Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-31

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itself. which to all outward appearance will
represent the new coast-line battle ships now
being constructed at Philadelphia and San
Francisco, after the design Of the bureau Of
construction
A STAR reporter was informed by Capt
Meade, the naval member of the government
board of control. that the battle ship Of 1898
will be erected on piling on the lake front in
the northeast corner Of Jackson Park, and being
surrounded by water will have the appearance
of being moored to a wharf. 1t is to have all
the fittings that belong to the actual ship, such
as guns, turrets, torpedo tubes, torpedo nets
and booms, with boats anchors, chain cables,
davits, awnings, deck fittings, &c, together
with all appliances for working the same. Off
GERS seamen, mechanics and marines will be
detailed by the Navy Department during the
exposition and the discipline and mode of life
on our naval vessels will be completely shown.
The detail Of men will not, however, be as
great as the complement Of the actual ship,
the object being mainly to have expert janitors
and shovmen for the valuable public property.
1t is expected, however, to give certain drills,
especially boat, torpedo s1d IN drills, as In q
vessel of war. The structure will therefore
serve the double purpose Of housing the naval
exhibit and illustrating the manner in which
the men of our navy live.
The dimensions viii be those Of the actual
battle ship: Length 34S feet, and width amid
ships, sixty-nine feet three inches, tapering to
q point at the bow and stern From the water
line to the top of the main deck, twelve feet,
on top and in the central position of which is a
superstructure eight feet high, with ham,
mock berthing resting on the same seven feet
high. and above these viii be the bridge, chart
house and the boats.
HOW THE MONSTER WILL BE CONSTRUCTED.
Modern war vessels are built of steel and the
battle ships not exceptions to this rule.
The ships now building of this type will cost
about $4,000, 900 apiece. To properly repre-
sent one OF these marine monsters, therefore,
at small cost an ingenious method has been
devised for the construction Of the structure
at Chicago, but the original design of the
tual battle ship is closely followed out.
The structure will, stated before, rest on
piles as foundation. The berth deck. or main
exhibit floor, will be composed of thick planks
laid upon the foundation. on top of which there
is to be a substantial layer of brick concrete.
The sides of the hull are to be made of brick,
stepped to give contour, over which there will
be filling of gravel concrete thickly coated
with cement. The ends, or stem and stern, are
to be shaped" with iron plates. On the inside
Of the walls and over the concrete on the berth
deck there viii be a coating of cement, thus
making the exhibition hall fire proof and free
from moisture.
The main and superstructure decks will have
a crown of six inches in sixty-nine feet. The
deck plank will be yellow pine six inches wide
and two inches thick. the seams of which will
be calked- The main deck beams will be
steel and iron tube pillars are to be used to
further support the beams. Cutters shaped
with galvanized iron are carried around the
boundary of the decks, from which numerous
conductors carry the water that may fall on
the deck down to scuppers close to the water
line.
The turrets and redoubts for the eight-inch
and thirteen-inch guns are to be made up of
cement on metal lathing fastened to a wood
framing and are to have all the ingenious APP
pliances for operating them
CEMENT GUNS.
A thirteen-inch gun is forty-four feet long
and weighs, with its carriage technically
termed its mount, 11511 tons. The trans
portation and placing Of so much weight upon
structure such as is described being imprac-
ticable, the difficulty Of showing what the real
battle ship carries has been overcome by build
ing the gun of cement over q wooden tube to
be rihed and fitted with breech plug complete,
the finish of the cement to be such as to give il
the appearance Of an actual gun. The eight
inch guns are TO be made up in the sane man.
ner as the thirteen-inch guns, with two excep-
tions, which will be bona fide steel guns and
mounts, but all the six-inch guns, six
Founders, one-pounders, gatlings and tor
pedo guns, with all their mechanism,
are TO be furnished by the govern
ment direct from the naval gun factories. The
exterior Of the entire structure will be painted
IN accordance with the navy regulations so as
TO give il the exact appearance of a vessel of
war. 1t is thought that the resemblance will
De 50 close as to pass undetected except by u
skilled expert.
FOR VISITORS.
The entrance to the vessel viii be from the
pier at the foot Of 59th street. The entrance
will be on the main deck, thence down COM
panion or hatchways, to the berth deck where
spacious room, the whole length and width
OF the vessel, Is to be filed with the naval ex-
hiblts- The entrance at the pier will have
register turnstlle to record the number of
visitors The exit will be from another point
Of the structure. The superstructure will
show the cabins, state rooms, mess rooms
galley and fittings, mess tables for crew. lock-
ers, &c, also the method in which officers and
enlisted men live according to the rules Of the
navy. 1t wiz present il is said, a convincing
proof OF the statement that the sailors of the
United States navy are the best paid, the best
fed and the best treated men Of any navy in
the world On the superstructure deck and
bridge will be shown the manner in which the
rapid-hre guns, search lights, boats. &C., are
handled On the berth deck will be shown the
various fittings pertaining to the hull ma
chlnery, ordnance, DC, in short, the thousand
and one things that go to make up the outfit of
ship Of war. Each bureau will have an
officer and other representatives in control of
Its special exhibit, and the photographic
once, intelligence Office and Naval Academy
VIII be also represented. The traditional cos
TUNES OF the sailors Of the navy from IT'S to
lo4o will be shown by jaaitors dressed in those
costumes These men will be specially en-
gagged for this purpose. and about six in
number VIII have charge of the rooms con-
tanning revolutionary and other relics Of the
old navy On the starboard side Of the ship
VIII be shown the torpedo protection net
stretched the entire length Of the vessel
Steam launches and cutters will ride at the
pooms and all the outward appearance of
real ship Of war be initiated.
OTHER NAVAL yEssEIs
1t Is expected that the torpedo boat Cushing
and torpedo boat No. will be anchored near
the pier, In company with the Michigan, the
only man-of-war allowed on the lakes. under
the terms Of our treaty with Great Britain. The
Gushing, although not armed and not subject
70 the terms Of that treaty, may prove the sub
1ect OF diplomatic correspondence when she
passes from the River 81. Lawrence through the
canals to enter the lakes but il is thought that
Great Britain will not interpose any serious OBJ
lection to her presence, as that power has some
eighteen armed vessels that can pass through
the Welland canal at any moment If desired.
WHO DESIGNED IT.
The design for the naval exhibit was con-
eeived by Capt. R. W. Meade, the naval director
. and member Of the government board Of con-
troll and management Of the worlds Columbian
exposition, but the details Of his plan have
been worked cut By ons Of the leading dxafts-