Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14

at Brooklyn and little work done on her at
rare intervals. During the administration of
Secretary Whitney she was lowed down to
Norfolk with the idea of her being finished
there, and for time she remained there but
she was afterward lowed back to New York
where she now lies receiving her finishing
touches. Since she WAS started she has been
greatly changed in plan, with the effect of in
creaslng her armament and armor protection,
and OF giving her officers and men more COM
Portable quarters. Her original dimensions
however, remain the same. Length. 291 feet;
breadth, bO feet J. inches; mean draft 10 feet
20 inches; displacement, 5000 tons The
main change consisted in substituting four
l2-lnch guns in barbette turrets for the
four l0-Inch guns in roller turrets that we're
part OF her original design and of giving her
superstructure between the barbettes instead
of hurricane deck. The barbettes are the
main feature of the reconstructed vessel They
were designed by Naval Constructor Philip
Hich5orn, after extensive study and obserya-
ton, during his trip abroad for the department
as well as consultation of the highest authori-
ties of Europe. BY means of these turrets the
axes OF the guns are placed l01 feet above the
water, allowing them to be fought in much
heavier weather than would have been posi-.
BILE with the roller base turrets. The fixed
barbettes have steel armor Ia inches thick.
backed by inches of wood. two 20-pound
plates and system of horizontal and vertical
Orders. The guns are lnciosed in sloping
turn-table shields of steel inches thick. The
secondary battery consists of six 4-inch rapid
fire guns. two on the main deck. protected by
a finch armored barbette built III as a part Of
the superstructure. Four of these guns are on
top OF the snperstructure protected by shields.
Then there are two 6-pounder rapid fire rifles.
four 3-pOunders four 37-millimeters revolving
cannon and two gatling guns.
HOW THE PURITAN Is PROTECTED
The ship is provided with eight boilers, and
these are now being fitted with appliances for
forced draft. With the natural draft the
vessel will develop 5000 horse power and will
make a speed of IL knots. while with forced
/ draft she will develop 4 900 horse power aud a
/ speed of Is knots. The hull is protected by an
( armor belt feet inches deep, going IA inches
/ thick to point below the water line and
| thence tapering to inches at the armor
/ shelf for l60 feet in the middle Of the ship,
thus protecting the engines, boilers, maya
/ zines, shell rooms, &c. immediately forward
and aft of these points the belt is reduced in
thickness to 10 inches for 20 feet and at the
\ ends to 6 inches. The armor is strongly
backed by wood tagging and system of rigid
/ frames and girders. Over the main deck are
4 two thicknesses OF one-inch srmor. This mon
ster, armed with the sharpest of teeth and
! covered with the heaviest OF steel plates, will
/ carry 450 tons Of coal.
I She has all of her engines and boilers and is
! complete as far as her hull construction is con-
eerned. but her armor and turrets are yet to
| be built and her interior fittings and joiner
work are to be put IN place. Contracts have
| been let for part of the steel required for the
I remaining parts of the vessel. and it is
thought that IN two years more she will be
ready to be put into commission.