The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-09-12
EaE NEw UaUI,ERs.
The Plans of the steel Cruisers Now Under
Process of Construction.

The Plans of the steel Cruisers Now Under
Process of Construction.
WAsHINe1os, Sept. S.-FIom members Of
the Naval advisory BOGTd detailed informs
ton regarding the steel cruisers hes been OBJ
tanned. OmitiinR particulars of interest only
TO ship and engine hnilders and Savsl or
GERS, the plans are about as follows: The
Chicsgo will be 3l4 feet 4 inches long over all,
"A feet inches deep, 4S feet 211 inches ex-
IRENE width; draft at mean losd-line,
10 feet; cispls cement, 4, 800 tons; area
Of plain sail, "a $50 equare fest,
or twothirds full sail power; complement OF
men. 300; estimated sea speed, II knots, but
it is hoped that she will &c able 70 make six
teen miles per hour over the measured mile.
The msteIisl will be mild eel. The battery
will consist OF four eightinch, hlgh-powsred
breeeh-loaders, weighing about tNeige tone,
mounted in projecting balfurFets on the flush
sIaTdtck. The turIets are uO5Emed, and the
suns vii tight in large open ports. The on!s
pTOt6c ion for the men will be shields on the
gun. Six six-inch breech-loadlng ril-s ~sigG
lpe Gbou. four tons will be mounted broad
side OF the Rup-6eck, and there will be pisces
for two scdiiidnal Fix-iDch guns on esch
bTosdside. One six-inch gun will be mounted
On recessed eun-deck poru on each bow,
ard there viii be two hve-irch guns in re-
ceased parts sbaft the Captains cabin. The
eiRht-iDch prt jeciiie Teighs $50 pounds; the
uX.iooh, 100 pounds, and the fVe-nch o.
pourds. Four 47-millimetre and two
81 miliimeter Hotchkiss revolving can
non will be mounted in fixed
bullet-prcof towers. The hull will be
divided by nine complete transverse bulk
heads into ten wateS-tight ompattments, of
vrhioh tho foiIr aanfral O0eG arc Ocnrl niod hv
the engines and boilers. This portion OF the
ship will have a double bottom. The ms
chiDery and boilers are covered by pro-
iec,ive steel deck one and a haifinches thick.
The coal bupkers will afford coal arnor
nine feet thick from the water Hne 20 eight
feet above Ii. The coal bunkers form thirty
eight vater-tight com pertments. Altogether
there are eishty-five water-tight COM
partments. II necessary, ,240 tons OF coal
can be stowe1, which would enable the Chi
ergo TO ate sm coo miles at fifteen knots, or
eco miles at ten or eleven knots. The bow
will be adapted to Tamming. Tbere will be
turn screws driven by two psirs of two
cylinder compound overbesd beam engines
Each engine will De separate water.tight
compartment The high-pressure cylinder
will be forty FIVE and the low
twenty.eight incher, and the stroke
forty-iwo inches To saye weight OF
furnaces they win be adapted TO soft coal
present vessels. The type OF boilers will DO
new to the naval though common in the mer-
chant sc rvice. There will be fourteen hori-
EoDtsl return tubular cylindrical boilers,
capable OF working pressure OF one hun
dIed pounds.
The Boston and Atlanta will in many re-
sIeCts resemble the Chicago. but will be
oIig.rigged instead OF bark rugged, will have
batteries only on the spar deck, aud will not
have the protective steel deck over the en-
sines. Their length over all viii be 23S feet :
depth, "a fee; extreme breadth, 81 feet
drsusht. i6 feet 10 inches; displacement,
3,(O0 TONS Outside the forward
pert and the after s.arboard anglo
of the superstructure an eight.inch long
rifled gun will be mounted in 6 barbstts
shout three feet high, built of two inch steel
plate. Within tne supeYstructure elk siT-
inch bret ca loading rifles will be mounted,
Two on each brOsdsides with a train CT 90
forward in the stsrboaTd angle OF the super
structure. This gives total train
Of from - degrees across the boat
to 60 degrees sbsft the beam. The
remaining gun Is similarly mounted
on 'be port side aft. Each of these vessels
Will have seventy-.hree veter-tight 'm part
ments. They will carry coal for 2 500 milee
full speed, and s 800 miles at about ten
krots Each will have an engine of about
SEQ horse power, and one steel scrow gsveu-
teen feet IN diameter and twenty feet pitcn,
With four adjustable blades.
The Dolphin, 8 dispatch boat Of abou: / 500
tons displacement, will have = very light ar
mament, of one six-inch breech-loading ritia,
mounted with q shifting pivo. aud four AZ
HoichkiEB revolving cannon. The structural
arrangements are those in PRACTICE in the
construction of merchant vessels, except that
unusual care has been taken
10 divide the hull into six water-tight
compartments by traverse bulkheads ex-
tending to the upper deck, and more than
customary longitudinal strength Ia provided
for. The bow Ia slightly ram-shaped, aud is
made especially strong. Speed is the special
object sought in this vessel. IL is the inten-
ti0n in ell cruisers to utilize the advantages
Of forced draught and closed fire rooms, by
which the power can be increased so per
cent. for short periods. The Boston aud At
lents will each carry $50 men, and ths Dol