The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-13
BUILDING WARSHIPS.
PIECB BY PIECE THE MALL PARTS
ARE PUT TOGETHER.
Iron and Steel Which Is Adjusted to
Mathematical Exactness-From Be-

ships-ofwar has had unprecedented de-
velopment in late years would not be in any
respect an exsggeration, The fruits of the
new era are already very apparent.
In fact, some have already come to take
the place of old methods and old machines
and in their turn have been discarded for
others that are now in fair way to be SUI
perseded by the results of further scientific
experiments All this has taken place with
out any practical test of the merits Of the
Innovations in actual fighting.
The introduction of heavily armored
battleships might be said to date from the
civil war, although there we're a number OF
isolated examples before that time. With
the monitor came revolution in the logic
OF laval science, and the end Is not yet, so
the prophets declare
The evolution of the modern floating
fortresses, as exemplitied In tue recently
fioated vessels in our navy, as we'll as those
that fly the flags II England, Italy, France
and Germany, might be described as a long
race between armor plate and armament.
In other words, the makers Of gu have
been progressing as well as the makers Of
iron or steel plates that guard a ship from
the heavy missiles of various kinds that
are shot from the modern guns.
At times it has seemed as though the
defence had triumphed in lacing heavy
steel plates at the most vulnerable points
but almost before this thought was spoken
a new gun would re brought forth on some
new boat of another nation that would
render the steel plates no more serVioeable
In an actual engagement than
80 MUCH PULP.
On these lines the game has gone on until
the steel ship has developed into what seems
to be perfection, and guns are made which
will pierce wrought iron to the depth Of
several feet, according to the varying size
and weight OF the projectiles.
While the efforts TO produce guns that
will make any kind Of armor useless has en-
gagged the attention of workers In naval
science, and while the efforts to build ships
that are almost mass Of solid steel has en-
gagged the attention Of others, still another
complication thrust itself forth 10 the shape
OF the modern torpedo boat.
An English authority on the subject has
openly declared his opinion that the pres
ent form of fighting with "A few powerful
and fleet battleships must eventually be
abandoned, and that fleet of such vessels
attacked at night by torpedo boats 10 feet
lost.
1t has been asserted by another man high
in the snks of naval science that heavy
armor plate will be done away with on
craft will be used for distinct purposes In
sea warfare hereafter.
According to his idea, there will be the
floating forts for harbor defense, with the
heaviest steel plates ana heaviest guns
made, thai will be capable Of the hardest
fighting, but OF little use on she high seas
on account Of the imposslbility OF oombin-
ing hose powers with that of speed.
For the commerce deStroyers there will be
tha Hyhf hnftt nd
ers Of the highest speed that will be able TO
attack the merchant marine or unprotected
coasts and run away from the heavily
armed battleshigs, whose guns would finish
them in short order. The torpedo boats and
such craft also rank high in she prophets
estimation.
In accordance with this theory, In part,
the navy of this nation ID gradually taking
shape. The navy battleship and the swift
cruiser are combined, however, in the re-
cent ships, and neither one nor the other
has found its fullest develop nent.
In the navy yard in this city the new ship
Cincinnati is now In course OF construction.
She win very nearly realize the idea Of the
heavy bAttleship, also combining the speed
and seagoing
QUALITIES OF THE CRUISER.
II the present programme is carried out
the Cincinnati will be launched into the
u
the work on another ne " boat Of q similar
type will begin.
bese ships not only carry heavy steel
| plates IS protection from the shot of AT
| enemy, but the entire vessel Is OF iron This
causes as may be readily understood, some
| important changes in the constructive
methods from those used in the building OF
a wooden ship, and yet. on the whole, the
two are put together on very much the
| same principle.
| AS many have thought, II ia true that
large part Of the work done on these iror
| ships is done in steel mills and factories, anC
the yard is the place Of putting together
| In all the important parts OF such a ship as
the Cincinnati the iron forms are made and
shaped In the mills. far from the place
where the boat lie being put together.
In such work the greatest accuracy is alb
| solutely indispensable. In wooden ships the
different parts are shaped and put together
in the yards from which the ship is launched,
| but iron cannot be sawed and planed and
cut to fit when it is to serve such purpose
as the backbone or ribs Of ship like the
Atlanta.
Every piece is measured from the draw
ings with the most scrupulous care aud
| mathematical exactness and measured with
| special apparatus in order that there shall
be perfect accuracy.
| In building wooden vessels the drawings
are not nearly so exact as the plans for iron
vessels, on account of the necessity in the
latter for the elimination Of anything re-
sembling ALLOW vance in any direction. Every
| thing is calculated down TO the hundredth
| part of an inch, and as the plans call for the
parts 80 are they turned out from the
| factory.
| After the iron and steel parts leave the
mills in which they re made, the making
| of the ship is comparatively the same as If
| IL we're of wood. The blocks are laid in a
| line to support the keel, which Is the first
piece put in.
This keel is made OF many parts, but to
| the eye it appears 10 be one gracefully
shaped piece Of iron that reaches from stem
| TO stern OF the ship that is TO be.
When the keel is laid toe stem and stern
| pieces are the next to be added, and at a ou,
| the same time the enormous ribs that form
the frame are raised up on either side. All
these timbers, a. they are called, In spite OF
the fact that in these ships they are iron and
not wood, are shored up
AS THEY ARE PUT IN PLACE.
In other words, poles are placed under.
meath them aud beside them TO keep them
supported in their proper place. The hull il
| formed Of two distinct coverings on the in
side and outside OF the timbers in the same
| manner as the wall timbers OF frame house
are boarded up on both inside and out, the
difference bel in the greater strength OF
the ship and the coverings being of iron In.