The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-05-11
THE NEW lRONCLAD IOWA.
1t Is Much Better Armored Than tile In
diana-Abont Ready to Launch.

1t Is Much Better ArMored Than the In
d~iana-Abont Ready to Launch
The battle ship Iowa. which is now in
curse of construction at the yard of the
Cramps in Philadelphia. will shortly be
added to the list of seagoing ironclads.
The vessel is OF the Indiana type modi-
fed. Better protection has peer given
to the auxiliary armament by means Of
classmates han is found In the Indiana
type, and the length OF the armor belt
IS greater.
The main battery of the Iowa will
consist of four twelve inch breech load
ing rifles and eight eight inch and six
four inch rapid firing guns. Twenty
eight quick firing and machine guns
will form the auxiliary armament.
The Iowa is styled a coast defense
battle ship, but, like her predecessors.
the Indiana. the Massachusetts and the
Oregon, she is intended to keep the seas
In all weather. With a view of making
these ships formidable antagonists for
any other vessel afloat, adequate pro-
lection in the way of armor has been
given, and their offensive power Is ex-
pected to be second to none.
The twelve Inch guns of the Iowa are
to be mounted In pairs in the heavily
armored barbette turrets. n Of which
is situated forward and the other aft.
The turrets have a very high freeboard,
and this, 1t is expected. will give an ad-
ditional advantage in enabling the
guns to be fired while the ship is in a
seaway. The guns of the Onward tur-
ret will be twenty-five feet above the
load water line, and those Of the after
turret will be eighteen feet above. Each
OF the four twelve Inch guns will have
q firing arc of 276 degrees.
The eight eight inch guns will be
mounted In pairs in four steel barbette
turrets. Their arc of train will be
through 40 degrees. Two Of the four
Inch rifles will be mounted in armored
sponsors on the open deck. with a firing
arc OF $40 degrees. Two others will find
q place amidships, in the armored spon-
sons OF the gun deck, and the remain
ing two on the bridge at the after end
Of the su~perstructure deck. There will
be Il torpedo tube at the o and stern.
and two amidships on each side.
The barbettes and turrets for the
twelve inch guns will be composed Of
armor plates fifteen inches in thick
ness. The turrets for the eight inch
guns will, according to the New York
fines, be eight inches thick on the ex-
posed side and six inches elsewhere.
The armor belt. which is designed to
protect the hull at the water line, Is to
have a thickness Of fourteen inches, and
8 to be seven feet six inches deep. Be
aind the belt win be a backing of cellu-
lose, arranged In compartments. Over
the machinery n magazines will curva
4 protective e of sufficient thickness
to defect any missile that is likely to
penetrate the hull.
The four inch guns will be protected
by four inch shields. The coming
tower is to, be ten inches in thickness,
and a seven inch tube of steel will in
close the telegraph and bell wires and
speaking tubes.
The Iowa will have a military mast,
with three fighting tops. Her win
screws will be driven by a pair of verti-
cal inverted triple expansion engines.
each in a separate compartment and
working independently.