The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-04-07
THE RALEIGH .AFLoAT.
launching OF Another Handsome Vessel OF the
New Navy.i

Lanching OF Another Handsome Vessel OF tn,
New Navy.
Fully 10000 people witnessed the lanchng oi
the new warship Raleigh on Thursday morn
ing, March 81, at the Norfolk {Va.) Navy yard.
of steamers, tugs, and yachts were black with
spectators of the inspiring scene At few
minutes before IL o'clock the signal was given
and Mrs. A. w. Haywood, of Raleigh, N. c.,
daughter of Gov. Holt of that State, standing
between Secretary Tracy and Ensign 81. p.
Jones, Of the Navy dashed q bottle Of cham
pagne against the bow of the vessel and said,
II christen thee Raleigh" The vessel moved
off the ways as easily as if under the influence
| of her own propellcrs and in three quarters OF
minute from the time Of the christening the
cruiser was stopped by her anchors in mid
| stream. A number of Congressman and promi-
nent people witnessed the lsnching of the new
warship, and the whole affair was marvel of
| success.
The Raleigh has length Of 300 feet on the
| load water line and an extreme breadth of AZ
| feet. At her mean normal draught of 18 feet
of sea-water, her displacement is about $3.50
TONS the maximum draught then being about
19 feet She will have two sets of engines.
| working twin screws. 1t is estimated that her
engines will develop 10000 indicated horse
power at full power, with steam pressure of
| 160 pounds. This will drive the ship at 90
| knots. Hes7coal supply at normal draught
will be 400 TONS The bunkers will hold 675
tons, and with this supply she can steam 500
miles at full power, or 10, 500 at 10 knots, her
most economical speed. The engines are of
the triple expansion, vertical inverted direct
acting type, with two ow-pressure cylinders.
Her cylinders are 36. SO. 81 and 81 inches in
diameter, with common stroke Of So inches.
Steam is supplied by four double ended boilers
aud two single-ended ones to be used as auxili-
aries. The CRATE surface is 597 square feet,
and the heating surface 1882. The closed
ash-pit system of forced draughts will be used.
The condensers have each 1000 square feet of
cooling surface. Tho revolutions at full power
will be 164. The main and auxiliary engines
occupy four water-tight compartments, and
the boilers four others. The water-tight sub
division at the ends of the ship is very COM
plete. The protective deck is one inch thick
on the fat, two inches on the slopes at the
ends, and two and one-half on the slopes amid
ships. coffer-dam, to be filled with woodts
or cellulose, extends around the ship in the
wake of the water line on the protective deck.
The ship has poop and forecastle decks with
an open gun-deck between, and bridges ex-
tending along the tops of the hammocks, BERTH
ings connecting the poop and forecastle. The
rig is that of two -masted schooner, spreading
7,2l0 square feet of sail The boats are slowed
on skid beams between the two fore and aft
bridges.
The main armament consists of one six.inch
breach loading rife mounted on the forecastle
and having an arc of train of 270 degrees from
quarter to quarter, ten fve-inch rapid-fre guns,
two mounted on the poop and the others on
the gun-deck in sponsors. Those on the poop
and the after two on the gun-deck train from
right astern to go degrees forward of the beam.
The two forward ones ON the gun-deck train
from right ahead to 60 degrees abaft the beam:
the others train 12 degrees before and abaft the
beam. The auxiliary armament consists Of
eight six-pounder rapid-fre guns mounted,
four over the forward and after sponsons On
forecastle and poop, two on gun-deck forward,
and two OIL gun-deck amidships; four one
Founders, mounted, two on gun-deck aft Tin
captains after cabin), and two on bridges; two
Gatlings mounted in the tops. The forward
and after fveinch guns on the gundeck are
protected by four-inch armor. The other spon-
sons have one-inch armor plates.
The coming tower will be two inches thick
as will the tube leading from it to the protect
i've deck. There are six above water torpedo
tubes, fixed one ahead and astern, and training
ones on each bow and quarter. The tubes are
of the Howell pattern. using gunpowder to pro-
ject the torpedo.
The ship viii be lighted by electricity, the |
plant consisting of two engines and dynamos, |
each with output of 200 amperes at q con- |
slant potential of so volts. In addition to all |
necessary lights for illumination and signaling, |
there will be three Mangin search-light pro-
jectors.
The engine power of the Raleigh Is relatively |
larger than that Of any other vessel of the |
United States Navy. except the Vesuvius and |
the torpedo boats. Occurring as it does in con-
junction with larger battery power necessi-
tates a larger crew. the complement will be
about 320-24 officers, 81 marines, and crew
of 266.
The rudder is partially balanced. It's weight
is about 7.05 tons. The ordinary right and left
is used, actuated by powerful
steam steering engine below the protective
deck. 1t is estimated that her cost completed
armament and equipment, will be
be $1,G42, ,915.74. The actual weight of the
ship when lancbed was LAO tons. The Ra-
leigh is the first vessel of the new Navy to be
built complete by tie Government, as the
and boilers under construction