New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-19
TITO GUNBOATS TO BE LAUNCHED TO-DAY
THE NASHVILLE AND TIE WILMINGTON To co
OFF THE WAYS AT NEWPORT NEWS DE-
Ia,rn nI,


OFF THE WAYS AT NEWPORT NEWS DE-
sCRIPTIoN OF THE VESSELS
Newport News Va. Oc;. 1S--Two additions TO the
new Navy will be foated from the ways OF the
Newport News Shipbuilding Company tomorrow
morning one to be named the Nashville by a young
10 be chosen in place of Mss Guild. daueh-
ter OF the Mayor of Tennessee's capital. whose
brother accidentally killed yesterda.. and the
other, the Wilmington. by Miss Gray. daughter OF
Deaware's senior Senator. Secretary Herbe-'. At
torney- General Harmon and several other officials
Washington will attend the ceremonies
The Nashville Is ligh-draught twin-screw gun
boat designed for the usual duties OF cruising naval
vessels In coast work her moderate draught Of
water will enable her enter many ports which
most men-of-wsr excluded from account OF
their greater draught. She is 220 feet long on the
water-line with 80 feet beam At her normal
draught OF II feet her displacement Is 1.31 tons.
She is schooner-rigged. with two smokes,acks. and
her total coal-bunker capacity is 800 tons. She has
types of boilers. cylindrical and water-tubular
She will be able TO cruise without recoaling for
long periods moderate speed using her cylindrical
boilers only being able rapidly TO increase her
speed to its limit by starting fires under her
remaining boilers. No attempt has been made 10
being sufficient for the duties required of such a
vessel
quadrupe expansion type. so designed that the low
pressure cylinder be disconnected when the yes
sci is cruising under ordinary circumstances; When
cejye steam from the Yarrow boilers directly. while
the two cylindrical boilers supply steam to the re-
cevers between the high and first Intermediate
cylinders At moderate speed, the low-preseure
cylinders being disconnected. steam can be supplied
TO the two triple expansion engines formed by
either OF the batteries of boilers. The main bat
fire guns four Of them being on the upper deck two
one-pounder rapid-fre guns and two Calling guns:
One fixed torpedo tube Is mounted in the bow; ana
a searchght is placed just above the pilot-house
and forward of the foremast.
The Wilmington has been built for entirely DIFF
ferent service. Although In every respect a per
fect;y safe seagong vessel. the Wilmington and her
sister ship the Helena whose aunch viii not take
Mace for several weeks. designed especially for
river service In external appearance the Whining
ION resembles a small battle-ship, having "A large
military mast with two military tops. simi ar in ali
resnects 10 the one the batte-ship Iowa, which
serves TO command the banks OF a river houses
in a town where she may have TO prevent riotine.
a coming tower the mast. just below the first
military top. enables the ship to be manoeuvrcd at
forty-fve feet aDo |e the water line. The
space available for quarters is large and affords
herth,nR capacity for many additional men besides
her rev To facilitate landing a large body OF
mon she has boats OF an unusual size, her steam
cutter and sailing launch being each tnirty-three
feet in length or as long those supplied to the
heaviest battleships. The machinery consists or
triple expansion twn-scre~ engines The total coal
bunker capacity IL about two hundred and eighty
TONS Two rudders are provided one ahead OF the
o,hor so arranged that II may be possible
the yesse. into a bank and let her swing around
with the current when turning In narrow cnannels
Uer battery Is the same as that OF the Nashvil-e,
and she has a searchlight on her military mast. but
torpedo tubes
Fort Monroe Va, Oct. S-Admiral Bunce, with
the flagship New-York and the cruisers Minneapolis
columbia and Raleigh, sailed this morning for New
port News where the fleet Will anchor unit. after
the launch of the gunboats Nashville and Whining
tnpf fn-mn