Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-10-10

water line, the ENDS OF THIS armor are
protected by Aanking plates Of steel
six inches thick which turn toward the
center line in the form of a semi-circle
ond protect the vitals of the ship from
a fore and aft fire This side armor
is backed by six inches Of yellow pine
and belt of coal six feet thick is
placed between the armored belt and
the machinery and boiler spaces,
which affords additional protection
against irjury.
On top of the side armor rests
protection deck 2 inches thick which
extends over the entire vessel; this
deck slopes at the sides and ends and
will greatly increase the protection to
the e!tals Of the ship such az engines,
boilers, magazine rooms and IN fact
all machinery aud running gear that
will be used in manoeuverlng the YES
sci. The coming tower from which
the commanding officer will command
the vessel during an engagement is
located nearly amidships aud will be
protected by niue inches of armor,
The ship will be lighted by electricity
aud will carry four huge search lights
which viii speep the horizon for miles
around and guard against q night at
tack by torpedo boats; she is divided
into numerous water tight compart-
ments and is under control of a power
full pumping plant.
The main battery OF the "Hexas"
will be made mp OF two twelve inch
breech-loadiDg rifles and six six-inch
breech-loading rjfAs. The two twelve
inch guns, which weigh forty'three
tons each, and throw q she'll weigh
ing $50 pounds, are mounted IN two
turrets of nickel steel twelve inches
thick, placed one on each side of the
upper deck and supported by armored
redoubts of the same thickness. Each
gun has a complete broadside train on
it's own side while the forward gun
will have train of forty degrees and
the after gun train of seventy de-
grees on the opposite sides; of the six
inch two will be mounted on the upper
deck-one forward and the other aft
under the flying bridges each gun hav-
ing trala of 120 degrees; the remain
ing six inch gups will be mounted on
in heavily armored spansons on the
main deck two on each slde-eacb
gun having II train of 16O degrees.
The secondary battery OF twelve Six
Founders, four one. Founders and eight
machine guns, will be placed on the
flying bridges and fighting tops and
will be- used to sweep exposed posi-
tione, tear away light armor and re-
pei torpedo boat attacts.
Four torpedo tubs have been placed
on board the Texas" one in the bow,
and ia the stern and one on each
broadside and can make the vicinity
of the vessel very uncomfortable for
an enemy. THIS torpedo outfit will he
augmented by two small torpedo boats
of about 80 feet in length an being of
the most modern design and equip
ment capable of days independent
action and having q speed of about ~
knots an hour Iutime of peace these
boats will be used by the government
as dispatch vessels.
The machinery for thus vessel was
built Ivy the Richmond Locomotive
Works." of Richmond, Va, at a cost
Of 1854 500; her keel was laid in June,
1889, at the Norfolk navy yard, and
she was launched three years later.
The history of this vessel will be in
teresting in at least two respects; in
the first place she is the first battle
ship butt IN the construction of the
new American navy aud secondly be-
ing built from plans purchased from
foreign designers this vessel will be
an everlasting contrast to our later bat
tleship of American design. The long
delayed completion of the Texas" has
tended to make her a much better and
more powerful craft in more ways thar
one, but she practically remains as
drawn up in the original plans by bel
English designers
As has been before stated rapid anC
marvellous strides have been made by
! the designers and constructors OF our
navy department; for this reason
whilea valuable and important add
ton and welcome though the"Texas'
will be to our navy her type will neve