New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-25
THE PIRATE"

parment she Is designated Protected Steel Cruiser
No TO-" but for two years she has been generally
known as The Pirate" She vi be launched fl ON the
sltpbuldlng works Of William Cramp q sons at
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon when the name BY which
she will be known hereafter. the columbia" will be
given by the young lady Miss Edith Norton daughter
of the vce-President who has been selected 10 per
form tho customary nautical act Of breaking the bottle
wine the vessels she leaves The launch
ing ways Since she Is vessel OF the fistclass-that
Is. Of than 5000 tons dispacement-and secre-
tary Tracy has been earnest In his efforts to get
Congress to that vessels Of the first "ass should
receive the names Of states only. il thought
likely that the vessel wOnd be named after some
ono Of the forty four of the states Of the Union: but
on Saturday Secretary Tracy decided to nanrs her
Columbia" In honor Of the anniversary year Of the
discovery Of America by Columbus.
As the vessel is departure in war
ship construction IL is natural that such unusual
interest Is taken in her that there /, great
demand for tickets from the most prominent people Of
the country to get standing room some OF the
many platforms. Secretary Tracy, Assistant
taiy Solely. and large number OF officers Of the Navy,
Including the chiefs Of the bureaus ard also senators
and Representatives In Congress. state and municipal
officials. and naval architects and private citizens will
be present in large numbers TO the swifest most
destructive and most formidable of vessels
into the water should the United states ever be
come involved in war, ii IS expected that NO 10"
and her sister ship "NO. 49," also being built at the
Cramps works would become the most widely known
and most feared vessels in the world.
The Pirate, or M L.. contemplated long be
fore Congress passed the act Of authorization to con
struct her June 30, 1900, and II Novcm-
Der 10 of that year that the contract for her con
structiOn awarded 10 the Cramps. One Of the
principal reasons for the long time taken by the
Navy Department to complete determine upon her
plans the resolution that she should be perfect In
every detail OF model before being approved and this
required careful and thorough Investigation OF every
known design of other navics and improvements upon
them The designs for the hull stand to the credit
of Chief Naval Constructor Theodore d. Wilson, and
is able assistant, Naval Constructor Philip Hchborn
Those for the engines boilers and machinery. incud
ing the trplescrcws arrangements, the products
OF the Bureau OF Steam Engineering, the head OF
which Is Englneerin Chief George W. Melville. The
plans for the armament were drawn and perfected
by the Bureau Of Ordnance, while Commodore Mont
gomery SCard its chief and also by hts successor
Commodore William NJ. Folcer; and the equipments
and fittings for the accommodation OF officers and
etc, are the products OF the Bureau OF Equipment.
Tho materials of construction throughout were dug
from American earth and were fashioned and formed
In American shops and BY American workmcn. so
she will be Yankee ship In every particular.
The commerce destroyer designed with two
objects in view-spccd and coalcnrTyinG capacity.
TIC obtain these she had 70 receive large tonnage
displacement. e. eat length moderate beam. and gtea,
stehm-power. The contract price agreed upOn after
receiving competitive bids, 81. 725.O0O. and the
giving OF the contract the second specific cause
of the long interval between the time Of the approval
OF the act OF Congress and the awarding Of the con
tract. the act having stipulated that each contractor
shall show 10 the satisfaction OF tho Secretary OF the
Navy nat within three months from the date OF the
contrac he Will be Possessed Of the necessary plant
for tho performance Of the work. In the United States.
which he shall offer 70 undertake"
The statement Of the bidder was sufficient
guarantee that this condition existed for it was
Necessary that officers should be detailed % inspect
the various plants TO satisfy the Government After
satisfying the Department TINT the bidders could do
this important pece Of Government work the contract
was AWARDED TO the lowest BIDDER owning such
works and this the firm of Cramp & sons.
The first keel plate laid on December 30 1890.
and on March 81 OF that year the first frame OF
the ship raised. the dimensions OF the ncw
vessel. according 10 the plans. being as follows:
Length mean load line. 412 feet breadth Of BEAM
IS feet normal draught 20 feet: displacement $3.50
tons: maximum speed. % knots m hour: Indicated
horsepower $4,000. As "a speed the contractor
guarantees average speed. Ia The open sea- under
conditions prescribed by the Navy Department. OF 81
knots an hour maintained for four consecutive hours.
during which period The ar pressure In the fire.
room must be kept within prescribed limit For
every quarter OF knot developed above the required
guaranteed speed the contractor is TO receive
premium Of 10000 over and above the contract
prce; for each quarter OF knot that the vessel
may fail Of reaching the guaranteed speed there Is
to be deducted from the contract price the sum OF
$4,000.
There seems 10 be doubt among the naval ex'
pcrts that she win meet the conditions as to speed
and this Is great dcslderatum. since her chief func
ton Is to be to sweep the OF cnemy's com
merce. To DO her work she must be able 10 overhaul
In ocean race the svtest transatlantic passenger
steamships anoat
Tile triple screw system is a most decided novelty.
nothing OF the kind before having been built
here. One OF these screws will be placed amdships,
or on the line OF the keel In ordinary sngIcscrew
vessels, and the two Others will be placed about
fifteen feet further forward and above. on each
side as is usual In twin-scrcw vessels. The twin
will diverge rs they leave the hull, giving ad
ditlonal room for the uninterrupted motion upon solid
water Of all three simultaneously. There is set Of
ipe expansion engines for each Independently.
thus allowing numerous combinn ions Of movements.
For ordinary cruising the central alone will be
used giving a speed Of about fourteen knots; with
the two sidescrcws alone speed OF seventeen knots
can be maintained and with all ,hree screws al work
at full power high speed Of from twenty TO twenty
two knots can be got ont of the vessel This arrange
ment will allow the machinery TO be worked AT its
most economical number OF revolutions at all rates Of
the vessels speed and each engine be used indc
pendenty Of the others In propelbng the vessel The
full steam pressure will tc 1G0 pounds. The shafting
is made OF forged STEEL 1C i2 Inches In diameter In
fact steel has been used wherever possible, so TO
secure the highest. In weight, OF machinery. There
ten boilers six of which double endcd-that is
with furnaces In each end21 IA feet long and Is IL
fest In diameter Two Others Is Ii feet long and
IL 90 feet in diameter and the two others, single
ended feet long and 10 feet in diameter. Eight
Of the largest boilers set In watcrtght compart-
nents.
IN following tsbie Will show how the commerce.