THE OTAGO GRAVING DOCK.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1141, 25 March 1872, Page 2

THE OTAGO GRAVING DOCK.

_Tn_caminfflunng_ the proceedines-_at_Jihfi opexungTJinOleutaßo gtrtVjug^ocKTJVlr Macandrew gave the following particulars : — We possess the only graving dock in New Zealand, and the work, so far as I am aware, is, in point of workmanship, equal to anything of the kind in any other part of the world. There are, no doubt, docks of greater capacity, but I doubt if there are any more substantially built. As regards the capacity of the dock, I may say that it is large enough for til our requirements. It will accommodate two vessels as largo as the Luna. That vesssl does not occupy nioro than half the length of the dock, and, with the exception of the Galatea, any vessel of the British navy, on this station, could be accommodated in this dock. Moreover, the i large American steamers now encircling the globe, amongst which are the Nevada aud the Nebraska, could be docked here. I think it right to make this statement publicly, because assertions to the contrary have been freely made. A Voice : Could the paddles be admitted? His Honor: The sponaon beams would be 3ft over the top of the dock gale J, and it would only require to remove one of the paddle-wheels, Probably it tfould be well to state what are the dimensions of the dock, and what it actually cost. Tbere is one thing I may mention in connection with the statement I nude that the Nevada and the Nebr&aka could be accommodated' herd. I have good reason to believe that the existence of this dock was ono of the elements which induced the proprietors of this line of steamers to agree to Fort Chalmers 'being made the New Zealand terminus of the line. Well, the dimensions of the dock are as follows -.—Depth of water at dock sill— ordinary tides, 19ft 6in ; do do, spring tides, 21ft ; do do, neap tides, 17ft 6m ; length of dock, 328 f t; width above, 68ft ; do below, 41ft ; do where ship's bilge would be, 43ft. I am thus particular in giving these figures, as I) have no doubt that a report of these proceeding will be wafted abroad on the wings of the Press, and it is therefore as well to let people residing elsewhere know what we .con do here. The actual cost of this truly magnificent dock was L 56.069 2s lid, and it is very probable that the cost would have been double that sum bad we not had a quarry adjacent, from which the stones were literally dropped into the dock.