The Washington times., 1895-02-24
THOSE new BlTTLE-sHIPs
Designing TheHl Will Keep the
Navy Department Busy.
THB IOWA AS THE MODEL
Probability that These Vessels Will Be
Somewhat Larger-Compstition for Them
and for the Twelve Torpedo Boats Ex-
Dected to Be Very Keen-Importance of
the Experiments in Treating Armor Plate.

The action of the House in accepting the
recommend ations of Secretary Herbert,
looking to the addition tb our Navy ofthree
battle-ships and twelve torpedo boats, has
stirred the department officials to an un-
usual degree of activity. for 1t means much
work for them during the coming summer.
Already they have begun to outline
roughly the main features OF the vessels
and while there can be no official plans
until the board OF bureau chiefs have been
instructed by Secretary Herbert to consider
the subject 1t is already 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 rapidly approaching COM
pletion at Cramps.
The department has always striven in
each design TO profit by the experience OF
other vessels oil like type and to avoid
lavish copying of models, and while this
will b. the course pursued in the case ofthe
new battie-ships, it is believed that the
variations from the original model OF the
Iowa VIII be fewer than is usually the case.
NOVELTY OF DESIGN.
The reason for this belief is that there has
been no very marked novelty of design here
or abroad within the last two years In the
case Of batte-ships, and any changes In the
Iowa plans are likely TO be in matters orde-
tail generally rather than in the wnole
Probably the finest battleship5 inthe world
are those of the Royal nclass. which
Great Britain is Just putting afloat, ana III
is safe to say that If conditions admltted
our new ships would be on their lines. But
this is scarcely possible, for at least Two
good reasons. In the first place, SUI II q snip
would cost more than the limit fixed by Con-
gress, and in the second, it could not enter
more than two harEors on our Atlantic
coast.
The Iowa draws twenty-four feet or
water. while the Royal Sovereign type
draw twenty seven feet These British ships
are of great size, having a displacement
OF 14.000 tons, or as much as the great At
iantcliners whiletLe low a S sdispacementls
IL 40 tons.
LARGER THAN THE IOWA.
The naval designers believe from their
experience with the torpedo toats, for the
building of which proposals have just been
received, that with the money which is al
lotted for the new ships they will be able to
build them some what larger than the Iowa,
increasing the length and beam without
adding to the draft.
Material and labor are cheaper than when
the Iowa was contracted for, and there are
signs that the competition among ship
builders for these new ships will be much
keener than heretofore so that more can be
accomplished with the same allowance of
money.
In case it should thus be possible to in
crease the size of the ships the ordnance
officers are contemplating adding heavier
hot To flsnr, Cffnrr N
instead of twelve inch for the main battery
and considerably increasing the number OF
small rapid fire and machine guns, which
are reported to have done such great
execution in the japanese naval fights.
If the new process OF treating armor
comes up to expectations it is also probable
that the thickness of armor on the sides OF
the ships viii be diminished and the armor
protection extended to cover the ends of
the vessels, the Importance of which was
also shown by the experience of the Jap
aneSe navy.