Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-02
THREE NEW VESSELS
OF Superior Design Added 20 ON
Growing Navy.

OF Superior Design Added 20 Our
Growing Navy.
The cruisers Montgomery and Marble
head sister ships TO the cruiser DetrO1L
will have their official trial trips during
the present month The Montgomery
which will probably be tried first, was burt
by the Columbian iron works Of Saltimore.
and the Marblehead by the assignee 81
Harrison Loring at Boston- The first nan
ed company contracted TO build the Mont
gomery and the Detroit for $sl2SO EACH
and the contract price :or the Marblehead
is ss74Ooo. These vessels we're required 20
make a speed Of seventeen knots an hour.
The Detroit exceeded the requirement 81
liz knots. and gaind her ouliters HAND
some premium. Similarly good results afe
expected from her sister ships. The aim ~
the Montgomery builders viii be to secure
at least the narrow margin Of extra spee1
over the Detroit necessary TO attain II
knots, since this will mean exactly S5.0s
more premium than the Detroit earned
The government pays s25.as for each extra
quarter knot, but makes no allowance
whatever for fractions of a quarter. so thft
the Detroit failed only by three-hundredths
of a knot TO earn the premium os full sft-
ditional quarter Perhaps WITH equal ma
chinery even a little difference in coal 81
the force of stokers or other ,a-oring cif-
cumstances may squeeze ont this small
fraction of extra speed. Still IL Is a fact
that two ships. made as close duplicates as
possible by the same BUILDERS. do not show
exactly the same speed. ana the Aonteons-
cry may considerably exceed or fan short
of the record Of the Detroit.
AS to the Marblehead. the business diff-
culties of her original contractors forcsd
them to give it up and the vessel Is now
under completion by the assignees OF Hsf-
rison Loring 1t will be a point OF interest
TO know how this vessel compares with the
Baltimore. constructed under similar cor
tract
The Two Vessels.
The Montgomery and Marblehead are
each of about 1900 tons displacement has-
ing a length on load line OF a57 feet. an es-
treme breadth of thirty-seven feet. and
mean draught of fourteen and a half feet
The engines are of the twia screw, verti-
cal. triple expansion type. designed 20
yielded g. 400 indicated horse power under
forced draught. The main battery OF each
vessel consists of two 6-inch guns. mounted
on central pivots forward and aft, ana
eight 5-inch guns on the broaisiies IN
sponsons The secondary battery consists
of six 6-pounder and two l-r.ounder guns.
and two Gatlings. besides torpedo outliL
A noteworthy feature has been The pro
vision of commodious quarters for the
crews OF these vessels. After they We're
planned and nearly completed an addition
of about one-sixth was made to the spase
allowed for the quarters Of the crew. the
number Of torpedo tubes hetng reduced 70
effect this change. The experience OF the
gunboats OF the Yorktown class had shown
the desirability OF improvements OF tits
character. and the result " i'll be 20 make
these three vessels very comfortable shiISs
to cruise in. as well as efficient. The pro-
tective deck in these vessels wholly covers
the vital parts. and a Golfer dam. filled with
a water-excluding substance. Rms abpve ~
along the fore and aft b'IiiIhesas. the too
of the Golfer dam being four feet above the
load water line A good series of water
tight compartments is also secured.
1t will be possible TO put both the Mont
gomery and the Marblehead into active SCI
vice. IL required. not long after their trisl
trips. The custom is to retain new vessels
for a time on the home station until ell tie
requirements OF the contract are fulfille6.
but their presence allows other ships TO Se
sent to the foreign squadrons. whittier they
can also be dispatched afterward in their
turn.
The Castiue Also.
The gunboat Castine will have her trial
trip within the next few days. before elfber
OF the other two vessels. The run, in each
case will be over the forty mile course ~
Long Island sound. All three vessels viii
probably complete the trials in a wecsI
from the day the Castine has hers Secre-
tary Herbert viii go 10 New York ard
probably witness the races for speed from
the deck OF the dispatch-boat nclphia now
at Gsrdner's bay. Besides the Dolphin.
the Vesuvius, Gushing. and iour navy tugs
will assist in keeping the course clear aDd