Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-22

the second class, is yet to be contracted for
Bids have been asked for it and will be
opened at the Navy Department June 10.
THE CRUISER SELECTED.
Until named all the ships are designated
by figures, and this last one is No. 6, and is
the one which Secretary Tracy has been
asked to name the City of Pittsburg.
Last Saturday the following letter was
sent to Secretary Tracy, of the Navy De-
partment. by Alderman d. J. McGarev, OF
the Twenty-sixth ward, acting upon the re-
quest and solicitation of q number of the
citizens of both sides of the river, who
wished to see The ball set rolling and some
thing definite done toward securing the
coveted honor:
PITTsBURG, May II, 1890.
To Hon. benjamin +. Tracy, Secretary OF Eavy
Washington, d. C.:
DEAR SIR-Acting upon the suggestions and
earnest desires Of the public spirited men and
well wIshers OF our community, beg leave to
address you upon the following subject 10 wit:
we pray that you VIII issue an order to the
structed, may be known The City Of Pitts
burg. We feel emboldened to ask this favor
on account OF the giant strides our city has
made socially, politically and financially The
city OF Pittsburg is the representative city of
the United States as regards iron, glass; coal
and steel industries. She is the center of
the natural gas and petroleum districts of
America.
By honoring our city as prayed for, crusier
No will be named after all that American
energy, progress and push can accomplish. viz
The City of Pittsburg. Respectfully.
d. J. MCGAREY.
Alderman Twenty-sixth ward, Pittsburg.
AN OFFICIAL ANSWER.
Last Tuesday Alderman McGarey re-
ceiYed reply from the department. The
following is copy:
WASHINGTON. May 19, 1880.
To Hon. ID. j. McGarey, Pittsburg, Pa:
SIR have to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter OF the 18th instant, asking that
cruiser No. now being constructed for the
Government be named the City Of Pittsburg'
The department thanks you for your sugges-
ton. and will give due consideration to your
wishes. Very respectfully.
Acting Secretary of the Navy.
Following up the preliminary request and
answer given, joint resolution Will be pre-
sented in Councils Monday directing that
q petition be drawn up and sent to Secre-
tary Tracy, embodying that already given.
The machinery of the Chamber of Commerce
will also work for the end desired. Other
forces will also be brought to bear on the
subject, and it is thought to be pretty sure
the new pride of the navy.
THIS IS A CLINCHER.
A very strong argument advanced is the
fact that Pittsburg furnishes most of the
steel armor for the navy and also a good
deal of the other parts made of steel and
iron. Pittsburg could alone fit out a snip
complete from her own resources. And that
this fact should be acknowledged by the
honor asked is thought no more than fair.
Cruiser No. 6 will he beauty as we'll as
one of the most efficient cruisers in the
navy. 1t will be 10 feet longer than the
Chicago or Baltimore. 1t was designed in
the Navy Department by Chief Constructor
Wilson and his assistant, Constructor Philip
Hichborn, United States Navy. The ma
chinerY was planned by Chief Engineer
Melville. The aim of the designers has
been speed, coal endurance. concentration
and rapidly of fire, defense against high
explosives and the maximum of safety
against accidents by means OF large num-
Der of water-tight compartments. It will
be a commerce destroyer and a valuable ad-
dition to the cavalry OF the seas
No. 6 is termed a protected cruiser. be-
cause a rounded steel deck extends the
whole length of the ship, ranging in thick
ness from 43z inches on the slopes over the
machinery space to inches on the fiat deck
forward and aft, and intended TO defect an
enemy's shot.
MONARCH OF THE SEA
1t will be $50 feet in length, SO feet in
breadth, 9, 500 tons displacement and have
]. 800 horsepower. 1t will have a speed Of
20 knots an hour, which can be increased to
"a knots when pushed. With full coal
supply Il, 300 tons), at 2oX knots speed and
under forced draught, this vessel would
travel ., 191. sc knots in nearly four and one
half days. At l0-knot speed under nat
ural draft and full coal supply, it would
steam nearly 5000 knots with an endur-
ance OF 55 days.
The heavier guns are mounted on the GEN.
ter line in barbette turrets, four inches
thick, the guns revolving In the tur-
rets, instead of the turretS turning, as in
vessels like the monitors. The turrets will
be placed, one forward and one at the after
end OF the superstructure, and train from
directly ahead or astern to 90 degrees on
each side abaft or before the beam. The
niche knot guns are protected by shields
four inches thick.
The fire OF all the forward and aft guns re-
spectiyely can be concentrated upon an OBJ |
ject the length Of the vessel directly ahead |
or astern. The secondary battery consists of |
eight six-pounders, six three-pounders and |
IA machine guns mounted 10 be clear of /