The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-04-04
A MONSTER BATTLE SHIP
THE ROYAL SOVEREIGN. ENG
LANDS LARGEST WAR VESSEL.
Compared with the War ships OF
osher Nations and the ola Three
DccIkers-she II the Heaviest Fight
ing Vessel Anoat.

The battle ship Royal Sovereign Is the
largest war ship ever constructed in Eng
land. and she II the latest out 'ome OF the
naval designers' art. She is one Of n group
OF eight frst-class armored battle-ships
proposed aft er an exhaustive consultation
by experts, and she embodies the views OF
the majority of the most experienced
naval officers AMI naval architects In re-
gard 10 speed, coal endurance, freeboard,
armament. and armor protection. Her
dimensions are: Length 81 feet, breadth
~ feet, draught % feet six inches, with
displacement OF IL. $50 tons, and an In.
al. ated horse power OF 1000, natural
draught, and rs. 900 forced drnught. Her
force speed is 10 be IN knots. She is
more than 2 900 tons heavier than the
English Trafalgar or Inhexible, the French
Formidable or Jaureguiberry, or the Rus.
sian George Victorious or Ruric.
The Italian battle ships sardegna
and Italia are nearer her size. with
10, $50 tons and 10, 800 tons respectively.
The Dimensions OF our largest battle ship.
the Name. are. Length, $50 feet; breadth,
So feet; draught. ~ feet q inches, with
displacement OF q, CAS- tons and an indi-
Gated horse power of s,750. The design
OF the Royal Sovereign Is more like that
OF tho Boston than any other war ship OF
our new navy.
Tho armored protection OF the Royal
Sovereign consists OF steel belt $50 feet
In length, 81 feet in height. and IS
inches in thickness. Above that is Il
3-inch steel deck and IL is terminated by
trans serse armorcd bulkheads the lower
edges OF which rest on steel decks extend
ing down IN curves 20 stem and stern
A
10 n height OF % feet above water by "a
5-inch steel armor, the battery being shut
i'm fore and aft by steel bulkheads Each
OF the guns in the lower secondary battery
is enclosed in an armored crinoline, while
steel screens OF semi-circular shape protect
the gun detachments in the upper battery
On the barbette towers the armor is Ia
inches thick, the protection being carried
down 10 the belt Tho total weight OF
armor and it's backing Is estimated 10 be
1850 tons. Tho principal armament con.
sists of four 10 u Inch 6i-ton breech load
ers. disposed Ia two towers, each pair OF
guns having al arc OF training OF 2c0 do.
gTees. so that ali four guns are available
on either broadside. The guns are great.
~ exposed, perched as they are on the top
OF the barbettes. but that danger IL held
10 he moro than counterbalanced by the
extra command involved IN the greater
height OF the gun above water, six feet
more than IN the case of the turret ship,
and 10y the increased freo-bo as an ele-
ment OF safety for the vessel and i'm.
proved accommodation for her crew.
The CO ton gun is free from tho defects OF
the monster piece which is delaying the
completion OF the Sanspareu. Tho sec
ondary armament consists OF ten 100
FOUNDER, sixteen 6-pounder, and eight B.
FOUNDER quick -frers. The estimated cost
OF the Royal Sovereign Is 20, 600, 900
In her Royal Sovereign, Great Britain