The morning times., 1895-11-23
MOST POWERFUL lFlOlT.
Bids Soon to Be Asked for
BattIeships Sand 6.
KEARSARGE ONE OF THEM
Famous Old FrigatefO BE Perpetuated
In a Steel Nessel-They VIII Cost
S5,O00,0OO Each and Be the Most
Formidable Fighting Machines In
the World.

Within year after the famous frigate
hearSarge was wrecked on RonCador Reef
Congress determines to perpetuate the
name by giving il TO the most powerful
defender OF American rights that could he
designed 10y our naval constructors and by
great armored battle ships, to ultima tely
cost. complete, about $5,OUU,t00 each and
TO be invulnerable against the hea West sea
going fighters of any foreign navy.
Bids for these vessels VIII he opened at
the Navy department Que week from today
and according TO the act authorizing their
construction, they must lie delivered to
the government hy the close OF 1898.
The specific provision that one of the Sc
vessels should be christened Kearsargc
made an exception To thc law supulaJing
that ships of this class should be named
for States of the Union. and Congress alone
had power to modify this requirement
As no exception was made in the ca Sc
OF the sister snip, the suggestion has been
made that she be called after Secretary
Herbert's native state. the other sections
of the country having been remembered in
the Oregon. Indiana, Massachusetts and
Iowa. This question Will not he pressed
until the launching time comes-about two
years heuce-and in ths mean time. in
accordance with the usual custom OF the
Navy department. the vessels viii he
Officially known as battle ships No. D and
No. 6. Legislative authority also decla red
that one of the vessels should be built
on the Pacific coast, unless reasona BILE bids
could not be secured from that locality,
and the limit of cost. exclusive of arma
mcnt, was fixed at S4,OO0,JO0.
BEST OF THEIR CLASS.
These being the first great warsiips de-
signed under the present administration, IL
was resolved that NJ effort should be
spared to make them, without question, the
highest types of their class; and for the
past six months lively controversies have
ragged in the Navy Department over their
smallest details, every portion OF the de-
signs having been cXiIa ustivcly discussed
by experts, and every advantage OF eN-
pcrieDce gained from other battle ships con-
structed both at home and abroad having
been iuily utilized.
One essential requisite laid down by Sec
retary Herbert was that these vessels
should draw less water when fully laden
than any other Iirst-class battle ship, either
in this country ur abroad. The largest for
eiEn battle ships, when ready for sea duty,
draw in the neighborhood of twenty light
feet OF water. Our existing battle ships,
while drawing twenty-.our feet at normal
displacement, owing To settling by the stern
due 10 increased weight, really draw about
twenty-seven feet. Battle ships : and
have been dcsigne to draw but twenty-five
feet, with ! 200 tons uf coal and all stores
and ammunition on board. This viii enable
them to reach all of the principal navy
yards and ports of the country even when
fully laden. aGd Will make their docking
less difficult than ;hat of the other Amcri-
can. battle ships.
ARMAMENT OF THE SHIPS.
The question OF the calibrc and disposi-
ton of the large guns gave rise 10 more