The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-02-10
A NAVAL TERROR.
Tho Batticship Indiana Recently
Launched at Philadelphia.
She ~ the FIRST az Trio Of water Wal
Dogs that VIII Take Rank with
the Hest the Morid Has
lct Produced

ltt bFouuseu
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 5. The ponder
nus new battleship Indiana was
launched Wednesday at the ship yards
of William Cramp & Sons, on whose
docks the keel was laid May !. 1891.
Now that the great vessel is ahoat its
cquipmcn will follow as rapidly as
possible
In the building OF the new navy the
snccess which has rewarded our efforts
has been shown in the magnificent
cruisers that have commanded the adj
miration Of the world. The best. and
"A little better than the best the nations
Of the earth have turned out. perhaps.
has been claimed for our cruisers
claim not successfully disputed. Thus
being able to fight and run away"
with the best OF them. Uncle sam has
now turned his attention to the means
of logged fighting-no running at all
The Indiam is supposed TO embody
the acme of naval architecture and to
be the compccr Of anything aiioat
equal in point of guns and size. This
Indiana could lie alongside the most
powerful vessel in the world. give and
take aud if the ancient superiority of
American seamen is inherited, and the
modern promise OF American success in
shin. building has been realized. the
chances are that the Indiana would be
the one that would steam into port TO
tell the story The Indiana is intended
to cope with the most powerful vessel
afloat
The names Of the ships No. = and No.
which are TO come are the Massachu-
setts and the Oregon. Indiana is given
the honor Of having her name on the
first battle-ship of the new navy The
principal dimensions are:
Length on load line. feet .... ............. $40
Breadth. extreme. feet. --'..'.. "','
Dran.ht OF water tevel keel. feet ...... -
Displacement. tons -.....s. ~. -
Maximum speed. knots. ...+s-..+ lo.-
Sustained sea speed. knots. .......--.. - l3,U
Indicated horse power. tons ...----.+....+ WIZ
Normal coal supply. tons. .-..--..---...'.. 4oJ
The Indiana is built of steel 1t has
a double bottom for the distance of 1876
feet. extending for the length covered
by the machinery and magazine spaces.
Thus all the vital portions are amply
protected, and every feature is pro-
vided to enable il to cope successfully
with vessels of the heaviest armor and
armament
The forward and afterturrctsf for the
i3-inch guns mark the extremities OF
distractions upon the main deck; from
these points forward and aft to the
ends of the vessel. respectively, no
further obstacles present themselves 10
an uninterrupted fire. means having
been taken to remove or turn down
any crections which might obviatc this
end
Between the turrets for the 1S-inch
guns there is a superstructure in which
are placed the 6-inch guns, and above,
or upon the deck erected thereon, arc
placed the s-nch guns
a battery Of G-pounders is arranged
along the top Of the hammock berthine
and bridge, and l-pounders are placed
forward and aft on the berth deck.
The doubled-topped military mast i
cone-shaped, placed on top of the con
ming tower just abaft OF the forward
l3-inch turrct, two i-pounders being
placed in the lower and two Calling
guns in the upper tops respectively
There arc six powerful search light
arranged along the sides to locate tn
enemy at night and to guard agains
small boat attacks under cover of dark
ness.
The complement Of twelve boats an
one balsa are slowed well above tn
fash of the guns and are handled b
means Of powerful cranes
The armament is as follows:
Four i3-inch breech- loading rifles.
Eight sir ch breech-loading rifles.
Four 6-inch breech-loading rifles.
Twenty G-poundcr rapid-iire guns
Four l-pounder rapid-frc guns.
Four Calling guns.
Six torpedo tubes.
The four I3-inch and the eight Sine
guns are mounted in pairs within s.
turrcts two of which are erected upo
the main deck. and the remaining fol
upon supcrstructure deck. the lorm'
containing the larger and the latter Il
lesser guns
The G-inch guns have local protectic
in addition to splinter bullS-head
shields. and automatic shutters. III
tnrrcts are all mounted in rctort
The lH-inch guns are about Gig
teen feet above the water, and ha
an arc of fire sweeping across Z
deck and ~ degrees on both sides ba
iowa rd the center or body OF the shi
making total arc Of fire of a10 degre
for the guns in each Of these turrc
thus. as can be seen. giving a CONVEX
ing fire; /. e.. the power of training I
guns from both sides across the cent
line Of the ship, the projectilc CROSSE
the same before reaching the ends
tic vessel. The C-inch guns have
train Of ls5 degrees, and can cross
center line Of the ship. extended
yond the hull. within i.0 feet FRI
either end OF the vessel, showing u
the main battery can train within
distance Of about 700 feet on eitl
side Of the vessel.
The rapid-hrc guns are so arranf
shat a radiating fire Of shot around
vessel will destroy any vcnturcso