Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-05
THE CRUISER BROOKLYN.
Modelled After the New NOrk-Many
Importsnt improvements.
CNow York Times

! The cruiser Brooklyn, which was sue
cessfully launched at Philadelphia We'd
ncsday. f. a newer and greater New
York Like the New York, the Brooklyn
IL classe1 as an armed cruiser but her
offensive powers are much greater.
The New York carries six S-inch rifles
in her main battery; the Brooklyn Will
( mount eight OF these high-pOwered guns.
The older ship has twelve finch rifles:
her newer sister will carry twelve of the
5-inch caliber. all being OF the rapid-hre
tyne. In the secondary battery Of the
Brooklyn there is an increase OF four
G-pounders over the secondary battery OF
/ the New York
The construction Of the Brooklyn was
/ authorized I'm July. 1899. The Cramps OBJ
/ tanned the contract for building her on
their bid " 60 9See0. That Is only $i."p
more than the cost. exclusive OF al ma "a,
/ mcnt. OF the New York. and. unless gu
! pr .dictions fail. the newer craft VIII be
/ superior in speed. as well as in battery u
her older sister. ..,,,
In design the Brooklyn ls a composite
production OF the bureaus Of Steam En-
! neciing Construction and Repair ana
I Ordnance. The chiefs Of the three bu-
/ reaus dli their work quickly. ana Yen
I weeks after the ships authorization by
/ Congress bids for lis construction had
/ been invited by General i. I. Tracy thc
/ then : cretary Of the Navy on the piahs
In "a general way the ship was mOdele,t
+ after the New York. but a number OF
/ improvements which the building Oh NV
: latter vessel had suggested were naue
/ Most important Of all was the increase OF
+ Lea tons In displacement when insurer
"a ereater coal capacity and allowed NOR
I latitude i'm the disposition ana weight Oh
/ armament IL IS believed that the chanHe
VIM affect for the better the seagoing
. qualities Of the ship, though III that Ie-
spect the New York : abilities are supe-
rior 20 most ships Of her class
The additional dispiacement W.
brought about by lengthening the ship
! twenty feet. forecastle deck has petn
| added and the freebOard forward IN
| creased by eight feet y Correspohnlhs
I increase was, therefore. made IN ne
, height OF the forward barbette from the
water line. and at the elevation al Whif
I the two S-inch bow -chasers WI ,, we
! ulaced experts say. there can be no ilk'-
J GhoGd OF the guns being smotnertd 10y
foam no matter IN what kinI or sea 'he
7 ship Is steaming. .,. 4,
/ a striking feature of the new cruiser Is
! her 'ml1ble-home" build. That type OF
| hull was "A common one in the carry Gay /,
7 Of American naval architecture. auu 80 80
cXempifed IN the frlSate Oonsuou, ,,,,s
/ and vessels of her class. IL was 'yPe
/ that insured stability In battle vim
. the elements but at the expense OF spc''i!:
F as many argued BY the 'tulnble-noihc
tvpo IL meant that the ship Is broader IN
her lower decks than on her upper o,eS
In other words. that she has more beam
AT her water line than she has AT any
. p0tnf above Il. In the BROOKLYN, one us
tiuct advantage which that type VIII Give
beyond that Of stability. is the posHlblltE
OF a direct fore-and-aft fire from me
broadslde turret guns those pieces oelht
mounted IN projecting Sponsors ,..
,rbe S.inch guns are mounted in pairs
in four turrets. one of these Is placeh
forward. another aft. and the other 'Wo IN
broadSidc The forward ana allrr tui
rcts train through an arc of 80 degrees.
