New-York tribune., 1895-09-18

sh,, ovsr % her new captaln The crew had al
readv heen transferred to the big ship from the re-
ceving shin Vermont and after the band had played
several patriotic airs. the officers and crew were as
sembled aft al the call OF the bugle. the ere"
being ranged behind the marines on the port side
and the officers on the starboard. Captain Rodgers
then handed TO Captain Aren't s Crowninsnield the
documents placing him In command OF the vessel
and Captain CrOwninshle.d read the order OF 'he
Secretary Of the Navy to the officers and crew Inc
band played again. and the officers and crew gave
three hearty cheers.
The expected presentation Of silver service 10
the ship did not take place the programme nad
been altered the present intention being TO present
the silver when the Maine reaches port IN the
State after which she Is named
The Maine is the most powerful lighting snip
anoat under the American flag, and was bulit al
the Brooklyn Navy Yard the engines having peeh
furnished by the Quintard Iron Works. The snip
ia a floating fortress and has a displacement OF
6sis tons against $500 for her slightly older
sister the Texas. She was built under the act OF
Congress Of March 3. 1857. her first keel plate was
laid on October II. 1855. and she was launchea OF
November 49, 1880. The principal dimensions OF the
shin are: Length on water-ne 3ls feet; breadth o.
feet: mean draught p feet . inches. her engines
which were bull; from designs furnished by George
w Melville engneer-in-chief OF the Navy. are OF
the vertical triple-expansion type. driving twin
screws and developing 5000 Indicated horsepower
giving her a speed Of It knots an hour. while her
trial trip showed speed OF ls'S' KNOTS WITHOUT
having her heavy guns on board.
II il In her offensive and defensive powers. how
ever that the Maine shows her strength. She is
not built to run away from an enemy but IS in
tended TO give and take hard knocks. Her sister
ship the Texas Is fitted with two turrets OF twelve
inch steel and carries one twelve-nch breech-
loading rifle in each turret The Names turrets
are of eight-inch steel but they are placed in bar
f,lx and oh riot p
ries two ten-inch guns. These turres are so placed
that the fire from all four Of the big guns can be
concentrated on an enemy, and supplemented by
that from three OF her six-nch guns. Of which she
has six i'm the main battery Her secondary bat
terry consists OF eight six-pounder and the same
number of one-pounder rapid-hre guns. and four
Gatlings the Texas carrying slightly heavier
weight in her secondary battery. having twelve SIX
FOUNDER and six one-pounder rapd-hre guns. four
Hotchkss revolving cannon and two Gatlings.
She is protected by a belt OF armor lS feet long
and twelve inches thick to depth OF one foot be-
low her water line, and her siX-inch guns are pro-
tected by two-inch shields The stee plates OF her
coming tower are ten inches thick and she has
four torpedo tubes IN the bow, one In the stern
and one amidships on each side The cost Si o. her M
hull and machinery was Eioivo, or ABOUT slV9Wo
less than the appropriation. and 10000 more than
the Texas.
her place in the squadron under Admiral Bunce, and
as she has been fitted with admirars quarters. 1t Is
possible that she VII be made the flagship Of the
mander Adolph Mark her executive officer,
poets that it will take until the first Of October to
put her in cruising trim. Her complete roster OF
officers s follows: Captain Aren't $ Crownln-
shield commanding. and Lieutenant I Commander
Adoph Mark. executive; Lieutenant G. W. Jun
gen Lieutenant f F. w. Holman. Lieutenant Frank
f. Fletcher, Lieutenant George W. Denfed Lieu
tenant Rogers II Gait. Ensign Henry II. Ward En-
sign Friend W. Jenkins, Naval Cadets \. j. Wad-
hams W X Gherardi T.. n. Watson r. v Butler
jr., o s Knopper and W. G.. Grossbeck. Surgeon
John L. Nelson, Passed Assistant Surgeon Victor
&. H. Means Naval Hospital. New-York Assistant
Surgeon Theodore W Richards. Paymaster Ed
ward n. Whitehouse chief Engineer A. W Moroy
Passed Assistant Engineer +. G. Bowers and AS
sistant Engineers Andre NJ. Proctor. VI. T. French
and Maurice B. Peugnet.