24:
1003:
183:
1303:
1263:
867:
847:
1043:
1463:
1383:
1363:
1323:
1283:
1143:
1103:
1063:
668:
1163:
1243:
1423:
1443:
1403:
1183:
1503:
1483:
1223:
1203:
1123:
1083:
1023:
983:
963:
927:
1343:
747:
907:
691:
207:
767:
887:
41:
191:
ship upright in the dock. Once the blocks were set, the dock would submerge to the required depth by opening the external doors, labeled "D". The doors were opened by means of winches, "V", mounted on the top of the dock. Once submerged, the ship requiring maintenance could be towed into position and secured with lines tied to the dock's sides.
170:
could be pumped out to lift a vessel free of the water. Each compartment had its own pump. The pumps were driven by two steam engines, each of which produced about 300 horsepower. The pumps could move 3,500,000 US gallons (13,000,000 L) per hour, so ships could be lifted quickly. The dock had a lifting capacity of 8,000 tons.
169:
The Great
Balance Dock was built of wood planking and timbers. She was 325 feet (99 m) long, 99 feet (30 m) in breadth, and 38.5 feet (11.7 m) in height. The dock contained 12 water-tight compartments, which could be flooded to lower the dock sufficiently for a vessel to enter it, and
236:
The dock was an integral tool for ship construction, particularly for installing the initial sheathing of copper to protect the hull. The dock also serviced a steady stream of vessels of all types for routine work on their hulls. The dock was a busy place. Newspapers of the day documented thirty
194:
The two steam engines, one on each side of the dock, powered the pumps, "P", to expel the water in the tanks through the openings at "O". Once the ship was sitting on the hull blocks rather than floating, block and tackle would be used to lower poles, "Q", against the hull to assist in keeping the
190:
To prepare for hauling a ship, a series of hull blocks were placed in the bottom of the Great
Balance Dock, labeled "B" in the sectional diagram. The purpose of these blocks was to distribute the weight of the ship somewhat more evenly than having it all sit on the ship's keel, and also to keep the
154:
are an ancient alternative to careening. A basin was dug into the shoreline, lined with stone, and sealed with water-tight gates. Ships would float into the dock with the gates open. Once the gates were closed, the water in the dock could be pumped out, setting the ship on the dry bottom of the
130:
The underwater portions of ship's hulls require periodic maintenance. This includes removing marine growth from the hull, and repairing rudders. For the wooden ships of the nineteenth century, hull maintenance included caulking between hull planks, and nailing thin copper sheets to the bottom to
224:
at the foot of Market Street. Local businesses objected to the loss of wharfage for goods-bearing ships and petitioned to have her moved. By 1857 she had been relocated north along the river to the foot of Pike Street. She remained there until at least
December 1872. The Great Balance Dock was
150:. To careen a ship, it was grounded on a steep beach at high tide. As the tide ebbed, the hull would be exposed so that work could be done. Careening has numerous disadvantages not the least of which is that work is interrupted after only a few hours by the return of the tide.
155:
dock. Graving docks are costly, difficult to build, and require significant amounts of shoreline real estate. As ships reached 300 feet (91 m) and longer in the mid-nineteenth century, the investment required to build such a dock became prohibitive.
715:
173:
The name of the dock was descriptive. In order to maintain a horizontal orientation as ships were hauled out, different amounts of water were maintained in her 12 tanks to balance the uneven load of the captive ship.
166:
shipyard on
September 30, 1854. The dock's pumping machinery was installed by Mott & Ayres after she was launched. She was sufficiently large to handle the largest ships in existence at the time.
158:
In 1840 John S. Gilbert patented a new form of floating drydock. The New York
Balance Dock Company was incorporated on April 18, 1848, to build such docks. In 1853, the company commissioned
240:
In 1873, the fee for use of the Great
Balance Dock was $ 0.25 per ton of displacement of the vessel, plus $ 0.15 per ton for every day the vessel was under repair in the dock.
122:
in New York City. It was the largest such facility in the world when constructed in 1854, and consequently, many of the most important ships of its time were serviced there.
