The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-09-25

A FORMIDABLE VESSEL,
The Projected Steel Cruiser About to Be
Added to the United States Navy.


Added to the United States Navy.
Secretary Whitney has determined
to include in the list of new cruisers for
| which proposals are to be invited, the
large unarmored cruiser authorized by
the bill passed recently to increase the
naval establishment, and has directed
that for this vessel the plans prepared
by Chief Constructor White, of En-
gland. for the ship known as No. 27
be used. These plans contemplate a
vessel of greater power and speed than
any cruiser now ahoat-in fact, the
very highest powered vessel of the kind
| in the world at the time of completion.
The principal dimensions of the vessel
| are as follows: Length over all. 335
| feet; beam, extreme, 43 feet 8 inches;
| draft mean, 10 feet inches; load dis
placement. 4,413 tons; l. II. p, 10000,
| forced combustion; twin screws; esti-
mated speed, 10 knots. The ship has
two military masts, no sail power ex-
cept storm sails; coal capacity about
900 tons. The complement of men
is 800. The main battery consists of
four 8-inch and six 6-inch breech-load-
ing rifles; secondary battery, eight 81
millimeter single shot Hotchkiss guns,
two 37-millimeter revolver machine
guns and one short Calling. The hull
will be constructed of steel throughout,
| with double bottom running the entire
length of the machinery space, or $50
feet. Throughout the length of the
double bottom the ship is constructed
| on the bracket system, or combination
of the longitudinal and traverse sys-
TENS. Before and abaft the double
bottom the framing is of bars; the
frames in the double bottom are spaced
AZ inches between centers before and
abaft these points the spacing is SO
inches. The outer plating varies from
80 pounds to 17t pounds, the ordinary
weight being pounds per square foot.
The machinery, magazines, she'll
rooms, torpedo rooms and steering gear
| are placed below an armored deck,
which is inches thick on its sloping
sides and % inches on the horizontal
part amidships. The outer edge of this
| deck is four feet below the load line,
raising 1 foot above the load line at the
horizontal part amidships All the open
ings in this deck to machinery spaces,
magazines, shell-rooms, etc., are pro-
tected by cofferdams. Above the pro-
lection deck the machinery is still
| further protected by side-belts of coal
| ten feet in thickness, averaging eight
| feet in depth, extending from the skin
of the vessel in-board, while below
this deck similar belt is provided
seven feet in thickness. The vessel is
what is called poop-and-fore-castle-
decked ship with open gun deck. The
battery will be mounted on Sponsors
on central pivot carriages supporting
| segmental shields two inches in thick
ness, two eight-inch guns on the poop,
two eight-inch guns on the forecastle
decks. with the six-inch guns mounted
in the intervening space on the gun
deck. Two eight-inch and two six
inch guns will concentrate within 400
feet of bow or stern, while either six
inch broadside can be concen-
trated within 100 feet of the ships
side. The vessel will be provided
with five above-water torpedo launch
ing tubes, electric search lights, mean
descent lighting apparatus for light
ing ship and complete system of eX-
haust ventilation for living spaces in
connection with the system for forced
combustion. The protection deck will
be carried down to strengthen the ram
shaped bow, which will lie thoroughly
stifened and strengthened for ramming
purposes. The hull will be divided with
numerous water-tight compartments
by means of longitudinal and trans
verse bulkheads. The motive power
will be derived from two sets (each in
a water-tight COMPARTMENT of triple
expansion engines, in connection with
four double-ended boilers fourteen feet
in diameter. The engines will be capa-
BILE of developing 10, 800 indicated horse
power with forced draft.-Arnay and
Nary Register.