MEMORABLE VOYAGE OF THE DRYDOCK DEWEY
BALTIMORE SUN ALMANAC, 1907
The floating steel drydock Dewey built by the Maryland Steel Company which left Solomons Island In Chesapeake on December 28 1905, after severe tests was towed to the Philippines arriving at Olongapo on July 10 1906. Her safe arrival at the destination marked the close of one of most remarkable mechanical and engineering triumphs of the world's history. This mass of steel, weighing 11,000 gross tons, designed and constructed by Maryland enterprise, after tempestuous and heretofore unheard voyage of 12,000 miles, arrived at the new naval base in the Philippine Islands in almost perfect condition without the necessity of having to make any but such minor repairs as any voyage would call for.
The trip occupied just 193 days. The drydock was convoyed by the colliers Brutus Caesar Glacier and the tug Potomac. The expedition being charge of Commander H.H. Hosley, of the Bureau of Navigation. The difficulties in the way of this undertaking were deplored as impracticable by many Naval officers.
The towing feat was the greatest evere attempted in transoceanic navigation. The towing by colliers was sharply criticized by many authorities, several contending that two battleships should been sent
The Dewey is 500 feet long and 130 feet wide. She is made up of three pontoons joined by two side walls. The center pontoon is 320 feet in length and has 21 water tight compartments. Each end pontoon is 90 feet long with 18 water tight compartments. The depth of the pontoons is 18 1/2 feet and the draft of the dock with a battleship afloat inside is 35 feet. Her extreme depth submerged with a battleship is 62 feet.
The time made on the trip is shown in the following table:
Started from Solomons Is ...........Dec 28 1905
Passed Cape Henry .....................Dec 29 1905
Arrived off Bermudas .................Jan 5 1900
Off the Canary Islands ................Feb 20 1900
Reached Las Palmas ...................Feb 23 1906
Sailed from Las Palmas ..............March 9 1906
Sighted off Gibraltar ...................March 25 1906
Passed Malta ...............................April 4 1906
Arrived Port Said ........................April 18 1906
Entered Suez Canal .....................April 27 1900
Sailed from Suez .........................May 3 1906
Passed Colombo ..........................June 5 1906
Arrived off Sumatra ....................June 15.1906
In Straits of Malacca ...................June 20 1906
Arrived at Singapore ...................June 21 1906
Left Singapore .............................June 28 1906
Arrived at Olongapo ....................July 10 1906
At the time the dock was contracted for it was intended to use it at Manila, later at Cavite but Olongapo was finally determined upon as the best place to establish a naval station.
[This article was transcribed from this original source.]
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