Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-06-26
TEXAS.
PREPARATIONS FOR The LAUNCH ON
TUESDAY NEXT COMPLETE.
Overheard Mt II O'Clock a. M.-Hig CHI Tide
Gates Open mt o A. u.-Descrfption-
Magazines md Engines.
Especial telegram to the Dispatch.l

next, ana on tnat uaf tieIc VIII oc iioi'i
fifteen to twenty thousand visitors at the
navy-yard, including tho Secretary OF
the Navy and many official and distin-
guished people fran Washington. The
receiving ship Franklin has been moved
from her moorings. and carried along
side the south wharf, 80 that she will be
ont of tho way of the Texas, and all the
preparations are finished for launching |
the ship She will 60 overheard pre-
cisely at III o'clock, that being high |
water, and il will he necessary to take
every advantage Of tho tide. The gates !
will not be opened 70 the public until
O'Clock in order TO prevent the workfen
around the ship from being interfered
with. ONLY the officers of the yard and |
visiting dignitaries will be admitted to |
the grand stand. Others having tickets |
will be admitted TO the spacious sail- and |
rigging-lofts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSEL
The designs of the Texas, as is we'll
known, were prepared by the Barrow
s,hir- Binding Company, OF Barrow, |
Eng, and vera accepted by the Secre-
tary of the Navy, and received the prize
Of $4,000 offered by the government.
The vessel is 294 feet in length, 81 feet |
beam. and has q mean draugbt OF 26l |
feet. When fully equipped and at her
normal draught, her total displacement
or weight Will be G,300 tons. she will
be propelled by tTin-screws, actuatcd |
by two independent sets Of machinery. |
which when developing 5000 indicated
horsepower will give the vessel a speed |
Of seventeen knots per hour, or
measured mile. Tho vessel Is twin
screw, double.turrct ship, with an
armored redoubt enclosing the lower
parts OF the turrets, the hydraulic ma
chiaery for moving the turrets and
cleaning the guns and the tunnel
castings of the boilers.
THE GUNS.
The upper deck is IS feet above the
water, and upon 1t are two turrets OF
Pinch steel armor, each containing
l2-inch gun, the forward one on the
port side and the other one on the star
board side, so that each OF the l2-inch
guns may be brought to bear right
ahead or right astern, as well as on both
broadsides. Two G-inch guns are placed
upon the central-pivOt mountlngs Tor
ward and aft upon this deck Tor bow
and stern chasers.
A light supelstructure, forming a
bridge-deck, is built upon this deck,
providing q clear space for the naylga-
ton Of the vessel, for the storage OF boats,
and for the mounting Of few light
machine guns and search-lights. y
chart-house and dying-bridge, carrying
two one-pounder rapid-tiring guns and
two searchl-ights are provided. a heavy
armOred coursing-tOwer l2-inches thick
is placed vel forward on level with tho
bridge-deck.
The communications with tho courslng
tower for navigating the vessel are pro-
tccted by On armored tube . inches
thick. -Four 6-inch guns are arranged
on sponsors on the nam deck-the one
next below the upper deck, two com
mandipg a range from right forward 20
twenty-five degrees shaft the beam, and
two others similarly ait -Four 0-
Founders, four 3-poundcra, hotch-
kiss rapid-firing guns, and forty-seyen
revolving cannons are fought on the
main deck, the whole OF the guns on
til, deek --baine. ~ 1fecfed by side
plating IL inches thick. and the guns
disposed to secure = heavy bow and
stern fire ana a good defence againnt
torpedo-boat attack. Elaborate pro-
visions are made for the use or torpe-
does. Means are provided for eiectlng
through tubes in six positions-one for
ward Through the bow, one aft Through
the STERN. and four through the sides.
STEEL ARMoB.
The protection Of tine vital parts OF
the ship consists Of steel armor belt
IL inches thick, extending forward
and aft over a lenrhth OF 159 feet. ter
minating at each end with an armored
breast-work 6 inches thick extending
disconally across tho centre OF the YES
sci. The same belt is backed with 8
inches Of wood, two thicknesses OF steel
Dlating of an inch thick, and rgld
framing and girders. An armored pro-
tective deck inches thick extends over
the engines, boilers, and magazines,
sloping down forward and aft to the
extremities Of the vessel, protecting the
steering. gear aft aud meeting the bow at
the point of the ram. The stern Is
formed in a powerful ram and heavily
strenpthened. The redoubt upon the
main deck. enclosing the base of the
turrets and their gear, is y inches thick
and covered with l-inch plating over the
space not occupied by the turrets.
THE CELLULAR SYSTEM.
The hull is built entirely OF steel on
the cellular system. The double bot
tom extends under the engines, boilers,
and magazines Tor a length Of 100 feet.
and is divided beth longitudinally and
transversely into numerous water-tight
COMPARTMENTS, fitted for water ballast
SO that the vessel may be trimmed when
coal and stores are consumed. Great
strength is given to the structure by the
buIkheads and decks, the bulkheads di-
viding the hull into great number OF
water-tight compartments.
Engines.
The engines are placed in two COM
partments and the boilers in four, and
the magazines are in series OF central
midshipments, extending through the
boiler-rooms, thus bringing the amuni-
ton directly under tho guns and in the
most thoroughly protected part OF the
ship. The vessel Is entirely without
sails and sDars, being fitted with two
steel military masts, carrying four ma
chine-guns in Il 9 r top. The weight of
the armor in the vessel is l,2OO tons.
made by the Bethlehem Iron Company,
of Bethlehem. Pa, and will cost about
SG7O. OOO The weight of other steel
material in the hull is about 1900 tons.
The amount expended in labor upon
tine hull alone will not be far from
Sl,000,OOO.
TIE MAC HlkERY MADE HERE.
Ill stteR a. fnI u r.