Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-11-28
TWO MORE BATTLGSHlPS.


The naval constructors and marine en-
sincors of the navy department have fin
iShcd plans for the next two battleships,
BIDS for which will be opened on the goth
inst, says Il Washington despatch to the
Boston Transcript In these plans the cX-
perts have been guided by the latest and
best features of naval architecture and
marine machinery as eXcmpllncd in con
Structuction at homo and abroad. Each
OF the two vessels. at present designated
as Nos. and g. will cost in the neighbour
hood Of %,0OOO00 This sum does not In
clude armament, which In the two battle
ships is formidable. The law making the
appropriation requires that one of the bat
tleships must be built on the Pacific coast,
and 1t Is expected that the Union Iron
Works of San Francisco will secure the
contract for one, while the Cramps of
philadelphia VIII build the other
The general dimensions are as follows
Length of load water line mormal dis
placement, 36S feet; mean draught at nor
NAL displacement, 23ia feet; normal dis
placement, II 800 tons; total coal capacity,
loose stowage, 1910 tons.
The weights which may be safely carried
at LOO tons displacement, have been care
fully calculated by the mathcmaticians OF
the department. This is an important
feature of such ship construction and
| equipment The greatest weight will be
that of the machinery, which will be over
/ 1000 tons. The next weight Is the main
/ battery which will weigh more than 500
tons. The plans for both ships are iden-
teal Each vessel will be driven by twin
screws and engines. The latter are to I've
OF the vertical tripc-expansion type, two
in number. one on each shaft and in two
compartments. The boilers will be placed
in four compartments, and Will be 1--WE III
number. three of them being doublc-ended
and two snglc-ended.
/ Bidders VIII be allowed TO offer changes
in the machinery but any alterations Will
be subjected to the close scrutiny OF the
engineers. 1t is likely that bidders will ac-
cept the design of the department, as IT is
known to meet with the entire approval OF
the secretary
Each ship must maintain on the trial trip
Il speed Of Is knots an hour for four con-
secutive hours, and no premium VIII be
bestowed for an excess of speed There
will be two military masts with lighting
tops Each mast will be hollow. contain
ing circular stairway, the means Of at
tanning the round balconies of steel which
contain rapid-hre and gatling guns. These
tops will be valuable In sighting and ward
ing off the diminutive but fleet, torpedo
boat attack. \ remarkable feature of tho
battleshins will be the armored protection
which will literally box in the vitals of the
ship The drawings which show the ar
ruuEement Of arfnor suggest an elliptica
frame of thick metal supported on a
huoyant keel, and In the receptacle there
formed viii be thrown the intricate ma
/ chlnery. the big boilers and store rooms
fun of powder ana shell, while above the
structure and piercing it at intervals vii
be steel guns Of great power and large
calihre. The protec' on of the hull against
injury to the Watcr-line region will be af
forled by means vi a side armor belt of q
maSimum thickness of not less than !,