The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-14
THE NEW SHIPS.
Three COaStline Battle
Ships to Be Built.
Bids For Construction to Be
Opened Today.
Dimensions and Armament of Pro-
posed Additions to Navy.

Congress, approved June 10, 1896, provi-
sion was made for the construction OF
three seagoing coastline battle ships to
cost, exclusive of armament, not more
than S3, 100000. Bids for these vessels
will be opened at tue department
today, and proposals are invited
upon either the plans OF the navy
department or the plans OF the bi1der.
adhering in the latter case to certain
specific requirements imposed by the de-
partment. These vessels are combina-
tions of the best feature of the Iowa and
Kearsarge types, modified by such ad-
vances and impr ovements as experience
has suggested most desirable. Their
general dimensions and principal
features are; Length on load
water line, 36S feet; team,
extreme, az feet, 2.5 inches;
Freebosrd, forward, 10 feet SO inches.
Freebosrd, aft, 13 feet 6 inches. Nor
mai displacement 11,625 tons. Mean
draught, normal displacement, % feet
inches. Indicated horsepower (estimstsd)
10000. Speed IN knots an hour (estimated)
16 knots. Normal coal supply 500 tons.
Total bunker capacity 700 tons. Batteries
Main I3-inch breechloading rifles, IA
6-inch rapidtire breech loading rifles.
Secondary, IL 7-pounder rapidfire guns,
4 one-pound repidfire guns, 4 machine
guns, one field gun. The four above wa
ter torpedo tubes are placed two on
each broadside, amidships, and will fire
Though an arc OF 60 degrees. 1he four
l3-inch guns are mounted in pairs In two
balanced barbette turrets and will have
an arc of sre of go degrees each. The tur-
rets and barbettes will be of Harveyized
armor, 10 inches thick, augmented on the
slshfing faces by two more inches.
Within an armored citadel OF steel six
inches thick on the upper deck amid
ships, there viii be two of the six-inch
rifles on each side, firing through an arc
of 40 degrees.
On the main deck below, behind the
casemate, armor amidships there will be
q brosdside battery of four more OF these
six-inch guns, firing through an arch Of
45 degrees and each gun station protected
from the other by 1lo splinter bulk heads.
Forward of this battery, one on each side,
protected by six inches of srmor, and
having a similar sweep of fire, there will
be two isolated. .six-inch rifles.
The secondary battery is distributed on
the main deck fol wa-d, the berth deck
aft, and on the bridges and in the tops
where calculated to give the most effec-
tive 6re against torpedo boats, light craft
ard unprotected parts of the enemy.
The protection of the hull against in
jury to the waterline region will be
effected by means cf a side armor belt of
a maximum thickness of 1919 inches,
with a mean depth Of 7l2 feet, so disposed
in reference to the normal load line OF the
vessel that four feet OF the belt will be
submerged. This belt will extend from
the stem to just abreast the after bar
bette, and Will maintain It's maximum
thickness from the after barbette forward
to the forward barbette, whence it will
taper gradually to four inches at the
stem.
From the top of the side belt up 20 the
upper deck and throughout the region
occupied by the midship battery of SIX
inch guns, the sides will be reinforced
by 5l2 inches OF hardened steel, backed,
below the.main deck, by belt of corn
pith cellulose and bunkers full of coal.
Athwartsbip bulkheads IL inches thick
will run inboard to the barbettes from
each end of the tnickest part OF the aide
armor, and on top Of the tour walls so
formed by the side armor and athwart-
ship bulk heads, a fiat, protective deck
2sl inches thick will he placed. Below in
the space taken by this heavy body of
steel will be placed the engines, boilers,
magazines and shell rooms.
slanting decks, running from the top
OF the heavy athwartship bulkheads to
the stem and stern will form the con-
tinuation OF the fiat protective deck. For
ward this deck will be three inches thick
and an inch heavier aft.
The propelling power will be furnished
by two triple expansion engines, each In
It's own wa.ertight compartment, having
cylinders of 1875, 81 and 7s inches in
diameter, with a common stroke OF as
inches. Eight large single ended boilers
in four wotertight compartments will
supply steam at a working pressure OF
$50 pounds, and forced draught will be
maintained by blowers in each fire room.
The ships will be lighted by electricity
and drained and ventilated by steam,
and several scores of suxiliary engines
will lessen the manual tax on the crew
OF 500 persons. Wood will he used as
little as possible, and whore used will be
fireproofed bya process OF tried efficiency.
There will be two fighting stations.
that just below the pilot house ard abaft
the forward turret will be OF steoI ten
inches thick, the other Immediately aft
the msinmast and within the superstruc-
ture. viii be Of steel six inches thick.
Electrical siRnsls on each mast will
doubls the chances sginst accident in
battle.
Unlike the KearsGge and Kentucky,
mum bors z, and 0 are devoid OF the
double deck turrets and their superposed