The sun., 1893-06-05
1Hs BATTLE SHIP xAssAcHUsErrs
A. Ar--orrd Frsht,ne ship th.t Csa Throw
Three Tous OF Proieetiies at oue Discharge.

| Three Tons OF Proieetiies at Oue Discharge.
| wasHrSoroS. June 4-The launch OF the
| steel coast.line battle ship Massachusetts. set
down for the present week. will be the nrst
| ceremony OF the sort under Mr.. Herberts ad-
| ministrntion. and. very appropriately. thero-
| fore, his daughter has been selectedto ehristen
| the fine new vessel
| The Massachusetts, is the second OF the three
great 1o.2oO-tonners which Secretary Tracy
added TO the navy. Her leading charaeteris-
tics ap thick armor and enormous battery
power. As 10 tho former the water-line belt
| is IL inches thick and extends along three
fourths OF the ship turning in forward and AFT
and sweeping around the base OF tho redoub bta
| 1t has q breadth OF IN feet. 3 feet above and
| ~ below the water line. The rsdoubts which
| project 81 feet above the m ain deck and pro-
| tect the turning gear OF the turrets, are II
inches thick, as also are the turrets them
| selves There is q heavy sloping steel pro-
tectlve deck IA feet below the water line at the
| sides, while coal bankers are worked over the
belt deck, and cofHerdams OF water-excluding
material are placed on the slopes OF the srmor
deck forward and aft Above the belt armor
and extending from redoubt to redoubt the
side is protected by > inches OF steel. The
deck over the belt Is 2E inches. AMI at the
ends the underwater decks are inches.
These decks are N ade up OF two thick esses
o! h-inch mild steel plates. with the REM aiming
thickness In a single plate OF steel armor.
There Is q powerful ram bow. The armored
coming tower is OF 1O-inch plates Tho MILL
tAry mast has two tops for rapid FIRE and ma
chine guns. the ammunition for which 10 sent
to them inside the mAsts. Many water light
compartments aid the defensive strength OF
the vessel. and the bow and stern above her
protective deck could be shot away without
sndAngering her safety.
Admirable as Is the protective strength OF
the Massachusetts,. especially with our armor
plates. the best in the world. even more strik-
ing. II possible. is her aggressive power. She
en- Of AZ ;hsn i6ts ion p9nfd
total energy OF 2lC.Cou foot tons. Secretary
tsay ho; a. a9a tn:
The battery Of The battle ship. 1: TIE hsavie.. and
Sh, , ssIss 81 10 sss @ ~ e.5sS ;Ay BY
gaAs ]; te.!'".tA terrific er.ct Above tie sruared
'.ae sn;' Is ., r.T"s .S
F Tn rhra ere 1 sS .s,, t5s iSase TGt
~ % ofT.ii n and Al and nIS on S:,l tSo.a S
;.ssn the ,Sfrst. s zee, .SoS. The water Inn. and
spea rns IN, isss a,,.S mi.se.n r.fss he .Smo:
o many oiern ships. Foar oineh guns com psie the
Even these 6.inch guns are protected by FIVE
inches cf armor. The secondary battery In
c.u!es twenty U-noundsr and four / pounder
as TO discharge hundSsds Of proiectIles every
minute upon torpedo boats or other craft that
torredo ,uaes. one at the bow. one at the stern.
ana two on each broadside. and these are for
o Il msS !. hs
twenty two Inches OF steel at tho distance Of
one mile. Taxing together their offensive and
defensive power not only are the Nsssachu.
setts and her mates the principal element of
;ary Tracy ie!t justified in declaring. toon
after they ware, begun. that their equal as
day They will mover have occasion 70 run
from hostile Feet OF equal or even slightly
VIII that heet l. composed
Since armor and armament have been 50
much empha-izet In the Massachusetts, and
and coal endurance they are not SO distin-
guished. Yet in these respects they are be-
line Eat:e ships As to spec speed the ECO Contract II % re-
9GiEement Is a sustained average, through the
A 81 .ssn rhs .ssns. sns
sets. which are to develop a.Uoo horse power
at the maximum. are Of tho twin screw verti;;
Separated by bu!kheaas. The dsme'ers s tf otths
termedia,e. ~ in ches low pressure. IS inches.
with stroke OF - inches. There are four
Steel boilers o. tho horizontal. return fre.tubs
type all constructed for a worEtng pressure OF
H. H.. tounds Re: sa,aIe insh ,, There Is a .o,s!
main. and 1887 IN the auxiliary boilers. With
crate surface Of 5o2 square feetin the form
Iles;rtc liGh! and ventilation are properly
cared for; and the system Of drainage is sim;
out either by hand or steam. The Captain has
Joining bath rooms. so that an Admiral using
the Massachusetts as q flagship would find
comfortable quarters. There are sixteen
watdroom state rooms on the berth deck open
room mess room. This mess room is lighted
from aooYs: and is aGainst tho side OF the
furnished with ali the necessary sinks
Ing food warm after it is brought from
tag ETHey. The .wardroom officers have
a lavatory. a.ted with tubs and shower baths.
The junior officers have q large compartment
similar 10 the wardroou mess room. aud tho
torpedo room adjoining will be made as a
that Of a wardroom. on the forward berth
deck Is @rge room FOR terthing tho crew:
many can e berthed elsewhere. while shower
baths "a vel, as wash basins are provided for
sions for a larrer crew than Is pronos.a Smr-
Ing three or four months
Such are the leading features Of the Massa-
were 3pened Oct. !. 1880 and the Cramps OF
Phi!ade!phia secured the Indiana and Mafsa-
Works OF san Francisco for S3.lSO.O0O. the
Gs Rs sses ss ssf sGss 81
the transportation Q! some material which
gould only Ds obtained In the East The
breadth Of ,l.s.. and a mean drausht Of "a.
giving her q dtsplacem ent OF II. 200 tons. Her
traught is suited for some Of our shal!ower
hartors, and Yet sh" can take tho sea in all
weathers. She need not fear TO II eet in battle
any vessel that floats. Her big guns are as
large as she needs .or piercing the armor OF
any adversary yet constructed. and they are
SO mounted that their IRE does not interfere
with each other. The sides and deck have
also been strengthened so that these heavy
guns wi not Unduly strain thsm.
The Massachusetts, is now to follow the
Indiana into the water and the Oregon will
not 10 very far behind. The deiSys in armor
making must p1s;pons for a long time yet tie
completion OF these three vessels. but even
their present condition gives a pleasant sense
OF approach!nc security for our hertors. At
least one hrst.class battle ship should 10
authorized by Congress at each session until
twelve u a.! are bulk or building.
Fine Crop Prospect In Oklahoma.
TorEEA. Kar.. June Al. s. Platt, Kansas