The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-05-10
GATHERED IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Plans for the Construction of the
Three New Cruisers.
Fast Modern Vessels with Deadly
Modern Guns.
The Yantlc Sent to Sea to Blow UP
Derelict Vessels.

WASHINGTON, May 9.-The plans and
cruisers authorized by the last Congress
have all been completed at the navy depart
ment, and advertisements for proposals for
their construction will probably be issued in
few days. These vessels are officially
known as cruisers Nos. 8, 10 and IL. The
The limit of the cost is fixed at 100000 each.
plans are the work of the bureaus of the
navy department. and If all expectations are
realized these vessels will be the best of their
class afioat.
They are to be 300 tons larger than the
Yorktown and her class. The principal di-
mensions are as follows Length ON load
water line, 257 feet; extreme breadth, 81
feet; depth of hold to under side of spar
deck plank amidships, 10 feet 6 inches mean
normal draught, IA feet 6 inches; displace-
ment to load water line, 1000 tons; tons per
inch at load water line, lot !; area of immers-
ed midship section, GG5 square feet; trans
verse metal centre, feet above centre of
gravity. These vessels are to be twin screw
protected cruisers, with poop and forecastle
decks and open-gun decks between, fitted
with water-tight decks Of III pound plating
at sides, reduced to II pounds in the centre,
extending the entire length of the vessels.
This deck is to be below the water line at
the sides SO inches, and all the machinery,
magazines and steering apparatus are to be
below it, The rig is to be that of a two
masted schooner, bearing small spread of
canvas. The motive power for each vessel
is to be furnished by two triple-expansion
engines of 400 horse power, with cylinders
of 261 80 and 63 inches in diameter and a
stroke of 33 inches. The engines and boilers
are to be placed in separate water-tight COM
partments. The crank shafts are to be made
interchangeable. All framing bed plates,
pistons, etc., are to be of cast steel, and all
working parts of the best forged STEEL The
boilers are to be five in lumber, made of
steel and designed for working pressure of
fire tubular type. Three are to be double
ended and two singlc-ended. The latter are
to be used as auxiliaries, but when steaming
full power they can be connected with
the main engines The vessels are to attain
a speed of Is knots under forced draught.
The normal coal supply will be 200 tons, with
a bunker capacity of 1856 tons. The coal will
be stored so as to give all possible protection
to the ship.
The entire main batteries are to be COM
posed of rapid-fre guns as follows: Two g.
inch rapid-tire breech-loading rifles, mounted
on forecastle and poop decks, and eight f.
inch rapid-fire breech-loading rifles, mount
ed four ON each broadside. The secondary
batteries are each to contain two 6-pounder
rapid-fre guns, two 3-pounder rapid-fre
guns, two revolving cannons and one Cat
ling gun. The torpedo outfit of each vessel
will be six torpedo tubes for launching au-
tomobile torpedoes, one each at the stem and
stern, and two On each side. There will be
a complete outfit of boat spar-torpedo gear
and charges.