New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-30

double bottom Is divided aud subdi, ded 10y longitudinal
and transverse frames 50 that there are seventy Two
water light compartments The inner hull Is further
subdiyded by water-tight bukheads. both Longitudinal
and transverse Another feature Of this new weapon
that IS 10 wage peculiar kind OF warfare is the re-
moyl forged steel rsmhead accurately ftted that
It may be securely held In position on the castste'l
stempOst.
The atcrlals Of construction OF this vcs'el-kerl
plates, frames protective decks. arm0r plating. ma
chinery. boilers. guns. etc-are wholly OF domestic
manufacture, and every penny expended upon her.
and that may yet be expended from the labor OF TAX
ing the coal aud iron from the earth TO her finished
c.,. hus been and will be- for the Interests OF Amer
can wOrkr7en and their families and for developing
American industries. And when put III commission
she will be Yankee ship With u snker crew. ready
10 defend Yankee soil and Yankee homes aud insiu
tons. ...
TN. motive power consists OF two sets OF horizontal
trIple.exranson engines. The steam generators are
two double. ended and one sIngle-ended cylindrical
horizontal ny--tube boilers placed In water tight com
partmrnts There Will be complete installation 81
electric lights. sufficient for lighting all parts VI lie
vessel It Is arranged that the vessel NAV be snb
merged to her lighting trim by means OF fourteen y
inch Kingston outboard valves. In each transverse
waternght compartment of tue double bottom and
suce valves are fitted In the vertical keel aud water
tight longtudlnas In these compartments
tn. accommodations for both officers and men will
be rooniy and comfortable aS can be- made OH any
vessel OF similar build. The quarters for the officers
will be on the after berth deck. Just abat the engine
room bulkhead. and the wardroom has seven stat"
rooms and q pantry. The forward berthdech. Is hr'
signed entirely for the but there Is an apartment
abaft the officers quarters which may be nsed rs au
ditionnl berthlng space for portion OF the crew
II was AT first planned that this defence ram should
hay. no armament but that she should bc built to
rely entirely upon ramming for her Offensive power
II has since determined. however 10 mount four
G.pound"r rapd-hring guns upon her. IL Is PROB
abb. that her ram bow will be fitted for discharXinS
automobile torpcdoes against An enemy As VIII be
observed BY to the cut. the bow Is shaped
like Il parabolIc spindle his IS 10 give E'e"'e'
strength for rammng purposes. Her cross secuoS
are appro xmate ovals-her deck resembling III shape
a whales lack-thc draught OF water being sucn tnat
there will be little frccboard The rounded upper sur
fcc is 81 heavily armorcd turtleback that hostile
hots will be readily detected The only projections
above the deck are the coming tower. smokeppe.
vcntilators. hatch comhnss and the skid beams upon
which the boats will be supported. She Is In fact an
automobile floating proIectlle.
Tho WAR value of this old arm Of destruction.
the RAM was fully appreciated by Admiral Ammeh
during the Civil War. II was first used In March,
s6a when the old fiGae Mcrrimnc (Which. after her
cnnr tv the Confederates at the Norfolk Navy Yard
In 1so1 wa, converted into the Virginia. going
a, a four knot speed in Hampton Roads. strnch the
lcate Cumberland twice and sunk her at her anchor
ars Ram TACTICS we're tried on the Monitor the fol
loving day but were not quite 50 successful lpoSe
who can recall the battle OF LISA. In July. 1856 VIII
remember the rammng OF the ltalinn iron-clad Re
ditaIia by the Austrian iron,clad Ferdinand Ma
under the direction OF the Austrian admiral Inc mr.;
Now carecned the italian vessel until the gnnwale
vent under and NJ the second ramming The Re
T,a)a went down and a large number Of the officers
and crew were lost with her The Austrian vessel
was wooden ship with only hye inches OF iron plat,
nther successful attacks with the ram may be mon
Toned that Of the Russian iron clad kreml when she
sni,idoT when sho rammcd and almost sunk her con
sort the Lazaron. In 1871 the fatal rammlng OF nc
corvette Fernando IL CatOco by the spanish ironclnd
Sumanc,a in ara the sinking OF the clad Grosscr
Knrfurst by the Of the Ronis wilhelm In is ,
ram how for war vessels, and II Is believed by the
leading ofcers II the Navy that rams ana not guns