The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-05

wards the keel of an iron merchant YES
sci.
Although much has been written OF
these new war vessels, description OF
their style of marine architecture may
vet prove of interest to the readers OF the
PRESS, especially as it is possible to
contrast the Ammen ram with the type
of the sister gun-boats, the Machias and
Castine.
The bids for the Ammen ram were
called for on the 18th of October, 1890,
were opened on the Goth of December
following, and the contract for a her
construction was awarded on the 28th
| of January. 1891, at the price
of $3.50, 900 for the hull and machinery,
! to the Bath Iron Works, of which Cen
eral T. W. Hyde is at the head. These
contractors proposed and obtained per-
| mission to add about eight feet to the
length of the vessel, with a correspond
ing increase of displacement OF about l33
tons. This increase allows much
| larger coal-carrying capacity, which now
reaches about $50 tons; while the shape
| of the stem is altered so as to obtain
greater strength and better manGuverlng
qualities, and the height of the coming
| tower has been increased.
| The vessel is built after the designs OF
Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen, of the re-
tired list, who is well known as the lead
| ing advocate in the American navy OF
The Ram as an Appliance in Naval War
| fare.
1t has length on load water line of
25O feet and inches, breadth of 43
feet, inches, and a mean draught of 10
feet, giving a displacement of 2,1S3 tons.
Her engines, which are of the twin-screw
| triple-expansion type, are to develop
maximum of 1880 indicated horse pow
er, which should give the contract speed
of II knots per hour. A premium OF
S15, 900 will be allowed for each quarter
krot in excess of that rate, and she may
reach 1S knots, since her motive machin-
cry was really designed for that speed.
on displacement of 2,050 tons. Each
| engine is Independent of the other, in
separate water-tight compartments; and
there are four boilers in two separate
compartments, with forced draught pro-
duced by closed fire rooms.
The hull is designed upon the longitu-
| dinal and bracket system, with an inner
bottom extending from the collision
| bulkhead to the stern. The longitude
nails and girders supporting the deck are
continuous, converging to the stem cast
ing and to the stern, the frames and
beams being intercostal. The space be-
| ween the inner and outer skin is sub
| divided into seventy-two compartments,
and thirty more between the inner skin
and the deck armor make up 1O2 COM
partments.
She will be
A Oueer-1ooking Craft
with a turtle-back deck above which will
show only her coming tower, smoke
pipe, and ventilators, with the hatch
coamings and skid beams for the boats.
Originally it was intended that she
should carry no armament whatever;
but it has since been decided to give her
| four small apid-fring guns of 6-pounder
| calibre, simply as defence against tor
| pedo craft. For her offensive work she
viii rely wholly on her ram, which is OF
\ wrought steel and removable, but accur
ately fitted and securely held in position
| in the cast-steel stem.
Being cigar-shaped in general appear
| ance, she will rely much on her curved
deck to defect shot that may strike her.
The, armor is not very heavy, but will be
aided by this curvature, The outside
strake of the deck armor is six inches
thick; the next strake inboard tapers
frors1 ST to q inches, which last is the
thickness of the deck, including the
| lower course of plating. The side armor
is two strakes in depth, the upper one
six inches thick and the lower three
| inches. The matches through the
| armored deck have battle plates, while
the smoke pipe and the ventilators have
inclined armor six inches thick. The
coming toweris IS inches thick.
In Order forget the Ram into Fighting Trim
she must be partly submerged. This is
accomplished by the use of fourteen
eight-inch Kingston valves, one in each
TRAVERSE water-tight compartment Of
the bottom, with sluice valves in the YER
teal keel and the water-tight longtitu-
dinals in these compartments.
Such craft needs to make a careful
provision for the comfort of her officers