The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-24
THE NEW BATTLEsHIPs.
They VIII BE Constructed ON Lines
Similar to Those of the Iowa.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-The action of
the House accepting the recommendations
of Secretary Herbert looking to the addi-
ton to our navy of three battle ships and
twelve torpedo boats has stirred the depart-
ment officials to unusual degree of ac-
tivity, for it means much work for them
during the coming summer. Already they
have begun to outline the rough lines of
the vessels, and though there can be no
official plans until the Board of Bureau
Chiefs has been instructed by Secretary
Herbert to consider the subject it is al
ready apparent from the expressions of
the officers who will have to design the
battle ships that these will in general be
patterned after the Iowa, the largest and
most powerful of our new ships, which is
now rapidly approaching completion at
Cramps. The department has always striv-
en- in each design to profit by the experience
of other vessels of like type and to avoid
a lavish copying of models. While this
will be the course followed in the case of
the new battle ships, it is believed that
changes from the original model of the
Iowa will be fewer than is usually the case.
The reason for this belief is that there has
been very marked novelty of design here
or abroad within the past two years in the
case of battle ships, and any changes in the
Iowa's plans are likely to be in matters of
detail generally rather than in the whole.
tne m me- Roya
| which Great Britain is just putting afioat.
and it is safe to say that, if conditions adj
NIT. our new ships will be on their lines.
But this is scarcely possible for at least
two reasons. In the first place such a ship
would cost more than the limit fixed by
Congress, and could not enter more than
two harborS on our Atlantic coast. The
Iowa draws twenty -four feet. while the
ing a displacement of 1900 TONS or as much
as the great Atlantic liners, while the
Iowa's displacement is II, 40 tons. The ma
val designers believe, from their experience
with the torpedc boats, for the building Of
which proposals have just been received,
that with the money which is allotted for
the new battle ships they will be able to
build them somewhat larger than the Iowa,
increasing the length and beam without
adding to the draft Material and labor is
cheaper. than when the Iowa was contracted
for, and there are signs that competition
among shipbuilders for these ships will be
much keener than heretofore. SO that more
The ordnance officers contemplating ad-
ding heavier batteries to the ships. using
13-inch guns instead of 12la-inch for the
main battery. and considerably increasing
the number of small raDid-fire machine
guns, which are reported to have done such
great execution In the japanese naval
lights If the new process of treating
NOR comes up to expectations 1t is also
probable that the thickness of
the sides of the ships will be diminished
and the arnor protection extended to cover
the ends of the vessels. the Importance of
which was also shown by the experience
of the Japanese navy.
The experts appointed by the bureau of
the NAVY Department to examine the plans
submitted for the construction of three new
torpedo boats are busily engaged in that
work Three of the bidders-H Herreshoff
the Union Iron Works and Ramsay-sub-
mitted original designs for the boats; the
others bid exclusively on the pisns pre-
pared by the Navy Department. So far the
examination of the individual plans fails
to show any feature of novelty in design
ard the changes in department designs
are generally in the direction Of cheapen.
ing the construction, save In the case of
the Herreshoff proposition to use bronze
and aluminium for hull construction.