The Evolution of Floating and Other Dry Docks, 73 



Tons of water to be pumped in 



order to empty dock .. 63,000 6,000 



Ditto when a vessel displacing 



10,000 is inside .. ... 53jOOO 17,000 



116,000 23,000 



The space occupied by both docks is about the same, but no 

 extended area at the side is required for the floating dock ; it 

 would favour the utiHty of the floating dock if it were placed 

 parallel with the river so that vessels could be hauled in from 

 either ends. 



With graving docks there is often a great waste of space and 

 the docking is often attended with risks when the vessel is 

 being hauled across the tide, owing to the general practice of 

 having it at right angles to the river. 



In conclusion, I trust these few remarks will tend to stimulate 

 the proud desire to maintain Britain's supremacy as a naval 

 and Maritime nation, and as Belfast leads the world in the 

 construction of modern steamships, let us as commercial and 

 patriotic citizens second such creditable enterprise, and at the 

 proper time provide such graving dock accommodation that 

 will be in keeping with the advances in naval architecture : a 

 dry dock that will be of great service in times of peace and 

 invaluable in times of war. 



Mr. MacIlwaine said when he heard that Mr. .\laxton was 

 to read this paper he looked forward to it with great pleasure. 



He never had had any experience of a Floating Dock, it 

 might do very well for small vessels but he rather doubted if 

 it would do so well for large ones. If Belfast is to keep the 

 position it holds with regard to shipping it must certainly go 

 in for Dry Dock Appliances in the port. There are vessels 

 being built which cannot be dealt with without proper 

 appliances and there is no doubt there will be others which it 

 will be more difficult to deal with, and it becomes a question 

 for the people of Belfast to make up their minds which class 

 of Dock they will adopt. 



