The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-21
c111rossr1,s FAST c1u1sEn.
The oiyu,p,. Is Ainost Ready Tor Her Trial
Trim Alcnr the Coast

The Oiyrnpin rs Alnoet Ready Tor baer Irtss
Trip Alone the Coast
WASHINGTON. Aug. 20. Tho finishing touches
arc now about to DO given at San francisco TO
one OF the finest protected cruisers ever COM
pleted in this country or anywhere else. Tho
Olympia. built by tho Union Iron Works. is the
largest unarmored cruiser ever undertaken In
our navy. excepting the Columbia and tho
Minneapolis. She has q displacement proba-
bly,. Of about 5000 tons. or 1000 In excess OF
the Baltimore's. Sho has O coal capacity OF
1900 tons. which gives her radius at 10
knots OF $4,000 mies, equal to tho armored
cruiser New York's. and much superior TO that
OF our other vessels now in commission. Sho
has a guaranteed speed OF 20 knots. which
was the same as contracted for in tho New
York, 80 that like the latter she may make II.
and In any case is expected to exceed the
guarantee. She has a sustained sea speed OF
10 knots. which lie far ahead Of what Is Gener-
ally found in vessels Of her class. and IL one OF
her distinctive features. Her powerful battery
is unusually we'll protected. and her defensive
strength Is great throughout.
Thus. for all around qualities and especially
for coal endurance. sustained seq speed and
gun protection. the Olympia is so remarka able
as to make her approaching addition to the
vessels available matter OF congratulation.
She was authorized nearly five years ago.
under Secretary Whitneys administration. by
tho net OF Sept. Z. 1883. which called for q
cruiser OF about $500 tons displacem emit
The House Committee. In recommending her.
noted that twenty knots had boon made by
Spain's famous Reina ReEente. That vessel,
which took part In our recent naval review.
had then lately been built by the Thompsons.
and was tho type aimed ar In the Olympia.
which, however Is about 800 tons larger. has
a different battery. and Is otherwise quite dif-
ferent in details. There was long delay in
were not called for until April 10, 1890, nor
opened until June 10. following. The Union
Iron Works Of San Francisco was the only bid.
der. Offering to construct the vessel on Its own
ior 81, 10000. The latter bid, being within
accepted. and the contract was signed July 10.
1890. The vessel was to have been completed;
6y her eSntraet on Aprl last sp T Sa al
The contractors offered at their own expense
to lengthen the Olympia ten foet to secure
80 sefcs iN MI load t1 line y
Will, ~. feet draught displae!ng $500 t9
i large .on superstructure snidskips She has
sht q and enough s sa
IS ieet forward and Il ait: She has com plete
protective deck Of four and three quarter
Inches on the flat throughout Above this
belt Of INV Weterexeladins substance two and
three quarter inches thick. and rising to four
feet above the water line In addition. the
snd mao WITH ooa
giving more protection near the water line.
ten rapid-hre 5-inch guns: The former. are
mounted on the main deck forward and oft II
elevated barbettes four inches thick. With
equivalent conical turrets. are about ten feet
The AMMUNITION tube has three inches Of steel
shields four inches thick. and are 50 mounted
III asssa n
tains fourteen ., FOUNDER rapid Are guns With
Gatiinss. there is az flxed torpedo tube in the
bow another IN the stern. and two training
Turning to, the mnchinery., we fnd twin
screw vertical inverted. direot-acting, triple
expa . On. three, cylinder Engines II two wa
eters are ~, Sc. and % inches. respectively.
with a 42-inch stroke. The air and circulating
two main oniensers. each having. about $50
square feet OF cooling surface. and two auxil.
ss na
engines is expected to be $500. at d29 reyolu-
San Francisco. built by the same Arm.
There are four dow ble-snded and two single
former having eight furnaces each and the
single-ended four They can all be worked
room system. and are about 15N feet In out
side diameter, the doub le.ended being 21h
feet long and the e feet ~
the total CRATE SURFACE S24 square feet and
the heat ting surface %. 500 square feet
vent lation are complete. and the vessel is
fitted as flagship, while besides the quarters
for the Admiral and tho Captain there are
staterooms for sixteen wardroom officers.
berths for twelve junior officers. and rooms for
alton for the crew: the Complement 1 Is 4ga
The Olympia is II splendid vessel Of the COM
merce destroyer type. and her high sustained
make her valuable ship for the Pacific. where
her first tour OF duty at least will presumably