The Portland daily press., 1885-10-03
BUILDING A NAVY.
Report Of the Special Board on the
Additional Unarmored Cunboats.

WASHINGTON, Oct 2.-The report of the spec
ial board of naval affairs created by Secretary
Whitney to consider plans for the construction of
the additional, al,unarmoredvesSe by the
act OF March Sd, $50, is made public today. The
cipal dimensions of the vessels stated need not be
rigidly adhered to and that the boiler power
should be increased SO far as may, be practicable
without serious detriment to Other conditions.
Their recommendations are as follows:
For two cruisers of not less than 5000 nor more
than 5000 tons displacement costing exclusive of
armament not more that 81 100000, we recon-
mend one twin screw protected steam cruiser of
the following general features Length between
perpendculars 300 feet; beam extreme 40 feet ;
mean load draught OF water 10 feet; speed cond-
tions similar to those prescribed in the depart
ment's general order No. 314, should be IS knots
per hour. The main battery should consist of two
eight inch and six inch breech loading riled can
non; the second battery should consist of four 81
nm. rapid firing HotchkiSS cannon, four 81 mm
revolving Hotchkiss, one 81 nm. low power
HotclllSiss, and two short Gatlings. These guns
should be mounted on the upper deck without
protection by arnor other than a light shield on
the gun There should be complete outfit for
Whitehead torped0S suitable for six above water
launching tubes, The hull should be unsheathed
and built throughout of mild steel. A watertight
protective steel deck should extend throughout
the length of the ship covering the engines and
boilers, magazines and steering gear and strength
ing the ram bar. The capacity of the coal bunk
ers should be not less than $50 tons and pr0yiS-
ions shonld be carried for 300 men for 90 days
The rig should be that of a brig without head
boOms, and providing an area of plans of about
10,5O0 square feet. The engines and boilers with
aforced draught shonld develop a collective in
dicated horse power of $500 under trial cond-
tionS for four consecutive hours. The engines for
actuating each of the twin screws should be of
the direct acting horizontal two cylinder COM
pound type, each contained in a separate water
tight compartment.
The second vessel of this size should be precise
ly similar and subject to the same conditions in
all respects as the proceeding except that the
main battery should consist of IL six inch guns
and the vessel should have bark rig, spreading
about $4,000 square feet of plain sail.
The heavily armed gunboat of 1900 tons dis
placement, costing exclusive of armament not
more than S52O,600, should be a steel twin-screw
vessel. length 23O feet, breadth SO feet, mean
draft 4 feet, speed 16 knots. Her main battery
should consist of six six-inch rified guns and a
high power, single shot, rapid firing Hotchkiss
cannon, two 81 mm revolving HOtchkiss, one
Hotchkiss boat gun and one short Gatlng gun
head torpedoes suitable for six above-water
launching tubes. The hull should be unsheathed
built of mild STEEL a water-tight steel deck of
plating weighing not more than fifteen pounds
per square foot should extend throughout the
length of the ship. Her rig should be that of
plain sail of an area of about 5000 square feet
The capacity of the coal spaces should be suffic-
should be carried for $50 men for so days. Her
engines and boilers should develop not less than
1900 horse power under trial conditions for four
consecutive hours.
The light gunboat of 800 tons, costing exclu-
sive OF armament S275,000, should be single
screw, composite gun. vessel, length 165 feet,
speed IL knots. Her main battery should cou-
sist Of four SiX-inch breeeh loading, high power,
rifled guns, and secondary battery Of two high
power, single shot, AT nm. Hotchkiss rapid firing
cannon, one Hotchkiss boat gun and one short
Gatling gun. Her hull should be of composite
construction framed throughout with mild steel,
planked with two thcknesses of selected yellow
pine, light, water-tight steel deck about three
eighths OF an inch thick should cover the engine
and boiler compartments stroke of 3o-poqnd
side plating two feet wide, should be worked at
the water line throughout its engine and boiler
spaces The vessel should be rigged as a bark
entine without booms, providing plain sail area
spaces should be sufficient to stow leo tons coal,
and provisions should be carried for 100 men for
80 days. The engines ann boilers should develop
about 1900 horse power for four consecutive
hours.
The report is. signed by j. G: Walker Chief of
the Bureau of Navigation and president of the
board; Herman Winter, Constructing Engineer
L. d. Wilson, Chief Constructor U. S. NJ; w. T.
Sampson, Commander, U. S. N; c. f. Goodrich,
Commander, u S. NJ; Francis I. Bowles Assist
ant Naval Constructor U. S. N, and acting secre-
tary.