New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-24
DESCRIPTION OF TIE VICTORIA.
ONE OF THE FIVE BRITISH BATTLEsilIPS OF
TIE FIRST CLASS-HER DEFECTIVE
llOTON GUNS

tanpcruOWn, Nile, SinS Idith an"
total number OF vessels included In the pfosran''"c
I'm 1850 was forty three among them being the hrSt-
class protected cruisers Blake and Blcnheim three
second class and six thrdclass protected cruiser "
torpedo depot ship seven torpedo Sunpoats' ii' ~
ton gunboats OF the first class, ana Vessels OF o'"'
classas When the vessel named In honor OF Vu'''
Victoria was launched she the greatest Of al
hatt,eshins aaoat and in the size OF her guns the
thickness OF her armor plating and the power oi
her on Qnes there was nothing Ike her lhere WIZ
some cruisers With engines OF little greater Po"''.
but none had the guns nor the armor pFo'co'''" V.
the Victoria A few tatleshils mounted guns U,
equal Size but the Victoria was without rNa'
theoretically.
But til. Victoria has not had an cnvlaple recoru
from the first and has been a vessel Of much MS
fortune She was built at the works OF Sir william
Armstrong at Ellwlck, on the Tyne, ana ner W
mensions are as follows: Length over an GOV
feet; between perpcndiculars. 30 ieet' pre"u."
of BEAM seventy feet: displacement io'a'T
tons: horsepower $1,000; and when ioSo''
With coal, stores and amnunition sue draws "'a''
six feet nine Inches of water. she was ar''" "'S'
OF all with two rihcd cannon that weigh lio 'o"H
c,ch the diameter Of tho bore being sixteen ana oh'
onartcr inches, and the total length oil "r gun
forty three feet. The projcctile hred from '"'''
guns weighs 900 pounds. and the charge oil po"oer
that propels 1t weighs 900 pounds-n'arN nal ''',
Of powder to s-nt one proiccc on Its mission am
fine nominal range Of this weapon is sixteen miles
IN evcn ~ the vessel did draw too much water 10
cross sandy Hook bar. she could co;ne near eho:n
70 send death dealing prorces Into me f"'"
Avenue Hotel These Two great llooh H"'s WV
mounted I'm a turre, placed well forward Oh 'l' wv"
OF the Ship and projected with seventeen '''".
,hcsness NJ steel armor. The bottom Of this turre'
was inclosed and protected by steel wall OF p'i
,o,te n,odc Of eehtccnlnch steel plates; ana 'ii'
waiI extended into tho ship far "noueh 10 P'o"''
,hc machinery that rcvolvci the tnrre' am h''S''
the ammunition. To handle these guns lou" "'"
aim them there were twenty nine hydrauic 'hs''N'
including pump, OF 1000 horse power am wv wv
over which the guns could b. fired cA'eha'' "o"'
80 degrees abait the beam on one %n'' "r"n'' Wv
IN, bow 4, 30 degrees abnft The beam on the outer
side. ,
To begin WITH these great ll0ton guns prov"
failures one, Of them being bent or having h'r ""'
dro, ping and tho other showing dangerous "'"'.
-r william Armstrong explained that ue "'""i'"7 "
the muzrlc was due to the fact uat whei VIZ sn'
uas mounted II was put Oh carriage that did nor sup
mort IL properly, and II saggrd 0f us """
I'm, no maintained that even II tho muzzle dld ofoop
n. cunners would simply have to civ" tho "e'Po"
a ina. more elevation and the proleciic womb "r
riyc nj lis destination Just the same INV WIS "'
no, all tho trouble. for. ~ m"nnted III vi" "'''''
was necessary to fire ID" guns when tb' "'"'"
directly above tho deck. This was o""' WIN
1n.so,,us sIx,v. seven ton gun and the conclusion
Of ia, discharge
whom the fnli power of the Mast from the gum "','
81. d ard ruincd A part ~ the G'ck Ia" r'"''
.s fla, order, were gwen that 'h" Victoria guns
.hou,d never be fired except when r"'h''" SP',"
.hOom N A. 10 get the mulilcs rs iar from Tue SNIP
~ possible. mia, . ,o.,nc,
4, che stern Of the ship was mount" i '''"'
1ec ar,nc prolcctilc weighing quarter 20
~, n charge Of go pounds OF powder ih'N gun
was mounted within supcrsirnc'hre' VI "''""
.,,ha, TX. tho superstructurcs Of IN" BoS'o" """
atlanta OF the American Navy. when 'ui' gun ""'
arcd the first time. and square an th'
20 dovn the entire bulklcal Of Tie aum''a
,l, ON the surcrstruciure were mounted i
broad side guns twelve 6nch rifles oala"' u '"''"
ing .3pound procc'cs. and these guns PsoI,'"
-, .o.,,o,ae nro,cctel with shctprOof shutters
=, oddition 70 these guns the Victoria carried t""E
little rifles or rapid firing guns. capnb'e Vi 'o"'"e
IA dozen G-pound st'e bolts minute "'n " =
mower and accuracy. besides numerous III" .
