Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-06-17
THE MASSACHUSETTS.
The Launching Of the Great Battle-ship
Massachusetts at the Cramps Yards-A
Sister Ship of the Indiana and Oregon
Powerful War Engine.

The Launching OF the Great Battle-Ship
Massachusetts at the Cramps Yards-A
Sister Ship OF the Indiana and Oregon
A Powerful War Engine.
PHILADELPHIA, June II. - The big
battle-ship Massachusetts, was success
fully launched from the ship yard at
the Cramps at $3.50 o'clock, in the pres
ence of Secretary of the Navy Her.
bert, Attorney-General Olney, the lat
ter representing the state of Massa.
chusetts, number of distinguished
naval and army officers, and multi
tude of 5000 people. Miss Leila Her
bert, daughter of the head OF the
navy department, christened the YES
vel with the customary and prettily-
decorated bottle of champagne.
The Massachusetts is the second Of the three
10, O,9O0-ton battleships which were authorized
to be constructed during Secretary Tracys
term as the head OF the naval department. she
is the sister ship to the Indiana, recently
launched by the Cramps, and to the oregon
now being built at San Francisco, and her lead
ing characteristics are great battery power ano
her enormously heavy armor which Is IL inches
thick at the water line.
The redoubts, which project 81 feet above
the main deck, and protect the turning gear Of
the turrets. are II inches thick, as also are the
turrets themselves. There is heavily-sloping
steel protective deck, Az feet below the water
| line at the sides, while coal bunkers are
worked over the belt deck and coferdams Of
waterexcluding material are placed on the
| slopes OF the armor deck, forward and aft.
| There is powerful ram below, The armored
| coming tower is OF l0-inch plates. The mill
| tary mast has two tops for rapidfre machine
| guns. the ammunition for which is sent to them
inside the masts. Many water-tight compart'
ments aid the defensive strength OF the vessel
| Admirable as is the protective strength OF the
Massachusetts, even more striking, il possible
| is her aggressive power. She can throw at
single discharge 1924 pounds OF projectiles, OF
| more than three tons, with total energy ol
210, 900 foot tons,
The armament will consist OF four l3-inch
eight s-inch and four 6-inch breech-loadlns
rifles, twenty 6pounders and four l-pounde
rifles, four Gatling guns and six torpedo TUBES
The l3.inch guns arctic be mounted in pairs II
two turrots one forward and one aft. Tit
turrets are at such height that the guns arr
II feet inches above the load water line ant
8 feet above the deck, over which they fire
The guns can be loaded in any position o.
horizontal train, which advantage is possessed
by few, II any foreign battle-ships, the largest
guns of which can be loaded in one position
only.
The sinch guns are to be mounted In pair!
In armcred turrets. They are to be "a feet
inches above the water, and can fire over tn
turrets on the deck below. The 6-inch guns ar
to be mounted IA feet 10 inches above tn
water on the main deck without any super
structure.
As to speed, the contract requirement Is
sustained average, through the trial, OF
knots The engines Of the Massachusetts
which are to develop 9,0O0-horse-power at tn
maximum, arc Of the twinscrew vertical, tripl
expansion, direct acting, inverted cylinde
type, In watertight compartments, separate
by bulk heads. The diameters Of the cylinder
are: High pressure, S4,s inches; intermediate
48 inches. There are four double.ended an
two single ended auxiliary steel boilers OF tn
horizontal retui n fire tube type, all constructe
for working pressure Of 100 pounds per squar
inchl
cared for, and the system OF DRAMA &c
simplined, while any compartment can
; pumped out either by hand or steam IA
quarters for the officers and crew are unusual
! commodious and comfortable, and from stem
stem the vessel will be fitted with all the lates
improvements adapted to the steamers. IN
Massachusetts, has length OF Sao iee'
breadth OF 68A feet, and a mean draugnt
"a feet giving her q displacement OF l0so TON
Her draurht ia suited for some of the sha
J lower harbors, and yet she can take the sea
all weathers. a..
The Cramps secured the contract for tn
} varship October l. 1890 on bid Of 8, ,090, GOO.