Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-19

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little ia said about the old navy yard on the
banks OF the quiet Elizabeth river. II may he
that the great metropolis brings the New York
yard into prominence that the work goes on
so evenly and quietly here that no connection
is created, but one thing is certain. great deal
Of excellent work is being done here, and at q
comparatively low cost to the government
Three new ships. the battle ship Texas. the
cruiser Raleigh and the monitor Amphi;rite.
are building here. The Texas is a seoond-clsss
battle ship OF 6 800 tons. Her distinctive
feature is an srmorei central citadel in
closing the two barbettes en- echelon. Each
OF these barbettes will carry a superim-
posed cylindrical revolving turret protecting
a twelve-inch gun. Beside these two heavy
guns she will carry six six-inch breech-load
rifles and twenty rapid-fre guns. She will also
have six tubes for projecting the Whitehead
torpedo. The battle ship launched in
June last. and the work on her has been going
on rapidly and successfully. She will
have her engines and boilers put in. These
were built by contract in private works. The
horse power of the two triple expansion engines
is To be 5000, with an estimated speed Of seven
teen knots from the twin screws. The armor
on the barbettes and the citadel will be twelve
inches of nickel steel, while water line belt Of
twelve inches connected across the ends will
extend throughout the machinery spaces, and
an armor deck of three inches will extend fore
and aft, sioping forward to the heavy ram bow.
She is expected TO be very successful venture
in American ship building. and her success will
be proof OF the thorough manner in which The
United States naval constructors have de-
yeloped her plans.
The 3,000-ton cruiser Raleigh, which was
launched last March. is a sister ship ~ the
Cincinnati, recently launched at the New York
yard She IL nearly completed. The engines
and boilers. built at the New York yard. are
being rapidly put into place. The narrow
ness of these ships aft, while improving their
lines for speed leaves very little room for the
ward room quarters that are 90 large and
roomy in the old ships Of the square sterned
class. but this has beea overcome in the
Raleigh by putting some OF the ward room
officers quarters on the upper deck under the
poop, where their mess room is also. IL IL en-
pected that the Raleigh will be ready for her
trial trips some time within a year.
TIE AAPHIrRIrE
The other ship completing here is .he double
turreted monitor Amplitude, Of nearly 1900
tons displacement. She is practically COM
pleted, with the exception of the armor and
guns, and the delay in this is caused. as IN all
the other armored ships nearing COM
pleton, by the slowness of the contractors IN
furnishing the armor. The Amphitrite will carry
two l2-inch guns, one IN eacn barbette. and
four 6-inch guns, with a secondary battery of
rapid-fire guns. The novel feature Of her heavy
guns is that they will be mounted in liked bar
bettes with superimposed turrets and viii be
loaded by dropping the carriage down until the
breech is below the water line. Between the
two turrets there is a central superstructure
containing the officers quarters, which does
away with the common complaint on monitors
of the closeness of the quarters below the
water line, and also gives more room for the ma
chinery and crew below. The time when this
vessel Will 60 into commission depends solely
upon the delivery of her armor by the con-
tractors, as she will be completed shortly after
that arrives
The large traversing crane. built at the wooden
dry dock for putting the armor in place on the
new ships, has been completed and tested. Its
greatest capacity il sixty tons. and its single
engine by arrangements of gear wheels may be
made 10 swing it in zenith, raise and lower the
weights, or propei it around the dry dock on
it's heavy steel railway. This ingenious machine
will greatly facilitate placing the side and tur-
ret armor on the new ships
NEED OF MORE DRY DOCKS
Here, as in all the government yards. the need
of more dry docks is felt, for if new ships are
building tine docks may be occupied for long
periods by these ships while their armor Is
being placed and the hull completed. thus pre-
venting the ships in commission from using the
docks at the same time. which is a serious want
for iron ships should be docked at least once
every six months TO have their bottoms scraped
and reprinted. To ill this want the ma al con-
structors have suggested an excellent scheme
There is large timber dock III the ward where
the timbers for the frames of the old wooden
ships were water seasoned, but which IN these
days of steel ships Is not used. and il has been
proposed TO arrange this dock that il could
be pumped dry and used as a construction
dock. where new ships could be built on an
even keel and ioated when complete. Here
armor might be placed and all dry dock work
done, while all the dangers incident to the
launching Of ships from the ways would be
overcome. All this could be done at a COM
paratively low cost to the government, as much
of the work is already done. and the benefits
are quite evident TO every one. Otherwise the
building facilities have been steadily increased
by large plant of modern machinery for work
ing the iron into all the shapes necessary for the
different parts of ship
The machinery in the construction depart-
ment il all new and efficient, and although
much of II at present is only protected by open
sheds, all the machines are so mounted that a
more substantial building could be built over
them at any time without moving any Of them
The machinery in the steam engineering depart
ment, however. is much of il old and out Of
date, and the ward is hardly fitted in that re-
spect as vet TO build engines for modern ships
but improvements are constantly being made
and the lnstallment of a new plant of modern
machinery seems only question of time. An
engineer officer recently duty at this ward
speaking Of the lack of late machinery. said il
wonderful how the mechanics and ma
chinists employed in the department. adjusted
appliances to the old machines to adapt them
to modern work, and that many of these de-
vices showed ingenuity which should meet OIL
cial approval.
THE REPAIRS TO THE ATLANTA.
The Atlanta, which came here TO be locked
before sailing for La Guayra, Venezuela, to re-
heve the kearsarge, is still here undergoing a
few minor repairs. Among other thing a
steam winch for hosting any heavy weights is
being put in the ship. She is expected to sail
in few days, stopping first at st. Thomas for
coal, then proceeding TO La Guayra TO establish
communications with the American minister at
Caracas, after which she will probably cruise in
Venezuela waters between Curacao on the west
ward and Trinidad on the eastward. returning
north in time 10 take part in the international
naval review in the spring which is to rendez-
vous at Hampton Roads. The citizens Of Nor
folk. Portsmouth. Berkeley, Newport News
Hampton and Cape Charles City have appointed
a joint committee to represent them in helping
to promote the success Of the review and TO re-
ceive all the distinguished visitors with true
southern hospitality.
The Concord, which has Just returned from
six months in Venezuela protecting United
States interests, is in the dry dock undergoing
repairs. which may be quite extended. as IL will
be necessary to remove her starboard propeller
shaft, which has dropped little. The electric
plant is also unsatisfactory and a new dynamo
will be put in by the original contractors. This