New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-23
BATTLE-SHIPS NOS. 5 AND 6.

.r.ps constructed both at home and abroad having
been fully utilized
Battle-ships and have been designed to draw
but twenty-five feet with 200 of coal and all
stores and ammunition on board. This Will enable
them to reach all OF the principal navy yards and
ports of the country. even when fully laden, and
will make their docking less difficult than that OF
the other American battleships.
DOUBLE GUN TURRETS TO BE TRIED.
There will be two doube-decked turrets on each
shiA in the lower part of which will be mounted
TWO thrteen-inch guns and in the upper part two
eight-inch guns making the heavier battery consist
Of four thirteen-inch and four eisht-inch In TWO
turrets one rigidy superposed upon the other
These gun positions viii be e!liptcal In section
with major axes in the line Of fire. and VIII have
complete armor protection from distance Of four
feet below the water line to the top OF the s-ihch
turrets This armor. as well as all armor USED on
these vessels will be solid nickel-stee Harveyzed
The lower part Of the protection. the so-caled bar
bettes as we'll the lS-inch turrets. VIII nave
armor fifteen inches thick except Immediately IN
front where 1t will be increased to seventeen inches
The armor protecting the s-inch guns VIII be nine
inches and that also VIII De TWO Inches HedNiVi
where the guns protrude
In addition to these heavy guns a battery or
fourteen 6-inch rapid-nre guns will be mounted on
the main deck between the turrets, and Will be pro-
tected by continuous armor six incAes thek d
splinter bulkhesd two inches thick separating each
gun station. numerous battery OF smaller b.
FOUNDER and 1-pounder guns Will be placed where-
ever they can fire 10 advantage
The protection of the hull against injury 10 the
vital regions along the water line Will be erected
by means of side armor belt or sixteen ana man
inches maximum thickness. with mean depth OF
seven and half feet. disposed In reference 10 the
loadlne that the vessel with 40 IONS of coal aboard
will have three and a half feet OF this belt armor
above the water and with 1.2lo tons of coal aboard
two feet will be exposed TO view The bet ex'ehllhe
from the stem TO the aft barhette and MAINTAIN
ing maximum thickness from Its after end to
the forward boiler-room bukhead VIII taper grduu-
ally to four inches behind the ram
Protection will be afforded above the main side
armor by a steel belt five inches thick extendihs
up to the level " the main deck and running IN a
fore-and-aft direction from the centre or the lor-
ward 10 the centre OF the after barbette On top
of the main side armor belt Will rest nat steel
deck TWO and three-Quarters inches thick and for-
ward and abaft the machinery and boiler spaces this
deck will inclined the sides ana the thickness
on the slopes increased to three ana hve lhches'
Further to protect the vessel against rakihs ie
athwartship. bulkheads of armor ten ana Twelve
inches thick will be placed the points where the
deck joins the inclined sopss IN aouluoh 70 a ,ioe
armor belts cOffer-dams filed with compressed nre
proof American corn-pith celluose recently tested
with such satisfactory results Will be dlstrlputsu
the entire length of the vessel In the region OF ne
water line between the coal bunkeIs ana the snip
outer skin. The coming tower armGr IS 10 pe zen
ing down to the deck for the protection OF
voice pipes, telegraph, steerlhs-rouS' e'c'
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR A SMALL ARMY.
As these ships are intended FOR duty as hagships
accommodate lions are made for complement Of go
persons officers seamen and marines They may
larry provisions and small stores for three months
stay at sea- summer and winter clothing IN SUM
Gent quantity for years service, and beside me
dstiing apparatus caPacyt sae t daYs ho sui"
The Kearsarge and her sister ship VIII be d1ven
by sets of trpe-expaasion engines IN nTw
being propelled by direct-actlng engines having Cyl,
eter with a common stroke of As inches, indicating
together with the engines for ar ana crcuiatnLs
ing about i2O revolutions minute There VIII be
no speed premiums penalty OF siOoc Knot eeiig
sixteen FOR four hours hgby 5ne
probabs' the vessel may, in the Presidents dscre-
lion. be rejected altogether. ,ou,a, l.,
voH i've i ahe following mensions Lens.h 81 load
water line 1868 feet; beam e1 fr inches ee free
board aft Y feet inches mean draught win ilo
tons 0: coal q feet inches corresp3nans Gispace
horsepower. 10000: total coal supply oose st1wage
n S,e t9nS 10 serve the Batteries Isl tons Of
will be habuaiiy carried on each snip, o's ien
go rounds; eight-inch breechloeding rifles, 500
rounds: fve-inch rapdfre rifles. $500 rounds; s1x
rapid-hre rifles 2i,co rounds.
TERRIBLE EFFICIENCY.
1t is conservatively estimated that the Kearsarge
in commission. will have sufficient ammunition
aboard to xii, or disable million persons, and
that she will be able TO fire 1t all away within hve
hours-the calculated duration limit Of fierce fight
afoat. 49,
Every compa r.son of these ships with any foreign
battle-ship built building. Is clearly favorab!e
to the American des gn. The United states ships
will heavier guns and more or them, ana
heavier arnor more widely distributed and pro,
tectng more thoroughly the yitals of the ship and
gun crews. While their normal speed or sixteen
knots will be less paper than that or some Tor
egn battle-ships. II is notable that II VII De op-
tained with q moderate forced draught Tor
period OF four hours, and without unduly pushing
The Kearsarge, when using bases OF acton
ports having not more than twenty-three Feet OF
water al their entrances. Will be limited 70 40 tons
OF coal which VIII permit her to cruise 80 nauti-
cal miles at tfirieen-knot rate. or 2Uy niles
al zen knots per hour. When operating from
deep harbor, HoweyeT her bunker-roorn y so
ample that 30 tons can be readily stored IN her
With This amount, for all ordinary contingencies.
or for service I'm time Of war along our coast al
cruising velocity Of thirteen knots she can steam
nearly four thousand miles. or at the more lels,
urely Knot rate she can go over SIX thousand
miles In case II becomes necessary 10 SEND her
greater distances she has provision 10 carry tenn
porariIy about Ave hundred tons outside me BUNK
OF 5000 miles. r.. .,. 40, nil, =.
opened next Saturday November 80, and which,
according TO the contracts mus. De deH'eieu ~ 'e
Government by the end or 1883