Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-03-10
OUR BIGGEST VESSEL
The Huge Indiana Successfully
Launched at Philadelphia.
Full Description Of Our FIRST
Real Battleship.

The great United States battle-snlp indi-
ana was successfully Launched at the snip
yard of the William Cramp & Sons Com
pany, Philadelphia, Penn, in the presence
of thousands of people, among them the
President of the United States, several
members Of the Cabinet and quite large
delegation Of Congressman and Others
The Presidential party came from w asn-
ington Oh a special train over the Baltimore
ana Ohio Railroad. Among the visitors
were Secretary OF the Navy Tracy, fosI-
master-General Wanamaker, AttorneS'
General Miller and his daughter Miss Jes
sic, the fair christener; Senators voorhees,
and Turpie, of Indiana lin honor or WHICH
State the vessel Is namedJ, and others
The christening party proceeded TO Where
the battle ship lay and took posltlons Oh
raised platform at the bow.
Just as the 1900 tons of steel started GOWN
the incline Miss Miller broke the customary
bottle of champagne, it being encased IN a
beautifully hand-painted and emoroiderel
satin cover, across the bow and firmly SAID:
IL christen t1ee Indiana"
Whistles shrieked, bells rang and the
crowd cheered and waved haldkerchlsiS ana
flags.
The huge coast defence ship slid down the
well-greased ways with comparative rapid
ity and struck the smooth waters OF the
Delaware River with force that sent waves
high into the air, Then she was tOWed Oack
to the wharves and in about year Will De
ready for service and turned over TO the
Government
The keel Of the Indiana was laid on May
z 1891, being the first of the three vessels
authorized by the act Of Congress approved
June 80, 1890. The principal dimensions
are: Length of load line, 34S feet; extreme
beam, 90 feet inches; draught on level kSsl,
"a feet. The vessels displacement will be
10, 2S5 tons. She is built OF steel and has a
Io& TOW 6iSto of q e
tending for the length covered by the ma
chinery and magazine spaces.
Thus all the vital portions are amply pro-
tscted, and every feature is provided to ena-
BILE her to cope successfully with vessels OF
the heaviest armor and armament. The
armament of the Indiana is four thirteen
inch breecn-oading rifles, eight eight-inch
breech-loading rifles. nine six-inch breech-
loading rifles twenty six-pounder rapid tre
guns four one-pounder rapid fire guns, four
Calling guns, six torpedo tubes.
All the guns are protected by the latest
inventions from the fire Of an enemy. The
rapid-fire guns are so arranged that radl-
ating fire of shot may be thrown around the
vessel. The four thirteen-inch and the eight
eight-inch guns are mounted in pairs within
six turrets, two Of which are erected upon
the main deck and the remaining four
upon the superstructure deck, the former
containing the larger and the latter the les
ser guns. The turrets are all mounted IN
redoubts.
The armor of the Indiana, which was
made at the works of the Bethlehem Iron
Company is the heaviest that was ever
placed on an American warship.
The following figures show the thickness
of the plating: Thickness of the side belt is
Is inches thickness of end diagonal belt IA
inches, thickness of thirteen-inch breech-
loading rife redoubts II inches, thickness
of eight-inch breech-loading rifle redoubts
inches and 10 inches, thickness of coming
tower 10 inches, thickness of coming tower
tube Z inches thickness of easement 3
inches, thickness of eight-inch breech-
loading rifle turrets S5 inches and inches,
thickness of six-inch breech-loading rife
local protection 5 inches. thickness of
twenty FOUNDER local protection inches,
thickness OF armor deck 2.75 inches and 3
inches.
In addition to the arrnor protection the
engines will be protected by the coal in the
bunkers, measuring twelve feet on each
side back of the side armor. Each boiler and
engine is in a separate watertight compart-
ment, in order to localize any possible IN"
jury. The engines are Of the twln-screW,
vertical, triple-expansion, inverted cylinder
type.
Inc diameter of the cylinder is as follows;
High pressure, 3d. inches: inter mediate, 4S
inches: low pressure, IS inches; stroke, ~
inches. There are four double-ended boilers,
1Sx15 inches in diameter, and two single
ended boilers donkey S14x10 inches in di-
ameter The normal coal supply is 400 TONS
but a coal bunker capacity of 1900 tons is
provided.
The vessel, according to contract. must
develop speed of sixteen knots per hour,
and thus with full coal supply will be able
to steam for ten days, giving her a radius
of action of about 1000 knots. The compile
ment of the vessel, officers and crew will BE-
$50 persons. Good quarters and accommo-
dations are provided for them, and all the
latest sanitary improvements will be placed
on the battle ship.
The Indiana IS designed especially as q
vessal to fight and to do no running away at
ALL and is is the opinion Of those acquainted
with marine architecture as applied to war
ships that she will answer fully the purpose
LOT which she was built.