Evening journal., 1892-07-26
TUr corI1fnrA

bia will not only be swifter than any other
war vessel ahoat; the Teutonic, Majestic,
City OF New York and the other trans
atlantic greyhounds win be entirely out
classed by this fighter. The contract with
the Cramps calls for vessel that can sail
around the world without recoaling in 100
days. She must 20 twenty-five knots an
hour on her trial trips.
II she cannot do this she will be subject
TO rejection or penalty. The Columbia,
her builders are confident, will surely reel
off twenty-five, and they are equally con-
fdent that She viii bo able to keep it up Tor
twenty-four hours making q distance of
OPS knots. For every quarter knot of speed
over the 5l2 knots contract limitations the
Cramps viii be given $4,000.
The coal carrying capacity Of the cruiser
viii be greater than that of any steamer or
naval vessel in the world. The big bunkers
viii hold 1900 tons. This would be suiii-
cient, at the rate Of ten knots an hour, to
allow the cruiser to remain out Of port for
100 days, OF radius of action Of 20, 30 knots,
or nearly the circumference Of the earth.
The ship is 400 feet long ON the mean load
line; beam nodded, 5s feet; draft, mean
normal, 23 feet; extreme normal, "a feet;
displacement, normal, about 1900 tons,
speed, sustained, 2l knots, and indicated
horse power, 20,5oo.
Her Intricate Machinery.
The machinery OF the cruiser will be more
sintrcate than that of any steamer in the
world. There win be three triple expansion
engines, each working o separate screw, one
on either side of the rudder and one above
! It. The horse power of the engines under
forced draft will be 205jO The engines
all have the same stroke-forty-two inches
q az. a..
| diate and low pressure cylinders respective
ly are forty-two, lfty-niue and ninoty-two
inches Under full pressure each of these
three screws should turn at the rate of 12S
revolutions pei minute.
Each of the three shafts is fitted with
| disengaging coupling, so that the propellers
may be free to reyolve when not in use.
/ Thus the vessel may be propelled at a slow
speed of fourteen knots by the center screw
alone, at medium speed of seventeen knots
/ by the two side screws and at a high speed
of from twenty to twenty-five knots by all
three together This Arrangement ALLOWS
the machinery to be worked ut its maximum
and most economical number Of revolutions
at all rates of the vessels speed, and each
engine can always be used for propallng
the vessel.
The vital portions Of the vessel are pro
tected by an armored deck four inches thick
on the slopes and two and one-half inches
on tho fiat. The space between this deck
and the gun decl, viii be minutely sub
divided by coal bunkers ard store rooms
In addition there win be a coiIerdam five
feet wide running next TO the ships side
throughout the whole length of the vessel
In the bunkers net used for coal this will be-
filed with patent substance of such sol
idity as to form wall five feet thick, hav-
ing all the advantages OF an inner and sup
! Elemental armor ln the event of an emer-
gency this patent substance, the nature Of
which is kept secret, can be taken ont and
used for fuel. Forward and abaft the coal
bunkers the conerdam will be filled with %
water excluding substance similar to wood
Not a Gun VIII BE in sight.
The Columbia win carry no big guns. Not
a gun win be in sight, and the battery VIII
be abnormally light There win be one
s-inch gun as a bow chaser. This is expect,
ed to play the principal part in the cruisers
career Besides this she will carry four g.
inch breech loading rifles, eight 4-inch broech
loading rihes,,twelve rapid firing 0-pound-
ers, six rapid firing l-pounders, two ma
chine guns one field gun and six torpedo
tubes.
The armament Of the cruiser Is designed
10 be rapid firing, and the cruiser Will be
effective more for this reason than by any
tremendous bIoadsides In the wake of the
eight 4-inch and machine guns the ships
sides win be HrmCred with four and tgD
inch plating
The Columbia is to be ready for service
by Oct. I, 1898. Tho contract for her cou-
struction was awarded TO Cranp g. Sors
on Oct A. 1890, their bid being S27-i, 900.
Add TO this the cost of armament ana
equipment, and the vessel will have cost
about So, 100000 1t was stipulated in the
contract that the entire vessel, ia an it's
parts, should be of domestic manufacture.