Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-08-27


The fieetest. most destructive and
probably the most dread inspiring war
ship yet foated is that launched AZ
Philadelphia Tuesday. The name first
given to it was the Pirate. It was
christened Columbia. As a destroyer Of
commerce it is intended TO surpass any
vessel heretofore constructed. Neither
England nor France, nor. indeed, any
OF tue other great naval powers possess
such a sea terror
The Columbia, and sister ship now
being constructed By the Cramps. are
destined TO be more feared than tie
most formidable Of al the sea kings
owned by the belligereut nations across
the biz pond
When the contract for the Columbia
was let in October 1890. the Cramps
agreed TO produce vessel which
would sail around the world without
recoiling in 100 days The plans called
Tor a ship of 400 feet long ON the mean
load line; beam nodded. IS feet; draft,
mean normal, % feet;exueme normal,
~ feet; displacement normal. about
1900 tons; speed sustained, II knots;
and indicated horse power, 20.5O0.
The ship was 20 make twenty-five
knots on her trial trip. Failing in this
it was TO be rejected ana made sub
ject to a heavy penalty The Cramps
predict that the Columbia win excel In
an points the requirements stipulated
in the in the contract: that 1t win beat
transatlantic greyh0unds like the Ten
tonic, Majestic City OF New York and
City Of Paris, out of sight. and that It
win keep up her twenty-five knots for
twenty four hours at a stretch. Its coal
bunkcrs are to hold 200 tons, or much
more than those Of any other steamship
in the world There are ten boilers
Six Of them are dOuble-enders, Il II
feet in diameter by u II feet long
Two others are II % feet in diameter
by Il II feet in length. while the TWO
remaining are 10 by s. All the boilers
ore Of steel and can easily sustain a
pressure of 1GO pounds.
There are three triple-expansfon en-
gineS, each of which works a screw
one on either side of the rudder and the
Third just above il. These screws. un-
der high pressure, are expected to de
yelop lbs revolutions minute l'his
rate exceeds that of the City Of Paris
screws by thirty-eight revolutions q
minute. Chief Engineer Melville origi-
mated the three screw idoa with tho pur-
pose of avoiding the tremendous weight
Of shafsing which would have been
necessary for two screws Each of the
three shafts is SO equipped that one,
two or three screws can ba used at viii
The Columbia is protected i'm its vital
portions Gv i'm arm0rod deck four
inches thick ON tho slopes and two and
q half inches on the fiat. Ii carries no
big guns Those used are to be of light
cJliber and ont Of sight
A single cightiuch gun is to be util.
isgd as boW-chgser. Besides this the
Columbia is ID carry -Four siNiuch
hraehloading rifles eight four uh 1T
The same character twelve rapid
firing SiN-pounlers. six lapidlv-HIiug
one-pounders. two machine guns. apa
field G'u and six torpedo tubes Tie
siyiarh guns are 10 Do mounted In tbe
opnn deck protected by heavy shields
attached to carriages. The armament
is intended TO be effective for its rapid
firing features rather than 10y hroadside
The officers and men win have SPLEEN
didIy equipped accommodations Tho
most modern inventions are To be EN-
ployed far ventilation, and the ship is
90 Ae lighted throughout with electric
ity The Cumps ge1 S2T25.0oo for
building the Ship-ENchange