233:. The dock was returned to her previous location at the foot of Pike Street. The last newspaper report of the Great Balance Dock was in 1876. Her ultimate fate is unknown.
827:
23:
787:
730:
29:
803:
146:
It has always been difficult to access the underwater portions of a ship's hull. From earliest times this was achieved by
182:
1533:
946:
229:
waterfront in
January 1873. She was moved again in July 1873 to make way for the construction of new piers for the
198:
To refloat the vessel was a simple matter of winching up the poles and opening the doors to flood the dock again.
139:. Hulls damaged in storms, collisions, groundings, or by the action of worms or rot also needed work below their
135:. Propeller-driven vessels required work on the propellers themselves and the associated bearings, shafts, and
163:
162:
to build the Great
Balance Dock at what was estimated to be a cost of $ 150,000. She was launched at his
230:
212:
713:, Gilbert, John S., "Improvement in the construction of dry-docks", published 1840-05-12
206:
710:
513:
226:
1528:
365:
287:
261:
159:
1522:
136:
221:
753:
Railroad Record and
Journal of Commerce, Banking, Manufactures and Statistics
147:
140:
151:
132:
119:
517:
205:
181:
735:. New York: Press of W.F. Sametz & Company. p. 105.
186:
A simplified sectional view of the Great
Balance Dock.
244:
Ships serviced aboard the Great Balance Dock in 1859
237:
different ships which were hauled out in 1859 alone.
1502:
1482:
1462:
1442:
1422:
1402:
1382:
1362:
1342:
1322:
1302:
1282:
1262:
1242:
1222:
1202:
1182:
1162:
1142:
1122:
1102:
1082:
1062:
1042:
1022:
1002:
982:
962:
926:
906:
886:
866:
846:
826:
766:
746:
690:
667:
789:Monthly Nautical Magazine, and Quarterly Review
8:
948:Supreme Court, City and County of New York
210:The Great Balance Dock with the steamship
242:
656:
499:New hull frames, strakes, keel section
558:Initial installation of copper bottom
18:
37:
7:
833:Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
821:
819:
817:
685:
683:
662:
660:
748:"An Immense Balance Dock Projected"
644:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
632:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
620:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
607:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
594:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
582:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
570:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
532:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
461:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
449:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
436:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
424:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
359:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
281:Scraping, caulking, and new copper
220:In 1855 the dock was moored in the
14:
792:. Griffiths, Bates. p. 231.
729:Morrison, John Harrison (1909).
126:Construction and Characteristics
39:
28:The Great Balance Dock with the
22:
1224:"The Packet ship Lucy Thompson"
30:Russian frigate General Admiral
732:History of New York Ship Yards
1:
810:. April 2, 1858. p. 355.
131:discourage marine growth and
63:New York Balance Dock Company
1304:"The Steam Ship North Star"
1550:
768:"Large Nautical Structure"
545:Examination of the bottom
411:Examination of the bottom
346:Examination of the bottom
320:Examination of the bottom
308:Examination of the bottom
296:Examination of the bottom
1244:"The Ship Neptune's Cape"
786:Webb, William H. (1855).
83:
71:William H. Webb, New York
21:
1449:Providence Evening Press
964:"City Commercial Report"
804:"Coppering a Large Ship"
133:wood-boring marine worms
520:, caulking, and copper
92:325 ft (99 m)
84:General characteristics
1264:"The Bremen Steamship"
1044:"The Steamship Bremen"
984:"The Steamship Baltic"
474:Scraping and painting
386:Scraping and painting
333:Scraping and painting
217:
187:
164:Williamsburg, Brooklyn
100:99 ft (30 m)
1511:. September 11, 1859.
1391:. September 13, 1859.
1309:Commercial Advertiser
1269:Commercial Advertiser
1249:Commercial Advertiser
1049:Commercial Advertiser
1009:Commercial Advertiser
989:Commercial Advertiser
828:"The General Admiral"
808:The Country Gentleman
231:Hamburg American Line
209:
185:
1451:. September 9, 1859.
1311:. November 22, 1859.
1291:. December 19, 1859.