F Tho guns I'm tie brOadside turrctS can Hrt
. directly ahead or directly astern. ana al
any point a-beam. This disposition OF inc
gTns admits Of "A concentration on any
' target aht.d. astern, or aDram o. SIX Ul
the eight heavy rifles with when lne
ship Is armed. TIL turrct armor Tor ines"
uieccs is : - inches thick. and IS COM
posed Of the finest nickel steel
The twelve 5-inch guns are advahtasc
ously disposed for an all-iolnd hrei ana
have also an armOr pIolecuon. Ntu
segmental shields OF nickel steel louI
inches in thickness incasc the guns ana
+ AFFORD protection for the ere" from an
/ pncmv'e ire The sloping arrn0r Is eN-
/ nectnd 10 defect the missiles of an enc
/ mv's rapid fire. but II Is not hlehitl
I TO withstand the impact "a batterhs
Smell or projectile thrown from a hcHNS
J. gun Should an ) or even b-lnch arn0i-
/ f,fcrcing shell strike one Of these shields.
The chances are that il would cut through
/ it's four inches OF steel and explode WIN
/ more or less disastrous effect upon tht
; guns crew But the chances OF one OF
/ these heavy missiles hitting there Is one
D. OF the chances II battle, and. as an apIe
naval officer recently 3bseIHea' "s"''Hf
. cannot be made a safe business.
The BROOKLYN IL Il twln-Screw arnJItu
. cruiser OF s21 tons displacement. On tle
load water line her length ~ 4Ho lttI
4 beam extreme. GIGS feet, draueht, nor
/ NAL p feet. indicated horsepower l6,OD.
! estimated speed IN knot per houi' ~
/ coal capacity, l.'13 tons. ,.,.o
/ nv way Of comparison, IL Will be lnte-
resting TO know that the New YORK IS
/ OF 500 tons displacement. and measures
/ 3So g. feet I'm length by 64l0 feet beam.
/ Inc BROOKLYN norma, Coal SuiRiiy Is
F 1888 tons. The New Yorks normal supply
is 80 tons. and her fuil Cdpdclly -"
/ tons The Brooklyn's coal endurance Is
/ 60SS knots OF l0-knot speed, ana Los
! knots al fun speed The speed guarantee
/ Of the Brooklyn Is - knots an hour The
/ contract price is s.. $1,000. and the tlme
/ limit for the completion of the VrsSel IL
/ February Il. 1896. Every one fouIth knoI
/ over the required ~ knots attained by ire
/ cruiser on her official Trial trip the cramps
| VIII receive $4,000 from the government
Four engines Of the vertical triple-th-
/ mansion TYNE and seven boilers form the
/ motive power of the BROOKLYN. Inc pro
/ pellcrs are Of manganese bronze, anu are
/ Is feet In diameter. The starboard one Is
Z rIoht handed and the port one left-hand-
/ Cd. They are intended 10 make lZS reVo-
. buttons per minu 2. l., ..a
/ The seven boilers are placed in three
I commandments. each compartment con
tanning two athwartship hre-ro0ms. ne
| bvlers are Of steel and are of the horl,
| zontal return fire-tuOe type. ana Designer
/ IN work under 100 pounds pressure. me
/ total heating surface is SS,Si6 square feet.
Like the New York, the Brookiyn Is
/ 6,tnd with three smOkestacks. Ihey are
/ hor,s,er smaller in diameter than those
OF The New York. and greater in height.
[ The smokestaCks ovcrtop the mintaIy
masts Their extraordinary helght-IVo
I f.et above the lower Crate bafs-is TO Sc,
cure approximately the dement's OF iof Ur
draught without air pressure IN an. al -
/ IONS Two military masts are ntted 10
The vessel 4 number OF rapid-hre guns
viii he mounted IN the tops,
'rbe ship's hull is of steel The Nitals are
ne smiP hv an armor belt Of S-inch Har
Y Yryized steel. This belt extends the length
Of the machinery and boiler space. i AoGee
/ ,btckness II slopes upward from the
waters edge. ami Is judged to be sum,
! Gently thick to defect missiles from any
! eNceut the highest powered guns
M.s Naxbrtck's story.