New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-06-01
THE SQUADRON DESCRIBED.

Der of small craft from Dover and Folkcstonc has
tened to the spot.
THE SQUADRON DESCRIBED.
DESCRIPTION OF THE GRossrR KURFU RsT, THE
KONG WILHELM AND THE PREUsSEN-THEIR
SIZE AHD AEMAME%T
The GroSScr Kurlllrst was an armOrcd SIN
gle turretsbp constructed after the model OF the British
snip Monarch and was launched at the Wiihelmshaien
dOch-yard IN 1875. The drawings AMI specifications
from which she was built were prepared By the ADM
rally in Berlin She was 2osii feet in length - feet
BEAM % depth Of hold ofG,jjS tons and drew 22
feet Of water when loaded she carried battery offour
iO-incl two C2-uch aud four nch Krupp steel brcech
loading guns and had speed Of fourteen knots undera
developed power Of 1927 horses. The height OF her
battery above the water line was Sig feet, thickness OF
arOr ut line. 9@o inches She was arnor belted
her rct protected by casemate, the turret iron be-
ing O3os inches ihlck and the bnwarks arranged for
letting down Her boilers were Of the Old box type and
fine engines were intended he worked either compound
or non-compouni, desired an arrangement, says
Che. Engineer King OF the United states Navy, III Ills
report on foreign nayies lin view Of the low pressure
of steam, not to he commended"
DESCRIPTION OF HER HULL.
Size was Of the same model the doube-'nrretcd vei-
sci Prcus.cn a description OF which is given in Chief
Engineer Kings report which pronounced to be- on" "f
The most complete works of that character Her Keel
consisted OF two horizontal plates rveted together upon
which, fastened at the middle by two augl"-rons was
vertical plate feet 10 inches hh. extending 10 the two
posts to which a The plates forming the keel were cor
nrc,,d 10y bolts and rivrts Four longitudinal frames
stood almost vertically upon the outer kn their depth
decreasing gradually from TIE Keel lh"fc .I'pr@ were
ya, by ars. oyal holes The cross frames rom the Keel
to the fourth longitudinal frame placed 1t distances OF
four feet apart. were mad" al short ahReIiOhS,
extending only from loncGliull 10 the Other, to
which h"y connected by tai plates, brackets or
auet-igOus The outer SKIN wa rNticu I" tue ioi-i
tudinIl and eros framing, ana To the inner SIDE
over length OF $50 feet The end cro'a-fr'inc' ana
uny intermediate mad iul PLACES, :" as To FORM
longitudinal warriiglit compartments uI'lari -. lht
vertical keel. ana ln'"Std l"l" ana 'l "n'' ,'.t
hnIkhcll.. similar wIt'ruElt conpditm"hts were
formed by the fame fore and All OF tlc douer D"lo,
against ca.uglty. CgOssrlmes cNt' ud,d from above
tic fourth ou-iuiina frame to tne arno, .iranlus
thrown much the thickness OF the armor ana
extended in the central part OF the vessel WITHIN ne
limits 80 the armored To the upper deck; but
fore and at Of the casenate To the battery dCcA oS'
or height Of the arnoI'd belt fer the Two ends 3 IN,
vessel watcrght partition of plates strengthened
by angieirous, erected almost parallel win The
the double bottom and extending from the latter TO the
battery derk these partitions connected TI me
heads OF the gan-wdy, ana were irt'hd'd 70 pft'+nt
The entrance Of wafer during action mo nc
oIrcr part, or the vessel The space formed
NV tc>c partition, and th" outr kin was
small spaces could De- liked Win water ana readily ie
Th. oucr ,kln e the vessel had IN almost uniform
cku,ss of 90 Oi an bch. but doubled ut the two cX-
irene end. he SKIN behind the consisted OF two
inch plars willie that above IL, at the ends OF
the armorrd easement. had thickness OF so OF an inch
HEX cn,l"riv aud the betwccilccks At several
places. with IRON plates from = 10 = ihch hcA' upon
which were fastened the deck p.anhs.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST LEAKAGE.
