The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-16
[cut copyrighted by Once Week.

| [Cut copyrighted by Once Week.
renee and the gulf, where number are
constantly in commission, and where
| they may be sent from England at any
| time, the United States has put two
flake defenders Arbor No. and
Ann Arbor No. Pinto service. The
Canadians do not like this, and they cry
out quite as loudly against these two
boats as the United States previously
cried out against the British gunboat.
The new vessels have peaceful mis-
sion to perform, however, during peace
full times. They are to be used to carry
freight cars across Lake Michigan for the
Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan
railroad from Frankfort. Mich. to Ke-
waunee, Wis, but they may be converted
into warships in two hours time.
The defenders measure 267 feet in
length and SO feet beam. Each draws
normally 10 feet of water, with a dis
placement Of 1850 tons. Each ship has
three screws, placed one on each quarter
and one in the bow. The lower tips of
the propeller blades are flush with the
keel, and this renders it impossible for
the propeller to touch ground below the
keel The three separate engines of the
horizontal compound type with which
each vessel is furnished are all placed be-
low the water line.
The forward screw is designed ex-
pressly for crushing ice, and the hulls of
the ships are shaped with especial refer
ence to rising above and breaking down
the ice in order to enable the work Of
the boats to continue during the winter.
The hull construction is of oak up to
two feet above the water line. At the
water line a belt of iron extends all
around the vessel, having uniform
width of six feet. In the bow, extend
ing aft to the distance of 10 feet, is
massive backing of oak. There is extra
oak backing under all the beams along
the water line, and a steel cord running
entirely around the vessel, ''nipping" to-
gether the oak backing, adds strength
longitudinally.
The battery of these two ships may be
made up of as heavy ordnance rifles as
may be desired by the navy department.
owing to the decks being very much
stronger than those Of the majority OF
lake vessels. In the opinion of the naval
boards, rendered after careful inspection,
10 6-inch high power ordnance rifles,
or 50-ton breechloading guns. may be
mounted on either of these vessels. If
the 6-inch rifles were used, one would
be placed on each bow and quarter and
amidships. If 50-ton guns are used.
they will be placed in turrets.
In case there is ever occasion for the
use of these vessels in a warlike manner
that plan will be decided upon which
will admit of the quickest and most eff
Gent conversion. 1t is proposed to build
three more ships of the same type, max
ing five in all. Owing to the remarka-
BILE maneuvering powers which these
vessels will possess because of the three
screws and their heavy armament, it
will be next to impossible for any ordi-
nary gunboat to successfully oppose
them. AS hammers they will be well
nigh invincible, especially when pitted
against any one Of the unwieldy propel-
Ter type of vessel which the British gov
ernment proposes to convert into war
ships.
The new defenders" would be able to
run entirely around one of these big YES
Eels, which would also labor under an