1231:. November 15, 1859.
1191:. February 19, 1859.
1091:. February 16, 1859.
1031:. December 10, 1859.
908:"Hoboken Happenings"
773:New London Chronicle
676:. February 12, 1859.
471:Propeller steamship
1271:. February 3, 1859.
1251:. November 3, 1859.
1171:. December 8, 1858.
1131:. October 31, 1859.
1011:. December 9, 1859.
991:. October 31, 1859.
895:. December 8, 1872.
868:"City Intelligence"
848:"City Intelligence"
835:. December 4, 1858.
775:. November 2, 1854.
699:. October 14, 1859.
692:"Ocean Steam Ships"
245:
227:Hoboken, New Jersey
1331:. August 31, 1859.
1151:. August 26, 1859.
1129:Charleston Courier
1124:"Ocean Steamships"
755:. August 11, 1853.
697:Charleston Courier
243:
218:
188:
116:Great Balance Dock
79:September 30, 1854
55:Great Balance Dock
1534:Floating drydocks
1471:. March 18, 1859.
1431:. April 23, 1859.
1351:. March 12, 1859.
648:
647:
225:relocated to the
202:Operating history
112:
111:
16:Floating dry dock
1541:
1513:
1512:
1506:
1499:
1493:
1492:
1486:
1479:
1473:
1472:
1469:New York Tribune
1466:
1459:
1453:
1452:
1446:
1439:
1433:
1432:
1429:New York Tribune
1426:
1419:
1413:
1412:
1411:. April 6, 1859.
1409:New York Tribune
1406:
1399:
1393:
1392:
1386:
1379:
1373:
1372:
1371:. April 2, 1859.
1369:New York Tribune
1366:
1359:
1353:
1352:
1349:New York Tribune
1346:
1339:
1333:
1332:
1326:
1319:
1313:
1312:
1306:
1299:
1293:
1292:
1289:New York Tribune
1286:
1279:
1273:
1272:
1266:
1259:
1253:
1252:
1246:
1239:
1233:
1232:
1226:
1219:
1213:
1212:
1211:. July 27, 1859.
1206:
1199:
1193:
1192:
1186:
1179:
1173:
1172:
1166:
1159:
1153:
1152:
1146:
1139:
1133:
1132:
1126:
1119:
1113:
1112:
1111:. March 5, 1859.
1109:New York Tribune
1106:
1099:
1093:
1092:
1086:
1079:
1073:
1072:
1071:. July 20, 1859.
1066:
1059:
1053:
1052:
1051:. March 5, 1859.
1046:
1039:
1033:
1032:
1026:
1019:
1013:
1012:
1006:
999:
993:
992:
986:
979:
973:
972:
971:. April 1, 1859.
966:
959:
953:
952:
943:
937:
936:
935:. July 27, 1873.
930:
928:"Shipping Notes"
923:
917:
916:
915:. July 23, 1873.
910:
903:
897:
896:
890:
883:
877:
876:
875:. July 18, 1857.
870:
863:
857:
856:
855:. July 17, 1855.
850:
843:
837:
836:
830:
823:
812:
811:
800:
794:
793:
783:
777:
776:
770:
763:
757:
756:
750:
743:
737:
736:
726:
720:
719:
718:
714:
707:
701:
700:
694:
687:
678:
677:
674:New York Tribune
671:
664:
518:garboard strakes
246:
120:floating drydock
47:
44:
43:
42:
26:
19:
1549:
1548:
1544:
1543:
1542:
1540:
1539:
1538:
1519:
1518:
1517:
1516:
1509:New York Herald
1504:"Miscellaneous"
1501:
1500:
1496:
1491:. June 2, 1859.
