped with twenty 12-inch centrifugal pumps, electrically operated, for raising and lowering the dock and is 450 feet long over the outriggers (383 feet 4% inches exclusive of outriggers); the floor is 74 feet, 744-inches wide and, at top of the dock wings, the width is 90 feet 7144 inches. Water, air and electricity are avaiilable on the dock and special lighting equipment makes it possible to work at all times. 25