The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-22

gencies of service in the shallow bays and
rivers of the orient have been provided
for. She was intended to make her way
through the crowded arteries of oriental
intercourse. and to carry her burden OF
peace and protection hundred of miles
up the rivers of China. This boat, with its
single military mast, looks like a minia-
ture battleship, and is to do the duty so
long relegated to the old Monocacy. the
last of the wartime double-ended, side
weeled steamers.
The Wilmington is 25OSl feet long on the
water line. has a maximum beam of
feet rs inches. a normal displace-
ment of 1892 tons, and draws under ordi-
nary service conditions, nine feet of wa
ter. This moderate draft is an absolute
essential to river service. where the added
draft of a foot would mean exclusion
from service for hundreds of miles in
land.
Ordinarily the Wilmington will carry 100
tons Of COAL but she has bunker capacity
for $50 more, upon which she is able to
steam for a considerable radius. BY the
contract the Wilmington was called upon
TO make thirteen knots, but she can steam
at 1907 knots, as shown on her trial trip.
This boat, a double bottom, honey
combed into a large number of small
compartments, while subdivision on
greater scale is carried out within the
entire body.
water-tight deck is worked over the
region occupied by the engines, boilers
and magazines. and the coal is so dispos-
ed that Il will afford protection so long
as IL lasts, while band OF one-inch arm
or runs along the water-line amidships
for a distance of sixty-seven feet. This
d cot ur4 Id.
wind and water" and the Wilmington Is
the only gunboat in our service so pro-
tected, and, but for the peculiar service
for which she was planned, would not be
so coated with nickel steel
The boat is driven by two sets of triple
expansion engines actuating twin screws:
and, steam, at a working pressure of $50
pounds, is supplied by six slngle-ended
boilers, placed In two water-tight compart-
ments. When running under forced draugnt
these nre rooms are air-tight, and a
steady supply Of fresh air-impelled by
large blowers-fans the furnaces into
binding incandescence.
The light draft of the boat, in connec-
ton with the use Of screws. has necessi-
tated an unusual shape aft below the wa
ter-line. Above the water they appear
normal, but Immediately below they are
followed out into two tunnels within
which the propellers work. by which arr
rangement the water flows freely and am
ply to them. The result is immediate ac-
ton-somcthing especially needful In the
narrow channels OF the swift flowing riv-
ers OF China, were "A moments loss OF mo-
tion might mean grounding This over
hanging stern also protects the screws
from passing craft and a downward fire
from banks and bluffs.
Owing to the shallow draft. there are Two
rudders, one placed forward OF the other
over the keel, and 30 proportoned that
the boat will respond az once TO their di-
rection, The heel OF the keel As so
strengthened that the boat may ground
aft without damage, and. by pivoting on
that point, swing IN either direction.
Up IN the upper top OF the mast Is placed
two Calling guns, while In the lower top
there are two one-pounders. The search
light r. mounted between the tops on "a
stand OF It's own. The coming tower.
from which the boat Is 20 be fought or
guided In a crowded stream. Is just be-
meath the lower top, and is reached by a
sheltered stairway. The ammunition for
the guns above Is carried up under the
same cover.
Two OF the four-inch guns are carried
forward on the forecastle deck and two AT
on the main deck, protected only by their
shields. The four fOur-inch and tho two
eix-pounder guns that are mounted on tho
main deck within sponsors are sheltered
by heavy plating Everything that NAV
enable the vessel to push lie way amonn
the numerous craft that always crowd \
Chinese river has been carefully observed,