Plan of the United States dry dock, at Philadelphia, on the new system of the sectional floating dock, basin, & railways, now constructing by contract with Mess. Dakin & Moody.
Title
Plan of the United States dry dock, at Philadelphia, on the new system of the sectional floating dock, basin, & railways, now constructing by contract with Mess. Dakin & Moody Area available for docking in the plan 350 by 90 feet, 31, 500 square feet. Area available for docking in the U.S. dry dock at Norfolk, 210 by 60 feet, 12, 000 square feet. It will be observed that area available for docking in this dry dock is twice and a half greater than in the U.S. stone dry dock at Norfolk, enabling the former to receive a vessel covering twice and half as much space as the utmost limit of the latter. It will also be observed that the efficiency of the Norfolk dock, is limited to docking one ship of the line at a time, of about 200 feet in length, whereas the new Philadelphia dock, will be able to dock three war steamers of 350 feet in length each, and ten ships of the line all at the same time. The Norfolk dock cost $962, 459 and the cost of one on that plan capable of taking only one vessel 350 by 90 feet, estimated on the same basis would be $2, 406, 147 or about three times the contract price of the Philadelphia dock
Description
Plan showing the future dry dock at the first U.S. Navy Yard established by shipbuilder Joshua Humphreys and Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert in 1801 on the Delaware River in Southwark. A three-masted frigate rests in dry dock on land and a three-masted sidewheeler rests in dry dock on the floating dock in the river. Two workers stand on the deck of the sidewheeler. Between the frigates, completed hulls are visible in four storage bays. Across from the bays, a hull under construction rests in scaffolding. Tools and machinery lay near the hull. In the background, a worker hauls wood by horse-drawn cart in front of the naval yard factory. Also includes cityscape and Spark's shot tower. The facility, which built, overhauled, stored, and disposed of warships, operated in Southwark until 1876 when the Navy Yard enlarged and relocated to League Island., Not in Wainwright., Published in Sketch of the plans, present condition, and proposed results of the United States dry docks at the Navy Yards of Philadelphia, Kittery, and Pensacola: ... (New York: P. Miller & Son, 1849)., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 609, Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Bc 57 P 544
Date
[1849]
Location
Historical Society of Pennsylvania HSP Bc 57 P 544