Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-04
A LEVIATHAN IN ARM0R.
The New Monitor to be
Built for the Navy.
DIMENSIONS AND ARMAMENT.
The Contract to Build Her May
Come to the Union Iron
Works, San Francisco.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, April Bids were of.
fered al the Navy Department to-day foi
the construction of an armored coast de-
fense vessel of the Monitor type and
1000 tons burden. Bids for constructing
the hull and machinery, according to the
Departments designs, were: Cramp &
Sons, Philadelphia, 81 ,614 600; Quintard
Iron Works, New York, $1,690,000;
Union Iron Works, San Francisco, 81 $685.
$50.
WASHINGTON, April 3.--Great interest
was felt at the Navy Department to day
in ing of bids the open for the armored
coast defense vessel. 1t was concluded
generally that the figures proposed by
the lowest, being $l,614, 900, constituted
fair price for the work, aud the close
ness of the bidding was remarkable.
There are many features of interest about
the new craft. One connected with the
boiler has apparently given much trouble
to bidders, and may influence the award
of the contract. The specifications pro-
vided for two ordinary return tubular
marine boilers of 1900 horse power, but
the remainder of the 5,400 horse power
required is to be supplied by
coil boilers. These have been
tried with great success on yachts,
and, in modified form, by the French
government, but their use in naval ves-
sells will be largely experimental. Ii
they come up to expectations they will
result in large saving of space and
rsovh hat ~ 81 A,rs1 Nra
does not feel confident of the result, for
he proposed to-day to enlarge the two
tubular boilers and, in consideration of
this departure from the designs, to waive
all claim to any bonus for horsepower in
excess OF 5 400. The next lowest bidder,
the Union Iron Worke, agreed to ACCEPT
the Departments plans and guarantee
the results. The new vessel will be a
departure in design from any vessel in
the navy, and Captain Hychborn, who is
acting as Chief of the Bureau of
Construction, is confident she will
be the most formidable vessel for
her displacement Of any in the world.
and able to cope with anything afiost.
She appears to approximate the Monitor
type and is of 5000 tons displacement in
cruising trim. Whe she goes into action,
by taking on water ballast, che sinks
until her deck is but Is inches above the
water.level, thus diminishing the size of
the surface exposed to her opponent.
Her sides, covering the machinery, are
to be covered with 16 inches of armor:
besides the protection afforded by the
coal bunkers. The bar belts containing
the guns are to be OF 16 inch steel, and
the deck will be of steel two inches thick.
She will be 261 feet long, 40 feet beam,
14Js feet draft, and have a speed of Is
knots. At this speed she can steam 625
miles, but at her ordinary speed Of nine
knots, she would travel 2, 722 miles with
out renewing her coal supply. But the
most stgemarkable feature will be the tre-
mendous power of her armament. On
the forward bar belts, mounted on a
turn-table and manipulated by hydraulic
power, she will carry 16-inch rifle,
weighing ITO tons and 40 feet
long-one of the largest guns afoat
In the rear belts there will be
a IL inch rifle, weighing 461a
tons. A 10 inch dynamite gun,
so feet long, will project from the bow,
and in other places the vessel will carry
six 33-pounders, three 9-pounders two
6.pounders and four 3.pounders-all re-
volvirg cannons and rapid fire guns. The
machine guns and electric search lights
on hollow steel military mast will
complete the ship, which will take three
and half years to build.