New-York tribune., 1895-10-07

Indicated horsepower. about...-.. ~ 90
Speed an hour In ..-.... II l.
tn norn,al coal supply OF single vessels
lu ne 100 tons Their total bunker capacity Will be
2Ss tons The twin boats will have normal
coal capacity OF 100 tons, and VIII De capaoie ol
slowing In their bunkers 80 tons. The former type
viii be lighted by electricity, and provided win
steam staerer and steam windlass. Space has
baen allowed In the designs OF the twn screw YES
sells for these features. but their installation cepend
,non the ability OF the Government to have eacn
constructed al the limit fixed by Congress s@5o""
For economical cruising, provision mas oeeh maue
in the designs whereby the engines OF the s'hgle
screy, hoats can be uncoupled from the propellers
when going under sail alone. Thus the shaftng ana
crew will revolve simply by the action OF the passing
water II calculated that so slight Will DE the re-
tardng influence OF the screw thus disensageo' 'hat
the sailing speed OF the vessels will be fully equa
10 that which they make under steam
The engines of all the vessels designed to
make the same horsepower, and TO develop speeu
NJ twelve knots Their construction Is such tnat
they differ only regards shlftng, numoer Oh
screws and Incidental division OF motive force For
the twln-screw gunboats the engines will be rights
apd larts each In a separate watertght compart-
uent They will be OF the usual vertical dlrect-act-
irg t-lpie-expansion type, with hiSh pressure
cylinder an intermediate pressure cylinder ana a
low pressure cylinder. Cf l., sia ana y lhcses re-
spectively They will have commoh stroke OF ~
lnCncS
with 200 revolutions minute. The engines OF the
siuge-screw boats will also be OF the tripleexpan
sion type The diameter OF their cylinders Will be
l5i. 23la and Sc inches. respectively, win coH-
mon stroke Of 80 inches. 1t is calculated that they
will make 80 revolutions minute. and develop so
horse-power Each vessel will have two single
ended Scotch boilers. with two corrugated furnaces
each three feet in diameter. Inc Iength anu uiali
of each boiler will be lOs feet thsy & VIZ ~ nav
80 square feet of CRATE surface ana Lou leet VI
heating surface, making total or - sidIe tse lee
surface. Provision Is made for moderate m Iorceu s
draught which is to be induced by Two bowers LOT
each vessel applied directly to the ashpit The
boilers will be placed side by side in the same COM
partment. with common hre-roOm -,
Chief Constructor HichbOrn, in referring 10 the
composite gunboats. has explained that the essen
tal reasons for the construction or tle cofIposte
type are that they largely Independent OF DOCK
ing facilities and economical in the use or Iusi' u
The exfoi ia rion Of the copper causes oarnacles,
grass etc. be released just as soon as the Yes
se.s are put IN notion Ihus tng ~ ~ eo',ia sis
made comparatively clean, permitting the Vessels
consumption of coal The docking EXPENSES, whether
at home or abroad. Mr. Hichborn says, ana the
cost OF fuel are TWO big expenses when the GOV
ernment has to sustain In maintaining an e'iiciehl
fleet Gunboats Nos. 10 II. Z, 49, II ana 10 are
counted upon 70 minimize this outlay ana permit
of greatly increased activity. range OF action ana
general usefulness. ,,-, 81, -
boats are particuary designed. such as cruising
In rivers means that they may be exposed TO mus
Setrs T b a an mnbroke deck has been decided
mon Besides adding materially 10 the stiffness and
10 the gun crews in action The necessarily ex-
tnat,fad onIy bv their arc OF fire and possible
fulness in running action while for river service.
for which these boats are particularly fitted the
disns,,,on OF the gundeck battery is all that could
be desired. The armament OF each vessel VIII CON
sst OF ak 4-nch rapid-fre guns as main battery
ana four 6-pounGer and l-pOunder rapd-ire guns
a. secondary battery. For each Of the i-inch guns
ao rounds OF ammunition will he carried and 2OcO
rounds Tor the spounders and 1900 rounds for the
l-p0unders , . ooo
The weights 70 be carried by each vessel az loo
,ona disp,acement will be follows