The vessel was divided below the battery-lcck by
eleven watcrtigh partitions into twelve compart-
mcns connected with each other by water tight doors
special care was taken maintain effective COMMUNE
cation between the pumps and all Of the wateriight
compartments. For this purpose an iron pipe,
1919 inches In diameter. WAS placed cIosc To ana
uaidllcl with the vertical k,'Epiat' over lh'
rngth II tho double bottom: from TINS pipe
branches extended TO the various compartments; tho
Voir placed under the room whence II was pumped
away 10y yariou, pump, connected Win the hd'hin.ry
deck each Of which was calculated 10 draw the water
from a certain number of compartments. $50
priocird SIX tcct two inches above the upper deck
Tu ca,cmntc was separated from the fore aud AT PARIS
those parts we're protected only between wind aud
water b. an amolcd belt, reaching from about SIX feet
below water to the battery deck me arm"r plates az
the wa,cl-nc were 81 inches thics. below the water
~ inches. and above water 81 inches These nick
nrs,rs decreased toward the end 10 Inches. while be-
nu,l them crc was backing Of teak about lola inches
thick varying with the thickness OF me plate. me
arunorcd cro,o-wak, had plates , inches thick with
IA teak backing ST inches thick. IN" diameter ol the
turrct 26A crt covered win nrmor ON! AZ ,ne
mats Xpr,rd above the upper deck The plates OF TINS
urrri wd- ~i inches thick. with the exception ol those
thut. Wh,n tlo ''i ,n h Th T,t b,cLim
brtwccn the shells and arnor plate was 4 Inches III
thickness. The tuuct rc,olvrd around stiohs ctS,
IRON ccutrc-pn the outer circumference o Ia" tuiret
revolving conical rollers, running upon as id Oh
tIr deck The turret operated by II mgi-ptcssure
engine The total cost OF this vessel was S3U3 $50 III
gold. -
The KING Wilhelm. designed by I. j. Reed, {. H., NJ.
p for the Turkish Government, was originally called
bc Etkh she WAS sold during her construction to tile
pru.sI,u Government. She built at the Thames
Iron Works. London and ~ the time she was launched
and eouipned was reckoned be OF the most pow
crrl vessels. She Is broasdc frig1te carries bat
orv of eighteen 9Ianch and five sinch Krupps steel
IN -. ,uns and IL armor bcted, the thickness OF the
ormnr ON the watcrinc being inches. Her battery
il 10 feet above the waterllne' She 90, ,'tt III
rnph 90 feet BEAM 2j2 feet depth OF hold iJl tons,
draws 2ls water and has IN estimated speed ot
I47,o knots hour, with power developed eluii 10
$50 horses. she cost S2.i2iG7s III gold
THE PRECSSEN.
Tho preussen il an armolcd doube-turrc,, sea-gong
shin similar to the Grosser Kurbirst Her length Is 3ls
feet breadth SO l. feet; depth from the upper deck to
the keel "a feet inches displacement loaded 6,7ls
ons load draft Of water mean, % feet 10 inches she
has three mass made be used ycntilatins tubes.
and she is ll-rgged irigae. Her engines machinery
md boilers are the those Of the Grosser kurst
She il armor-bced and has casemato for the protcc-
zion OF the turres The thickness OF turrets is lO'0o
inches She carries four lOli-lnch Two o'Tolhch anu
tnur anch Krupp's steel rcd guns The height Of rho
battery above the wateTne Is l32 feet ana tcknessO
nrmor M water-ne 92IO inches. The drawings ana
specifications for this ship were hade ny we eam Tn
nefrng Company, at Brcduo. near steth' WIS iauhcheu
i'm 1873, aud cost ~ ,269.636.
SCENE OF THE DISASTER.
Folkcstone, England, seven miles OIL when
the Grosser Kurfiirst lost yesterday, Is
seaport market town. in the County of Kent, and is
- nar lina in