The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-27
EVOLVING A BATTLE-SHIP.
The Indiana" the Greatest Engine
Of War in the World.

the Designer of the Vessel-Three-
and-a-Half Tons of Metal at One
Discharge.
A year ago last March, at a dinner
given in Brooklyn in honor of ex-Secre-
tary of the Navy, Tracy, and of his sue
cessor. Secretary Herbert, much general
surprise was caused by the declaration of
the former that the United States was
then entitled to rank fifth among the
naval powers of the world. A few days
before, both of the guests of hopor had
been present at the launching of the first
modern American battleship. This YES
sel the Indiana, was one of three sister
battleships building in this country, and
they are so complete in all their details,
and so equipped with powers of destruc-
tion, that, although they are twenty-five
per cent. smaller than the great battle
ships now finished in England, and there
fore that much less of target, they are
acknowledged by naval experts here and
abroad to be superior to any engine of
war vet constructed.
In the July number of The Century
MIR. Albert Franklin Matthews describes
splendid American cruisers have
awakened the greatest interest in the
new navy, and their speed offensive
mower and enormous coal capacity are
generally recognized. But to most lay
readers the present article will give the
first definite information concerning the
battleships, which must bear the brunt
of offensive and defensive fighting in the
future.
To build a battleship is of itself a
mighty achievement for any country,
saws Mr.. Matthews, but to build one bet
ter than any other nation is building, and
that in face of the fact that only six
years ago we had no plants capable of
making shafts, armor or gun-forgings,
and none of the mighty tools required in
this work is surely triumph.
The Indiana, which is simply packed
with machinery, when finished will weigh
1926 tons. OF these IL, 296 of her tons dis
placement, a, 400 tons will.be ofmagnifcent
steel for the hull. The armor, some of it
eighteen inches thick, will weigh 200
tons The engines and machinery, ac-
knowledged to be superior to those con-
structed abroad, will weigh SIS tons, and
the rest of the weight will consist of
armament, coal and stores. In putting
all this together about 700 tons of rivets
are used. For the huh alone twenty-five
principal plans must be made and fully
400 separate drawings must be prepared,
and duplicated by photograph. This of
itself is enough work to keep force of
expert craftsmen busy continuously for
eight months. For the engines more than
$50 separate drawings are required, and
these in all their delicate details, would
take force of fifty men nearly a year to
complete, if engaged continuously at the
task. Except for the belt of arInor along
its sides and on its turretS and coming
tower, the steel plates of the ship are
only fve-eighths of an inch thick, made
to keep out water rather than proiectiles
Inside of this vessel are sixty-six sep
srate engines. Each of the two main
engines is so tremendous that tucked
away under its arms. as its frames reach
up two or three stories high, are two lit
tie engines, the sole purpose of which is
to start the big ones going,
Three immense dynamos, each of BOD
amperes' capacity, are used in the ship
an electric plant that could light up a
town of 5000 inhabitants Twenty-one
sets of speaking tubes run throughout the
vessel, and center at twelve telephone
stations. Clad with ~ inches of steel
are two turrets, one fore and one aft, in
each of which are two big l3-inch guns
Each of these guns weighs 81 tons, and
is ~ feet long
Far down beneath the turrets are the
two main magazines. where ton upon ton
of powder and ball made into proectiles,
some of which weigh l,100 pounds each,
is stored. These magazines are steel-clad
rooms, and are lighted by electric lights
sunk into glass wells in the corners of
each room. They are fitted with little
thermometers that ring a fire alarm when
the mercury reaches certain hight
They have also a system of tubes through
which food of water may be poured in
time of danger One story above the four
l3-inch guns on the main deck are eight
6-nch guns, on a superstructure, in sets
OF twos, and punched about the smoke
stacks. Amidships, on the main deck, are
four 6-inch guns, crowded still closer to-
gether. Subordinate to all these, and
peeplng from various open hooks and
cfeFlces, are twenty-SiX smaller weapons
With long needle-like barrels, called rapid
hre guns, each capable of firing projectiles
OF chilled steel weighing from one to three
pounds at the rate of fifteen shots a min
ute. Around on the superstructure are
arranged fourteen Eoats, steam launches,
Whale-boats gigs, and one slectric launch,
When MIR. Tracy decided to build these
modern battleships, he summoned Lieu
Tenant Lewis Nixon, now the superin-
tending constructor at Cramps yard,
lnen under 80 years of age, and told him
TO make a crude design for such a craft
as he had indicated. At that time,
no vessel larger than I, 500 tons had been
launched in this country. Proceeding
upon all $500 ton basis, MIR. Nixon built
steel fort, put as heavy guns in it and
on 1t as he could with safety, and then
calculated the dimensions of the boat on
which it must float. After Mr.. Tracy
looked at the figures, and listened to the
explanation of them, he thrust them
ASIDE with this remark:
u don know much about these details
and dimensions. What [ want TO know
Is whether, if you let all these guns go
on at once they would beat the delivery
OF the guns on those battleships the
English and French are building"
They would not am sorry TO say"
replied the young constructor.
=. 90 back and make them do it, said
the secretary,
Mr.. Nixon went back and added 1000
TONS to the displacement of the vessel,
ana IN day or two sought the secretary.
Now will they beat those foreign
coats :, asked the secretary.
Well" said the constructor, I'm
AFRAID they won't beat them; but they'll
nearly do so.
=, go back and make them do it," said
me secretary again; adding, I'VE cap
laHnch Just as big boats as any one else. "
=, Mr., Nixon went back, and the third
I'm Iille hit the mark, producing plaus for a
l1CV'oOO-ton vessel such as the Indiana.
Inat he did successfully what he was
ordered to is shown by the fact that the