The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-08-03
OUR GROWING NAVY
Improving in Quality as Well as
in Number.
SPEED, SECURITY. DESTRUCTION.

These Are the Qualities Which Will
Distinguish Cruiser No. 13. Which
tho Cramps Arc to Have Ready in
Thirty Months or Pay Heavy
Forfeits.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 8.-Of all the
vessels that the Cramps have built for
the government cruiser No. 10, the mate,
but not the duplicate, of cruiser No. 10,
is the most formidable. She is of the
commerce destroyer type, as is cruiser
No 12, and both will combine the features
OF speed to overtake, and armament to
blow out Of the water the fastest and
staunchest of the transatlantic steam
ships. The imaginative navy has already
dubbed cruiser No. 12, now building at
the Broolsly navy yard, 1.-THE Pirate"--a
fit name, since she is expected to earn in
case of war more prize money than Cap
tain Kidd ever dreamed of, but she viii
probably in the end bear the name of
New York. No name for cruiser No.
43, which the Cramps are to complete
In two years, has been decided upon.
Cruiser No. 13 will look as much like
merchant vessel as it is possible to
make man-o'-war She will have no
military masts, as she carries no guns
aloft, but, instead, two short ones for
signaling purposes only. She will have
aalree engines, with three boilers, like the
City of Rome. She will be able to steam
around the world in 100 days without
coaling, SO that the problem of coaling
stations, which diplomacy has as yet
failed to solve, is solved in her case. She
can be run with one engine or all three,
and will haNP three screws indepen-
IDENTIFY driven. SO that she will not only
gain in speed, but can be more easily
handled.
Her Fuel Arrangements.
Much Of the effectiveness of cruiser
No. 13 depends upon her ability to re-
main for q long time from any base Of
fuel supply, aud to be able, notwith-
standing. to get up high rate of speed
at moments notice. As conseq uence
tine fuel arrangements have been re-
garded with quite as much care as her
battery or speed arrangements. The
coal bunlfers will be SO arranged, also,
as to protect the vital portions of the
vessel SO that If shot should penetrate
the arinored deck, which will be from
two and q half to four inches thick, it
will bury iself in heap of coal
To prevent sinking. in case of such
casualties as war vessels must be pro-
u
Golfer dam built against the side, the
whole length, and between the dam and
Ahe side wall Of tibrous stuff, good for
nuel il coal should run out and better
Ahan coal to stop solid shot or sea water
with. Each engine will be in water
tight compartment Outside she will
be armored with four-inch and two-inch
plates.
Cruiser No. 1875 biggest gun can bore
. hole in plate of steel 16 inches thick
fires $50 pound projectiie, requires l0G
pounds of powder for each shot, is 28.1
feet long, and weighs 154 tons. The 6
knch guns are not ut all puny, with 100
pounds as the weight of their projectile,
y tons to their weight, and 2l feet fol
their length.
10 complete her in, and will have to add
COB in time, but they will get So ,00J, ,000
when it is done. For every days delay
khey will have to pay $75, up to three
months, and $500 day thereafter. 1t
win cost the Cramps $500 for every ton
above $50 in weight of machinery with
steam up. The vessel must make 21
lkBots on an average for hours on her
trial, and for every quarter knot below
the builders must pay $25 200, but for
every quarter knot above 81 knots the
Cramps will yet $5O, 600.
Cruiser No, 13 will be altogether
American. Every bolt and rivet, every
days work will be made within the
United States.