The Forrest City times., 1893-06-16
 THE MASSACHUSETTS.
Tho Launching of the Great Battle-Ship Massachusetts at the Cramps Yards-A Sister Ship of the Indiana and Oregon Powerful War Engine.


 Massachusetts at the Cramps Yards-A
 Sister Ship of the Indiana and Oregon
 Powerful War Engine.
 PHILADELPHIA, June II. - The big battle-ship Massachusetts was success fully launched from the ship yard at the Cramps at 9:59 o'clock, in the pres ence of Secretary of the Navy Her bert, AttorneyGeneral Olney, the lat ter representing the state of Massa- chusetts, number of distinguished naval and army officers. and multi tude of 15, 900 people. Miss Leila Her bert, daughter of the head of the navy department, christened the yes vel with the customary and prettily- decorated bottle of champagne.
 The Massachusetts is the second of the three 10 200-ton battleships which were authorized 10 be constructed during Secretary Tracys term as the head of the naval department She Is the sister ship to the Indiana recently launched by the Cramps and to the Oregon, now being built at San Francisco, and her lead ing characteristics are great battery power and her enormously heavy armor, which is IS inches thick at the water line.
 The redoubts, which project 3la feet above the main deck, and protect the turning gear of fhe turrets, are Y inches thick as also are the turrets themselves. There is heavily-sloping steel protective deck 4ts feet below the water line, at the sides, while coal bunl1ers are worked over the belt deck, and cofferdams of water-excluding material are placed on the slopes of the armor deck forward and aft.
 There is powerful ram below. The armored coming tower is of l0-inch plates. The mli- tary mast has two tops for rapidfre machine guns, the ammunition for which is sent to them inside the masts. Many water-tight compart- ments aid the defensive strength of the vessel. Admirable as is the protective strength of the Massae husetts. even more striking if possible is her aggressive power. She can throw at single discharge 6ssi pounds of projectiles or nsore than three tons with total energy of ffo.o0o foot tons.
 The armament will consist of four l3.inch eight s-inch and four 6-inch breech-loading rifles, twenty 6pounders and four 1-pounder rifles, four Gatling guns and six torpedo tubes. The l3inch guns are to be mounted in pairs in two turrets, one forward and one aft The turrets are at such a height that the guns are r feet inches above the load water line and fasr drove the derk, over which they fire. Jhe guns ean be loaded in any position or horizontal train. which advantage is possessed by few. if any foreign battle-ships the largest guns of which can be loaded in one position only.
 The snch guns are to be mounted in pairs in armored turrets. They are to be 24 feet g inches above the water, and can fire over the turrets on the deck below. The 6-inch guns are to be mounted IA feet 10 inches above the water on the main deck without any super structure.
 AS to speed the contract requirement. is sustained average, through the trial. of Is knots. The engines of the Massachusetts. which are to develop 9.00o-horse power at the maximum are of the twin-screw vertical. triple expansion, direct acting inverted cylinder type in watertght compartments. separated By bulk heads. The diameters of the cylinders are High pressure. 34I. inches: intermediate, ss inches. There are four doubleended and two single ended auxiliary steel boilers of the Horizontal. retm n-fire tubetype. all constructed for a working pressure of l60 pounds per square inch
 Electric light and ventilation are properly cared for. and the system of draina ge is simplifed. while any compartment can be pumped out either by hand or steam. The quarters for the officers and crew are unusually eommodious and comfortable, and from stem to stem the vessel will be fitted with all the latest Improvements adapted 10 the steamers. The Massachusetts has a length of 34S feet a breadth of 69A. feet. and mean drlught of e4 feet. giving her displacement of 10 200 tons. Her draught is suited for some Of the shal- lower harbors, and yet she can take the sea in all weathers.
 The Cramps secured the contract for the varshp ostober ]. ls9o, on q bid of s, ,020 0oo.