Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-14
Indiana.
Iowa.

)
Complement Of Off ,ers
and men -..-.....-----... 400 43o
The comparison elbows to the advantage Of
the new ship 600 tons more displacement. an
increased leng IN of twelve feet. three feet more
beam. seven feet four inches more freeboard
forward, an increased coal capacity over either
normal or maximum coal supply OF The In
diana of 200 tons. 1000 more collective horse
power and, incidentally, one knot more of
speed, together with "A corresponding increased
sustained force of propulsion. which. and not
the speed. was what saved the English ship dur
ing the time Of the Samoan disaster These
self evident advantages have been attained upon
an amount similar to that appropriate for each
Of She other three battle ships, OF which the
Indiana il one
SOME FEATURES OF THE DESIGN.
The hull will be of steel. not shea he'd, with
double bottom and close water-tight subdi-
vision to about ten feet above the load water
line. The vessel will have one military mast,
with fighting tops, but will carry no sail. The
water line region of the hull is to be projected
from injury b. means of a side armor belt of a
maximum thickness of not less than IA inches.
with a mean depth Of feet inches. Trans
verse armor at end of the belt will be not less
than IL inches in thickness.
Barbettes and turrets for Pinch guns will
have armor not less than fifteen inches ,hick.
The ships sides from the armor belt to the
main deck will be protected by steel armor not
less thsn five inches in thickness. Goa Is 20 be
carried back of this 5-inch casemate armor. An
armored deck not less than three inches thick Ia
to extend forward and aft from the ends OF the
armor belt.
Over the side armor belt this steel deck will
be not less than tive ard thrce-Guarters inches
thick. A cellulose belt is to be fitted along the
sides forward and abaft the side armor bel; on
the 3-inch protective deck and also the main
deck forward and abafl the 5-inch amor. 4
coming tower OF not less than ten inches in
Thickness, having an armored communication
tube not less than seven inches thick, will be
carried in a suitably commanding position. the
tube extending 10 ihe arinor deck and affording
protection to leaking tubes. bell wire, &c.
The barbettes of the 8-incb gun turrets will
be rot less than 8 inches In thickness on the
exposed side and . inches elsewhere. The
turret armOr 10 have a total thickness. includ-
ing steel backing plate, of not less than inches.
These tIrrets will have arInor-supportinG tubes
not less than inches thick. extending from
bottom of the baTbstte floor TO the armor deck
arranged to protect the ammunition hosts.
The finch guns on the gun deck are TO be
protected by fixed shields four inches thick
built into the hull of the vessel and forming an
armorei sponsor. The 4-inch plate is to be
prolonged BY armor plates one and one-half
inches thick. extending inboard and forming a
splinter bulkhead either side of the gun
station. Protection is TO be afforded the smaller
guns by shields and extra side plating.
TIE BATTERY.
The ships battery is to consist of the follow
ing: Four l2-inch breech-loading rifles. eight
s-inch breech- loading rites. six 4inch breech-
loading rifles, twenty 6-pouuders, four l.
Founders. fo' Gatlings one field gun.
The l2-incl ms are to be mounted in two
barbette turrets, placed one forward and one
aft on the center line of the vessel. and each
trro Tlaa a,Nft
in the forward turret, when the pieces are hori-
Zontul. are to be twenty-five feet above the load
water line and at least six feet above the deck
The OF the guns in the after turret TO be q.
least seventeen feet eight inches above the load
water line. The guns of each tlrret to be
capable OF firing through an arc of 30 degrees.
The S-inch guns are TO be mounted in four
barbette turrets, placed two either broad
side of the vessel The axes of the guns, when
the pieces are horizontal. to be about rs
| feet above the load water line. and the guns in
each turret to be capable OF being fired through
an arc Of 40 degrees.
The two forward 3-icch turrets to be capable
of being turned so as to allow the guns to be
fired at an angle of about degrees across the
bow, the guns in the two after turrets to be
capable of being fired the same number of de-
grees acros the stern.
The 4-inch guns are to be mounted as follows:
Two in armored sponsors on the gun deck,
capable of being fired through arc of 40
degrees, and at an angle of degrees across the
bow, two in armored sponsors on gun deck
| amidships, between the supporting framing of
the 8-inch turrets. These latter guns to be
fred through an arc Of l40 degrees, 20 degrees
forward and 20 degrees abaft the beam. The
two guns remaining to be placed on the bridge
| at the extreme after end Of the superstructure
and to be capable Of being fred through an arc
OF 140 degrees each. and at an angle Of So de-
grees across the farther side of the stern.
The 6-pounders are to be placed as follows:
Two at the extreme forward end of the gun
deck, two on the gun deck abreast the forward
12-inch turret and those remaining On the
bridges and superstructures.
Tho two l-pounders and machine guns to be
placed in the military tops and two 1-pounders
at the extreme after end Of the gun deck.
In the Iowa the SIX finch rapid-6re guns
have been substituted for the four 6-inch guns
on the Indiana, resulting in q marked improve
ment in rapidity OF fire. And another change
has been made by the substitution Of the L.
inch gun, weighing As tons, for the 13-inch gun,
weighing 60 tons, to permit the use OF hand
power in manipulation. This is an important
feature should the steam or hydraulic mechan-
ism become broken or injured In action.
The length Of the water line belt has been in
creased more than IS per cent, thus reducing
the probability Of injury to the vessel in that
region and also diminishing the probable num-
Der OF compartments that might be flooded
were protection not afforded. While no serious
damage to the vessel itself might be occasioned
were these compartments additionally pro-
tected, penetrated, yet the admission Of water
might be sufficient to list the craft to one side
or the other and thus reduce the effectiveness
Of her batteries.
THE SIDE AHMoR.
The side armor has been reduced to fourteen
inches, difference Of four inches from that
used on the Indiana, and the diagonal srmor at
the ends has been brought down to twelve
inches in thickness, reduction Of two inches.
These differences have bean demanded BY the
through the efficiency Of the armor itself under
the new Harvey process adopted by the depart