The sun., 1893-08-08
NOW roR THE MINNEAPOLIS.
The Fast sister ship Of the Coiur,bia 20 be
Launched IN n Few Days,


Launched In Few Days.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 7.-The next vessel OF our
new navy to take to the water is the Minneap-
ola. whose launching from the yard OF the
Messrs. Cramp In Philadelphia was somo time
ago appointed for the end OF this week.
This splendid cruiser. while In most re-
spects a duplicate OF the Columbia, yet DIFF
fers n little in detail from her sister ship.
Notably the heating surface OF her boilers has
been increased about IA per cent above that
OF her predecessor. 80 that this total surface
ia the enormous one OF 4p24S square feet,
which is equal to IL acres. Her peculiar
features. like those OF the Columbia. are hor
extraordinary coal endurance and her high
speed. Tho Minneapolis will have a total coal
bunker capacity OF 400 tons. In speaking OF
these vessels Secretary Tracy declared that
with maximum speed OF twenty-two knots
an hour and sustained sea speed OF twenty
ono knots they can safely be counted on, in
any ordinary sea. to overtako any commerce
destroyer, any commerce protector. or any
mercantile vessel now aloat while their abil-
ity to cruise for great distances without re-
coalinR makes them a peculiarly important
addition to navy destitute OF coalinE sta
tions abroad" Ho also pointed out that their
triple screws were very advantageous for
economical cruising at easy speed.
OF March .. 1891. and bids for her construc-
ton were called for nine days later. They
wero opened Juno 1. and all were within the
limit OF 50, 100000 prescribed by Congress as
the cost exclusive OF armament. The Union
Iron Works Of San Francisco had offered to
build her for S2.703,O00: Cramp & Sons for
81. .745 900. and the Bath Iron Works for
S2.60o.00o. 1t was found. however. that the
Bath firm did not have tho plant for building
the engines Of the ship. and proposed to sub
let the contract for them. They also did not
expect to build tho ship IN less than three
years. whereas the proposed contract pre-
scribed two years. Up to that time. ALSO they
had not completed ship for the navy. SO that
sci further disposed Secretary Tracy 10 give
the contract to the Messrs, Cramp whose
were already engaged in constructing ' SIS sis.
ter ship. the Columbia. having all the pat
terms terms and and H moplds ready. could certainly
the way to the decision actually adopted
te s snrea the to nfe eoD HSr bid
was signed Aug. ii. is5I: OF course the ves. @ae
that date; but. ali things considered. good
progress has been made. and the Minneapolis
will at least s leave the Ways well within the two
tract time are $75 for each day during q stipu-
lated period: I'll then they become sl5O a day.
alties,, but there are usually liberal allowances
for delays ascribahle to changes made by the
terial. Besides. the premium for exceeding
the guaranteed speed is $4,000 on each quar-
ts kFo or SO that bc NsW hs
ti9s penalties: It is true that . IS shortsonins ns
tractors heavily for each quarter knot. but
the Cramps; fa who have = earned large sums as
py
and more than that time has been taken,
The Minneapolis has length on load line OF
dT4uSht oi 2254. Giving her q dsplasemsnt
usual cellular construction, and special care
has been taken TO insure her stability by small
sRouIa o hss # the
the vessel to any perilous extent there would
still be the tanks within and above the double
poses. The vitals OF the ship are thoroughly
protected, the steel deck @ being @ inches thick
Carried the s so that ah t
ems the bow and protects the steering gear.
q, The engines Of are special feature
sets OF them. Of the triple expansion. vertical.
Inverted t,y cylinder type the dametess Of the
Ws nch srokee nSke
minute they are to develop an aggregate Of
double ended. and are eight in number. placed
in four water light commitments. They are Of
steel and are constructed for working pres
Minneapolis would have in chasing a fast
transatlantic lin is described by Mr. Wilson,
formerly Chief Constructor ot the navy:
In tho Liners" comparatively slow moving ma.
ehlnery nitsd these in turn req Ire propslers Of
ron hH % m1. be Srouant sat aSi
n sy
siderab!y causing large reduction in the speed OF
sysr msehnsry much prss piston s %"I
parts instead OF two. AZ the diameter
81 the screws is argey reduced. giving them goo
be immersed in almost All conditions This would tell
and would the Of
greater length possessed by the vessel built for COM
Finally. the Minneapolis will carry in her
main battery one S-inch rife and two 6-inoh
and eight t-inch rariH n fire guns while her
and four Gatingss., She viii also have iiye
sufficient for all the purposes for which she is
designed.
Tho Philadelphia Heard from mt Calla0-
The Fire On Hoard she Atlanta.
WASHINGTON. Aug. Much anxiety and
doubt were cleared away to-day Mt the Navy
Department by the receipt OF cable message
from Capt. Barker. commanding tho cruiser
saying that his vessel arrived at
Callao from Rio de Janeiro this morning. The
had not been heard from since
July 8. when her arrival at Rio was reported.
with the information that she would sail
thence Immediately for Callao. 1t is custom
airy for Captains to wire the departure Of their
vessels on long cruises. but Capt Barker
failed to make report. About that time cable
between the United States
and Brazil was Interrupted on account Of
the Brazilian revolution. and 1t was sup
posed that this prevented the transmits
sion OF despatch telling that the yes-
sci had left for Callao But when three
weeks went by and nothing had been heard |
Of the Philadelphia. Navy Department officials |
began to get anxious. Itappears from Capt. |
Barker's despatch that the Philadelphia did |
not leave Rio until July II. He says that the !
vessel arrived at Callao twenty days and eigh- |
teen hours from Rio. with all we'll on board. |
orders are awaiting Capt; Barke at Callao d.
vessel to Apia. Samoa to represent this Gov |
ernmsnt's interests in the Sam oan protectorate.
AS a result Of the IRE on board the Atlanta |
on July u and the unsatisfactory condition OF |
The cruiser as shown by the recent survey the |
OF the Navy has ordered u court OF |
t,,-x ,NSfh fha rtrto -