Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-26
ANOTHER SEA TERROR.
ONE OF THE WORLDS GREATEST
WARSHlPS.

WASHINGTON, March 21.-[Speoial l.
One Of tho greatest warships in tho world
will be launched from Cramps yard, ut
Philadelphia, in few days. She is the
Iowa, and first class terror of the seas
she is likely to prove The Iowa repro.
sents in most perfect type and detail tho
modern art of battloship building. 1t is
not easy to comprehend the potential pow
or Of this mighty fighting machine. I'm
agine, IL you con, n monster of white as.
pect, 800 feet long, 72 feet broad. sitting
81 feet In the water and Weighing II, 410
tons. Down In tho hold Of this great craft
an army of coal beavers and nremon will
shovel fuel into 30 yawning, glazing
mouths The steam thus generated Is
used in almost nnumerable ways. There
will be no Tower than 100 engines In tho
Iowa when she is finished. electrical and
hydraulic, used for the purposes of raising
anchors, taking on and discharging storos,
bringing ammunition from the magazines
to tho great guns turning the turrets,
swinging the rudder, discharging ashes
from the fireboxes, lifting and lowering
the ships boats, heating and drying every
nook and Granny of the hull, illuminating
thousands Of electric lamps and the great
searchlights as well, freezing tons Of ice
for the daily use of tho crew, pumping cold
air into tho frcrooms whcro the stokers
stand, almost naked, at their work-these
arc only O few of tho well nigh limitlesS
purposes to which steam Is put on mod
ern man-of. war, and the energy of coal Is
used to facilitate tho daily work.
She Comes High.
The Iowa has boen built In an almost
incredibly short time, indicative Of tho IA
cilitos which this country is acquiring
for turning out great battleships In short
order. Tho contract for the Iowa was
awarded only little moro than three years
ago, and her keel was not laid till August,
1893. Yot next week she will glide from
the ways with hull practically perfect, and
needing only her armament and fittings
to mako her ready for service This ship
cost the government for hull and engines
alone little moro than 60, 900, 900, and
her guns and appurtenancos will cost moro
than million in addition. Modern bat
tleships como high, but 1t seems to bo tho
prevailing opinion In congress and among
the people that we must have them.
The Iowa has a thousand tons greater
displacement than her prototypes, the In
diana, Massachusetts and Oregon, which
est naval vessels afloat. Ono distinguishing
feature of the Iowa, one which shows her
to be the most closely up to date war craft
In existence is the free use that has been
made upon hor hull Of that wonderful
method Of hardening steel to any required
depth known as the harvcyiging armor
process. This great invention is of Amer
lean origin and development, and Its uso
Is likoly to place American ships in the
van Of oil warships, so far Us the important
feature Of nrmor is concerned.
In naval vessel the boilers and engines
and tho machinery which gives her life
and movement, the "vitals," must BIO pro-
tected from tho enemy's fro at all hazards.
1t Is upon this some Of the brightest in
ventive minds Of the world have worked
for years. The great desire Is to get dc.
fense resistance to shot, without too much
weight. The race that is going on oil the
time between the inventors Of armor and
the builders of guns and designers of mis-
siles Is one OF the most interesting things
In modern mechanics. The harvey process
appears to have put the armor makers n
few laps ahead In the Iowa band Of
this harveyized steel IA inches thick runs
nearly around the ship Oh the water line,
feet above and 1 n feet below that line,
thus protecting the boilers and machinery,
In addition to this protection, which is be-
loved to be strong enough to stop the
greatest shot an enemy can fire at the ship,
Is reinforcement of the coal bunkers, and
over all a protective deck nearly inches
thick of harveyized steel, strong enough
to stop any shot from getting through In
that way. Above this IA inch belt of steel
is armor plate 5inches thick, and tho naval
architects arc willing to risk their reputa-
ton that no missiles from any war vessel
now afioat will ever find their way into
the machinery of tho Iowa.
Her Wonderful Features.
These arc only the main features Of the
protective system adopted for this ship.
The Iowa is designed virtually ne steel
safe, or cage, within ship, and within
this cage are placed all the vital parts, such
as tho machinery and the appliances for
working the great guns In the turrots over
head. All round and under this ship
within ship are innumerable watertight
compartments each connected with the
pumps. II one or moro Of them are pierced
by the shots Of the enemy, no great harm
will be done. Forward and aft Of this steel
box, In which the life Of the fighting ma
chine Is contained are Golfer dams OF eel
!ulose, O substance which swells ms soon as
water reaches 1t, and thus automatically
closes any shothole.
The Iowa Is fitted with ram, and in
close engagement her commander will DO
able to drive her at a speed of about 20
statute miles per hour, with all the mighty
rush of II, 4l0 tons of steel, pushed by en-
gines having II, 900 horsepower, at the foe.
1t Is almost impossible to estimate what
would be the effect Of such blow. Nothing
that floats could stand against It,
This latest and most perfect fighting
ship ought to BIO able to give good nc
count of herself II she ever comes to quar-
tors. Her main battery is composed OF
four 12 inch guns, housed in two barbette
built, balanced turrets, rovolved by steam.
The guns are loaded, depressed or raised
by steam, too the apparatus being safely
ensconced behind II inches of steel. Eight
inch breechloading rifles arc housed In
pairs in four turrets. If pressed by the en-
envy on both Sides the four big guns could
throw out mass Of / u tons of hardened
steel at every shot, driven by 1,720 pounds
Of powder. Besides tho guns of the main
and secondary batteries are rapid fire
guns, and ports through which torpedoes
can DO discharged.
The Iowa. as the latest and finest OK
ample OF American naval architecture and
engineering, has attracted the attention
OF all the foreign experts and is already
one Of tho most notable vessels in the world.
WALTER WELLMAN.
No Ofcrs.
NJ IL a