numbering guns becsusc VI ia" hall oil u'"" '""'
,h.v could shower upon nh enemy. Inc greatest
otureh, u, ion vas felt concerning the iio'o" e''''
v,ich cost slO0OOo each II any ole u the went!
rinc hydraulic engines should get disabled the system
would be destroyed and the guns prnc'ic"US 'Pn w.
rho discharge would also take place less than SHY
feet from the c,nnins tower. where stands The com
manccr II the ship. and IL was O'he'Vu TIA" -"
effect We ld br disastrous 10 HIM .
The vessel was built of the b. st Steel AM '''o a." VI
tho improyemcn,s combining strength and saley D1'
fhe style Of construction low irceDoard i"r""'
and aft, with the superalric,nre amd'hip' "''''
her scaworthincs matter OF some doubt. IN ,"i
ias ,,,,h ,hcs" low forward md ait frceboards
haye mad their mess dcch- anoat even Whc' 9l'niS
en- , ,nnd,ruc sea. Worse than thai, III 'n' iV'o,,
mo%co,iVrcs OF the British fleet the waves not ohiy
sven, over their forccastcs. but they GOVERN e
baIbctrs above the turr"l IS VIII, uic' 'u ~,
nbnyc n and rushing ait. swainpri inc ""i"r"o"'
any vii he observed in the cut that the vessel had
milf tDu'll.t-l>fU
machine guns for hring down upon IN cnrmy aiS21
two smok. pipes In addition TO tac nr'ior Oh anu
nr"rcctiye belt shield Of steel eighteen Inches
dick extending from thr main deck a"T, n. 20 Tbs
Held was I52 feet long and placed along the central
part Of the ship on '@ca Gr 90 cnc M DING The
"n IS Of these shields or belts terminated IN h,,H
hwarship buehcad tn" mann pe' ard T wav MADE
| 81 stee plates three inches thick, supporter ny
beams below tina. shots striking tn" deck w'nia TO-
guns in the supcrStruc,ur" was much less th'h III
o'ngr mronrIlnr apparatus was composed Of twin
screws each sixteen cot In diameter driven ~ tIip!
expansion engines hn nnar fore nS dnu 70 ,hn p in
smooth water Of sixteen and three u,rt"r hno.s. i'r
coal bnkcrs held 900 tons Of r"'i or 'I nr o 10
mil.s NJ cruising speed. She lighted thronghont by
clcc,,rn end her guns cona pc mr co E rarrr loo
rounds Of ammunition for her lotion guns
The Victoria grounded mar Mnn aarnh I' unI"r
the severe shock produced by the vessel r'hnng on
n >,ck at n speed Of rlnc knots. but the dainng
done was purely local In character ana IN" repairs
,CIlc Who saw the beautiful and stately Blak''
ao,sh,n NJ tho British squadron at the Naval Kevi"w
Vctnri, wms nearly I,CO0 tons larger, bearing about
The same relation TO the Blake that tue bntieshipN
,md,owa and Oregon benr to the arnord cruiser New
Y"r% indsed. The Victoria WINS 81 about the same
dimensions the Indiana but IN, n,,r Sslne a %,
Inc English ship which had her sister In The sans,
parcil The CaJnpcrdown resembles W. ..,'' ,
| that vsscl.
EAGER TO SEE THE VICTORIAS MODEL
srrrorxDED by THoUsANDS OF VISITORS AT