1489:New York Herald
1484:"Miscellaneous"
1481:
1480:
1476:
1464:"Shipping News"
1461:
1460:
1456:
1444:"Shipping News"
1441:
1440:
1436:
1424:"Shipping News"
1421:
1420:
1416:
1404:"Shipping News"
1401:
1400:
1396:
1389:New York Herald
1384:"Shipping News"
1381:
1380:
1376:
1364:"Shipping News"
1361:
1360:
1356:
1344:"Shipping News"
1341:
1340:
1336:
1329:New York Herald
1324:"Shipping News"
1321:
1320:
1316:
1301:
1300:
1296:
1284:"Shipping News"
1281:
1280:
1276:
1261:
1260:
1256:
1241:
1240:
1236:
1221:
1220:
1216:
1209:New York Herald
1204:"Miscellaneous"
1201:
1200:
1196:
1189:New York Herald
1184:"Miscellaneous"
1181:
1180:
1176:
1169:New York Herald
1164:"Miscellaneous"
1161:
1160:
1156:
1149:New York Herald
1144:"Shipping News"
1141:
1140:
1136:
1121:
1120:
1116:
1104:"Shipping News"
1101:
1100:
1096:
1089:New York Herald
1084:"Miscellaneous"
1081:
1080:
1076:
1069:New York Herald
1064:"Shipping News"
1061:
1060:
1056:
1041:
1040:
1036:
1029:New York Herald
1024:"Miscellaneous"
1021:
1020:
1016:
1004:"The Ship Bell"
1001:
1000:
996:
981:
980:
976:
969:New York Herald
961:
960:
956:
945:
944:
940:
933:New York Herald
925:
924:
920:
905:
904:
900:
893:New York Herald
888:"Shipping News"
885:
884:
880:
873:New York Herald
865:
864:
860:
845:
844:
840:
825:
824:
815:
802:
801:
797:
785:
784:
780:
765:
764:
760:
745:
744:
740:
728:
727:
723:
716:
709:
708:
704:
689:
688:
681:
669:"Shipping News"
666:
665:
658:
653:
564:Sebastian Cabot
526:Ocean Traveller
216:aboard, c. 1860
204:
180:
160:William H. Webb
128:
45:
40:
38:
33:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1547:
1545:
1537:
1536:
1531:
1521:
1520:
1515:
1514:
1494:
1474:
1454:
1434:
1414:
1394:
1374:
1354:
1334:
1314:
1294:
1274:
1254:
1234:
1214:
1194:
1174:
1154:
1134:
1114:
1094:
1074:
1054:
1034:
1014:
994:
974:
954:
938:
918:
913:Jersey Journal
898:
878:
858:
838:
813:
795:
778:
758:
738:
721:
702:
679:
655:
654:
652:
649:
646:
645:
642:
640:
638:William Nelson
634:
633:
630:
628:
622:
621:
618:
615:
609:
608:
605:
602:
596:
595:
592:
590:
584:
583:
580:
578:
572:
571:
568:
566:
560:
559:
556:
553:
547:
546:
543:
540:
534:
533:
530:
528:
522:
521:
510:
507:
501:
500:
497:
494:
488:
487:
485:
482:
476:
475:
472:
469:
463:
462:
459:
457:
451:
450:
447:
444:
438:
437:
434:
432:
426:
425:
422:
419:
413:
412:
409:
407:
401:
400:
397:
394:
388:
387:
384:
381:
375:
374:
372:
369:
361:
360:
357:
354:
352:David Crockett
348:
347:
344:
341:
335:
334:
331:
328:
322:
321:
318:
316:
310:
309:
306:
304:
298:
297:
294:
291:
283:
282:
279:
277:
271:
270:
268:
265:
257:
256:
253:
250:
203:
200:
195:ship upright.
