The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-04
OUR Sxw NAVY.
The Gated States Coming e the
Ffeet a. . Maritime Power.

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Oar relations with Chill became some.
what strained because Of an sftemn;
on The part Of our government 20 bring
about . settlement OF the di4scu!ties
existing between Chill and Peru. Pre-
yious 20 that time the relations be
tween Chill and the United States had
! alTays been Of the most friendly char
acter and our citizens and naval Of.
iscers were always treated ia the most
cordial manner by tse Chilians. But
the warszke Ehilians became yerv
much incenses3 at what they cous5d-
cred an unwarrantEd interference on
the part Of the nIted States, and they
were bold in declaring that With few
powerful ships, which their navy then
comprised. they could exact tribute
from San Francisco and play havoc
along our Pacific coast.
Nor was this an idle boast, for we
had no ships 70 cope with theirs at
that time and more recent ship. the
Esmer4lda, was far superior in speed
AMI gun power TO any OF our IN
armsred ships. II Is. therefore, a
source Of 70 little satisfaction that San
Francisco has set aaoat in the steel
cruiser Charleston. launched recently
at the works of private firm. a crui-
ser IN every respect the equal and in
speed the superior of the Esmeralda
The Charleston j. designated TO
make 10 knots, which IL one or two
knots more than the Esmeraida can
possibly make. But We cannot Law on
our oars. because We learn that Chill
is TO have l9-knot cruiser larger than
the Charleston, q ship OF $3.50 tons dis
placement. Fortunately, however, the
Baltimore. soon to be launched at
Cramps ship yard, will be quite the
equal OF this new Gillian vessel, with
about the same displacement, 80 we
shall still be even in the race with our
South American rival for naval honors.
The Charleston is what is called an
unarmorea protected cruiser. That
is, she has no arrnor on her sides,
either at the water-line or elsewhere.
but depends upon heavy underwater
| steel deck. upon infinitely suosii-
| vided hull both above and below this
deck, aud upon the coal which is
slowed around the boilers and en-
gines. The steel deck, or turtle back,
Is from two to three inches thick. with
its crown slightly below the water
line. Owing TO the comparatively fiat
Trajectory OF the modern high-pow-
cred guns, their projectiles will be apt
| to strike this deck at such q small
angle TO be DETECTED upward, thus
protecting the engines, boilers, maya
zines and steering gear, all of which
| are below this deck. This power OF
| inclined armor to resist penetration is
we'll for It has been said that a
leaf may defect the sportsman's bullet
sometimes.
| Should any of the compar tnents
above or below the waite tight deck
become flooded they may be drained
BY the large wrecking pumps which
connect by pipes with every eompart-
men, OF the ship.
The Charleston has a displacement
OF 800 tons She is therefore a little
larger than the Atlanta and Boston,
which she some : ha, resembles in gen
eral type and appearance. Her length
/ is so feet; breadth, rs feet; draught
forward, 1714 feet, and aft 1914 feet.
| The MAN battery OF the Charleston is
| the same as the Boston ana Atlanta
| two eight-inch and six six-inch guns are
mounted three on each side These
guns are placed on central pivot car
| riages and mounted in projecting half
turrets, which gives each gun an arc
of train of 10 degrees-s3 degrees for
| ward and So degrees abait the beam.
| At the forward and after ends OF the
barricade are circular barbeltes for the
eight-inch guns, the ends OF the ship
being without bulwarks to allow these
guns to fire ahead and on both sides
over the deck. Each of these guns has
a sweep through 30 degrees, 10 de-
grees on each side OF the ship. The
4 Ii ...xs..t,s nd
the eight-inch $50 pounds. Ii will be
| seen, therefore, that at one broads!de
the Charleston can hurl 500 pounds OF
metal nj an enemy which viii pierce
| from twelve 10 sixteen inches of
wrought iron at a distance OF 100
yards.
The secondary battery Is very pow
erful also, and will play an important
part in battle. There are TO he four
six.pounder Hotchkiss revolving can
non. The heavier OF these guns are
mounted at the sides OF the super
structure, while the lighter ones ara
placed about on the rail, on the bridge
which spans the forward end of The
supers,ructure and aloti in the tops.
These guns will serve to keep of or
DESTROY torpedo boats as well rs 10
clear an enemy's decks and to pick OF
men through gunports. Their pene-
trating power is considerable also, and
| sufficient to pierce the side of any I'M
armored ship at a distance OF mile
| The six and three-pounders, Tor IN
| stance, will pierce two and halt and
one and A half inches of steel respect
lively at distance of 1000 yards.
| Ii has not vet been decided what
kind OF torpedoes will be used on
hoard the Charleston, but she viii
have four tubes for launching them
at an enemy.
An parts OF the ship will be carefully
ventilated by the blower, or rather
suction engines, which exhausts the
foul air from all compartments and
forces il out of the ship, leaving the
fresh air to find It's way in through the
matches.
As in all our new ships. the electric
light plant wi be complete, two sets
OF dynamos 20 every compartment OF
the ship. Electric search lights will
also be supplied. since they play an
important part in night engagements
against torpedo boats, ships or shore
defences.
The Charleston viii depend entirely
upon steam for propulsion, since she
will have only two short masts, carry
ing a little lore and aft sai.-merely
enough To steady the ship in heavy
sea. Each mast will hays q military
ton in which revolving Hotchkiss
gun will be mounted on a little rail-
road. 80 that il can be ran around the
ship and fred in any direction.
The captain VIII be protected from
small shot by a coming tower OF two
inch steel plates built on the bridge,
From this tower he can maneuver and
steer the ship as well as direct the tire
from her guns. There will be hydrau-
lie steering gear. The guns are also
protected from small projec;Iles by
two-inch circulAr steel shields placed
around he guns The machinegun
fire will evidently be very destructive
IN future naval engagements, particn-
larly il two ships came 10 close quar-
tiers. IL is very necessary that the
raptain and the men who aim and
load the guns should be protected from
the storm Of small shot, since the loss
OF the capfsin early in the action
would be severely felt. and the depie-
ton OF the guns crews would silence
the gans. Experiments have been
made in France 10 determine toe prob
able eject of machine guns IN future
naval battles Wooden dummies, rep
reSenting men atthe guns, we're placed
on board an old ship and fire opened
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