Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-27

Uncle Sam has been rewarded by the most
complete coast-defence vessel in the world
Not the mightiest battleship in the vast
iavy Of Great Britain would care TO en-
ter a duel against the Puritan. and the
second-rdte vessels forming the cream o.
Spain's navy would be the merest play
Things for this warrior OF the seas.
Naval officers agree that with score
OF defensive vessels Of the Puritan type
70 patrol the thousands OF miles OF sea
coast this country would be invulneraole
against attack by the strongest fleet that
any nation could send across the ocean.
DESIGNED BY ERICSSON.
John Ericsson, the inventor Of the mont
tor type OF fighting machine, was the de-
sicner Of the Puritan. She was ordered
nv the Navy Department when the END Of
The late war seemed to be a long distance
off. and her keel was laid at Chester, Pa
I'm 1864 Since then there have been many
changes In the architecture of the boat
but that same keel is in the Puritan TO-
day. and the general ideas Of Ericsson
design exist in this newest and most Tor
midable OF warships.
Very little work was done on the Puri-
tan after the close Of the war. until 1915,
when John Roach got the contract for
completing her. together with contracts
for four other warships. The work pro-
gressed for a short dime, and then It
stopped, 10 be resumed later on al irregu-
lar intervals. In those days Congress
was indisposed toward making naval ap-
preparations ana from 1871 10 1852,
period Of five years, not a single day 5
labor was put on the Puritan or the other
boats in Roach's ship-yard.
CONDEMNED AS UNSEAWORTHY.
During these five years several examin-
ing boards OF naval officers made Official
tnspections OF the Puritan. and they
agreed quite unanimously that she was
very fine ship, barring the fact that she
wouldn't float owing TO the mass OF
heavy metal used in her construction.
In 1883 some little work was done on
her and she was launched. As she noated
very well the members OF the various
examining boards were duly aston.saed.
After the Puritan reached tho water there
was another long spell OF ldleness'
Finally. IN 1859, she was towed 10 the
Brooklyn nayy-yard and appropriations
made 10 complete her. The progress IN
modern afining necessitated many
changes and additional appropriations,
and the work Of finishing the craft drag
xed accordingly. To-day, however she Is
complete ana ready for sea az soon as she
gets her full crew and the necessary
stores on board.
The puritan is 2sC feet 6 inches long
with Gu feet IL inches greatest Dreadth,
and draught of water Of ~ feet' her
displacement IL G0G0 tons.
The Puritan carries four Pinch breech-
loading guns in two turrets; SIX 4-lnch
Iapid-nre guns. protected by arinor-
shields and Sponsors; two 6-pounder
rapid-fre guns on the bridge deck; tour
6-pounder rapld-nre guns on the super
structure deck. and two i-pc1nder rapid
nre guns. which arc mounted In the mill
tary top alOft.
There are TWO big turrets on the main
decls-onc aft and one fOrwaed-and both
can be reyolved easily bJ hydraulic
power, 50 that rapid FIRE can be main
tanned In almost any direction The
turrets. known as the HitchbOrn tur-
Tets. make IT possible 20 raise the guns
10 height Of 10 feet inches above the
water-line.
These turrets do not project down
through the deck, as do those In the
Miantonomah. but the lower part. or bar
bette. is secured 10 the docs forming a
water-tight wall around the base OF the
turret to height Of FIVE ana a half feet
above the deck.
The upper part Of the turret containing