FLOATING DRY DOCKS IN THE: UNITED STATES; RELATIVE 

 VALUE OF WOOD AND STEEL FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION. 



By WiIvUAm T. Donnelly, Esq., Member. 



[Read at the eighteenth general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, held in 



New York, November 17 and 18, 1910.] 



While the floating dry dock is not by any means new in the United 

 States, and while it is generally admitted to be an American invention, 

 the application of technical knowledge or the skill of the engineer has so 

 recently been called upon for its design and construction, that the writer 

 feels almost bound to offer some historic references before taking up the 

 special features which it is desired to bring particularly to your attention. 



The oldest available record is a copy of a patent to J. Adamson for 

 floating dry docks, December 13, 1816 (Plate 13). For a description of this 

 and of subsequent types of wooden floating dry docks which have been 

 developed in the United States, the author refers to a paper read before 

 the Brooklyn Engineers' Club under date of January 25, 1905; and for an 

 excellent detailed description of large floating dry docks built for the United 

 States Government prior to 1850, parties interested are referred to "Naval 

 Dry Docks of the United States," by Charles B. Stuart, Chief Engineer of 

 the United States Navy. This is one of the most valuable works in exist- 

 ence, not only as regards floating dry docks but basin docks as well, giving 

 such an excellent description of the construction and difficulties overcome 

 in the building of the first basin dry dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as 

 would be appreciated by those who have had the later construction under 

 their care. 



For the most modern description and record, bringing the history of 

 floating dry docks in this country up to the date of the completion of tlie 

 steel floating dry dock Dewey, reference can be had to the book entitled 

 "Floating Dry Docks," edited by Sven Anderson, M. E., Superintendent 

 Floating Dry Dock Department, Maryland Steel Co. This work is a care- 

 ful compilation of recent papers delivered before the various engineering 

 societies in this country. 



Special reference should be made to very important papers by Civil 

 Engineer A. C. Cunningham, U. S. N., and Civil Engineer Leonard M. Cox, 

 U. S. N., the latter paper dealing with Naval Dry Docks and being a most 

 complete presentation of mathematical and structural problems. This 



