The Washington times., 1894-03-22
H. FRIEDLANDER & Bro,
Ninth and e N. w.
BUILDING THE BATTLE-SHIPS.
The Cramps Workmen Are Getting Many
Ocean Monarchs Ready.

The Cramps workmen Are Getting Many
Ocean MOnarchs Ready.
There are three government ships now un-
dergoing the finishing process at Cramps
ship yards. which the company hopes to turn
over to the Navy Department by the 1st OF
October. These are the battle-ships Indiana
and Massachusetts, and the fast protected
cruiser Minneapolis, the latter being sister
ship of the peerless Columbia. The Massachu-
sets has been placed in the government dry
dock at the League Island navy yard In order
that her screws may be placed in position.
While in the docks the ships bottom will
be scraped and painted. In about three
weeks the Massachusetts will be given her
dock trial. and on June l. if all goes well, her
unofficial trial trip will take place. The
Massachusetts is Il sister ship to the Indiana.
which WAS tested so successfully two weeks
ago. The latter snip goes into the dry dock
tomorrow. and will be sent on her official
trial trip of the coast OF Massachusetts, about
May l.
These battle-ships are built for stability and
steadiness rather than speed. There is no
doubt however, that both will exceed the
guarantee of fifteen knots an hour. The ship
that eXcites more interest than any other now
III course OF constru ton at Cramps yard Is
the cruiser MINNEAPOLIS. Tbs vessel Is al
most an exact counterpart Of the Columbia,
the difference being in the arrangement OF
tne fire room, which gives the former more
CRATE space and slightly more boiler power.
This difference gives the Minneapolis but two
smokestacSs. whereas the Columbia has
four.
Although the first trial trip of the Mime
apolis will not take place until June 10, the
f1anr lnr ION how,
already begun to speak of her as 1.-The twen-
ty-iour-kno,tcr." Almost everybody con-
nected with the firm believes that the Mime
apol!s will prove world 5eater. and that she
will exceed the Coiumbia's unprecedented
record of - $40 knots by more than knot.
They argue that if the Coiumbia'S boilers had
not loaned. thus necessitating a slow down
at critical moment. she would have ex-
ceeded % knots. Such an accident is not
likely to happen to the Minneapolis. and her
additional boiler power ought to mean addi-
tional speed. Altogether there seems to be
reasons TO believe that the new cruiser will
establish a record OF nearly. if not quite, "a
X. OTIS an hour.
Orders having been issued by the Navy De-
partment placing the Columbia in commits
sion on April 9. her builders have increased
the aiready large force of workmen who are
putting the finishing touches on her. All of
her berth deck guns are in position, and the
larger guns are expected here from Washing
ton shortly. Yesterday the scrubbers began
cleaning her sides of the accumulation of
grease and dirt. Tomorrow the painters
will commence painting. everything in sight
to be the regulation white. When all is fin
ished, the Columbia will present beautiful
appearance.
The next ship to be launched at Cramps is
the American liner Colors. She will be fol-
lowed by the st. Paul, her sister ship. The
big battle-ships Iowa and Brook yn will not be
launched until late in the Fall. When these
are completed the firm will have no more
government work at its yard. An improve
ment contemplated in the near future is the
enlargement of the dry dock. 1t is not large
enough for the enormous vessels now being
constructed at the yard. and for this reason
the firm finds it necessary 20 use the big gov
ernment dry dock at League Island.