179:
176:
137:stuffing boxes
127:
124:
110:
109:
106:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
81:
80:
77:
73:
72:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
53:
49:
48:
35:
34:
32:aboard in 1858
27:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1546:
1535:
1532:
1530:
1527:
1526:
1524:
1510:
1505:
1498:
1495:
1490:
1485:
1478:
1475:
1470:
1465:
1458:
1455:
1450:
1445:
1438:
1435:
1430:
1425:
1418:
1415:
1410:
1405:
1398:
1395:
1390:
1385:
1378:
1375:
1370:
1365:
1358:
1355:
1350:
1345:
1338:
1335:
1330:
1325:
1318:
1315:
1310:
1305:
1298:
1295:
1290:
1285:
1278:
1275:
1270:
1265:
1258:
1255:
1250:
1245:
1238:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1218:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1198:
1195:
1190:
1185:
1178:
1175:
1170:
1165:
1158:
1155:
1150:
1145:
1138:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1118:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1098:
1095:
1090:
1085:
1078:
1075:
1070:
1065:
1058:
1055:
1050:
1045:
1038:
1035:
1030:
1025:
1018:
1015:
1010:
1005:
998:
995:
990:
985:
978:
975:
970:
965:
958:
955:
950:
949:
942:
939:
934:
929:
922:
919:
914:
909:
902:
899:
894:
889:
882:
879:
874:
869:
862:
859:
854:
849:
842:
839:
834:
829:
822:
820:
818:
814:
809:
805:
799:
796:
791:
790:
782:
779:
774:
769:
762:
759:
754:
749:
742:
739:
734:
733:
725:
722:
712:
706:
703:
698:
693:
686:
684:
680:
675:
670:
663:
661:
657:
650:
643:
641:
639:
636:
635:
631:
629:
627:
624:
623:
619:
617:Clipper ship
616:
614:
611:
610:
606:
604:Clipper ship
603:
601:
598:
597:
593:
591:
589:
586:
585:
581:
579:
577:
574:
573:
569:
567:
565:
562:
561:
557:
554:
552:
549:
548:
544:
541:
539:
536:
535:
531:
529:
527:
524:
523:
519:
515:
511:
508:
506:
503:
502:
498:
495:
493:
490:
489:
486:
483:
481:
478:
477:
473:
470:
468:
465:
464:
460:
458:
456:
455:Neptune's Car
453:
452:
448:
446:Sailing ship
445:
443:
442:Lucy Thompson
440:
439:
435:
433:
431:
428:
427:
423:
421:Sailing ship
420:
418:
415:
414:
410:
408:
406:
403:
402:
398:
395:
393:
390:
389:
385:
382:
380:
377:
376:
373:
370:
368:
367:
363:
362:
358:
355:
353:
350:
349:
345:
342:
340:
337:
336:
332:
329:
327:
324:
323:
319:
317:
315:
312:
311:
307:
305:
303:
300:
299:
295:
292:
290:
289:
285:
284:
280:
278:
276:
273:
272:
269:
266:
264:
263:
259:
258:
254:
251:
248:
247:
241:
238:
234:
232:
228:
223:
215:
214:
208:
201:
199:
196:
192:
184:
177:
175:
171:
167:
165:
161:
156:
153:
152:Graving docks
149:
144:
142:
138:
134:
125:
123:
121:
117:
107:
104:
103:
99:
96:
95:
91:
88:
87:
82:
78:
75:
74:
70:
67:
66:
62:
59:
58:
54:
51:
50:
46:United States
36:
31:
25:
20:
1508:
1497:
1488:
1477:
1468:
1457:
1448:
1437:
1428:
1417:
1408:
1397:
1388:
1377:
1368:
1357:
1348:
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576:Switzerland
430:John Cottle
417:John Bright
1523:Categories
651:References
588:Sword Fish
555:Steamship
542:Steamboat
509:Steamship
505:Ocean Bird
496:Steamship
492:North Star
484:Steamship
405:Isaac Bell
396:Steamship
392:Huntsville
383:Steamship
371:Steamship
343:Steamship
330:Steamship
314:Belle Wood
293:Steamship
267:Steamship
222:East River
141:waterlines
108:8,000 tons
626:West Wind
480:New World
399:Caulking
275:Australia
178:Operation
148:careening
1529:Drydocks
467:New York
379:Harmonia
339:Columbia
255:Service
213:Adriatic
105:Capacity
76:Launched
711:US 1606
600:Tornado
68:Builder
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613:Viking
538:Oregon
366:Fulton
326:Bremen
288:Baltic
118:was a
89:Length
551:Peibo
514:knees
262:Arago
252:Type
249:Ship
60:Owner
512:New
302:Bell
114:The
97:Beam
52:Name
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