Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-24
FLOATING FORTS.
The Accepted Designs for Two Mon.
ster Battleships.

The Accepted Designs for Two Mon.
| ster Battleships.
| The Fifty-third congress authorized the
construction of two first class battleships
and the plans for those vessels for the navy
have been prepared, the designs completed
for the inspection OF ship builders, bids will
soon be solicited for their construction at a
cost of about s4000,00O each, exclusive of
armament, and the Fifty-fourth congress will
be asked to provide the money with which
the work on the battleshps may be prose
cuted
These two fine war ships, says the New
York Times, will have each 36S feet length,
will be 72 feet beam, mean draught of 231a
feet, normal displacement of about II 500
tens, normal coal capacity Of 40 tons and
total coal capacity, when all modes of storage
are resorted to, of 1,210 tons The vessels
are to be driven by twin screws. The engines
are to be of the vertical, triple expansion
type, one on each shaft. The boilers will be
five in number. Each ship must maintain on
the trial trip speed of sixteen knots an
hour for four consecutive hours. The two
military masts for each vessel will be hollow,
with fighting tops for rapid-fre guns.
The ''vitals" Of the ships will be boxed in
an ellptical frame of armor. The hulls near
the water line will have an armor belt of
maximum thickness Of fifteen inches and
mean depth Of seven feet six inches, extend
ing from the stem to the after barbette, the
maximum thickness extending over the engine
and boiler spaces.
Barbettes for thirteen-inch guns will have
armor not less than fifteen inches thick,
except in rear, where 1t will be reduced to
twelve inches The turret port plates will be
seventeen inches In thickness the balance of
armor plating fifteen inches thick. The ships
side, from the armor belt to the main deck,
will be protected by not less than five inches
of steel armor from barbette to barbette
WI no ipd lf rft 10
lye-inch casemate armor.
novel feature will be detected at once
by those who have observed the pecpl.arites
of battleships. This Is the double turret
which was recommended by the ordnance
bureau. one above the other. The armor for
these turrets win be nine and eleven inches
In thickness. The two turrets thus Joined
must be turned together, giving center fire
OF four powerful guns There will be one
double turret forward and another aft on
board each ship. while along each broad
side. piercing the thick wall of armor. will
be arranged flve-nch guns. This arrange
ment together with a general scattering Of
guns Of smaller caliber. will give the ship a
most war-like appearance. 1t will suggest
even the old line battleship. which had such
a bristling appearance and such deadly
effect in its broadsde fire.
The battery of the vessel Will be four
thrteen-inch breech-loading rifles, four eight
inch breech-loading rifles. fourteen iye-inch
guns, twenty sN-pOuulEI
guns four one-pounder rapld-nre guns and
four machine guns and one feld gun.
An armored deck will extend throughout
the length OF the vessel. Where this steel
deck Is worked fiat the thickness will not BE-
less than two and three-fourth inches and
where worked with inclined sides the slopes
will be three inches in thickness. A cslulose
belt will be fitted along the sides the whole
length OF the ship.
The coming tour will be not less than
ten inches in thickness. having an armored
tube not less than seven
inches In thickness.
The supply Of ammunition will be 200 |
rounds thlrtsen-inch ammunition, 500 rounds |
sight-inch ammunition. $500 rounds Ave |
nch ammunition. 900 rounds slx-ponnder |
and 2,400 rounds ons-pounder
lmmuntion.
The torpedo OUTFIT will consist OF Ave tor
,edo tubes, eight torpedoes and suitable
allowance OF guneOttop for mines and mis-
ellaneous purposes. The torp,do tubs9 VIII