The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21

A Fine Modern Fightins Ship-Her Armor
and Her balanced Raider.


and Her balanced Kudder.
Tho approaching trials of the Yashims. built
By sirw. q. Armstrong & Co, from the designs
Of Mr.. Watts, manager of the Elswick ward.
lead En0tneerinV.to give careful description OF
this promising battle ship.
The Yashina is not extreme In size. being 400
feet on tho water line with 4l2 over ALL and
372 between 2erpendiculaJs, while her mould.
ed breadth Is 73Id feet, her depth ~ feet ~
inches. and her mean draught 20ll, at which
last her displacement. with 700 tons OF coal
and all armament and stores aboard. VIII be
about 1880 tons. This Is little moro than
that Of our heaviest ironclads, but,about 1900
tons less than that OF the English Majestic
class The Yashima can carry In her bunkers
1900 tons.
Tho armor is Harveyed. the belt being o20
feet long by y feet deep. and the thickness rang
ing from 10 to.l4 inches, with three feet OF the
belt above water at normal draught. The pro-
tective deck. starting from the top edges Of the
armored belt. Is fiat amidships, but forward
and aft OF the central citadel IL somewhat no
low the wafer line, and slopes at the sides.
Armored bulkheads run across the ship, the
forwa ard ono being II and the aft ~ inches
thick. Forward and aft barbettes ore at the
end of the central citadel From the top OF the
belt to the =, ain deck there Is 4-inch armor. In
general the armor scheme Is said TO resemble
more that OF the Royal Sovereign than that Of
the Majestic.
The barbettes proper spring from the protec.
tive deck. and their maximum thickness OF ar.
NOR Is II inches. This Is reduced where site ar
NOR masks II. The gun shields OF the main
arma me At are Inches thick in front. but thin.
ner in the rear. each pair being in what may be
called a light turret.
Excepting for tho nrmor the classmates, there Is
protection for the sides above tho main deck. a.
against rakinE nre there are the 4.inch ermored
screens. and inboard there Is the harbette armor.
The main armament and the Inch guns are behind
armor. tho latter oeinc in their onch fronted case
mates. and naturally the crews would be conccn
trateJ round their guns in action. shells striking
but In the of shell entering and striking the
birbette arnor. IL would be exploded and the con
even the coal protection hure which is effective
In mufiing shell explosion In the mdahip part be-
low I'M. d.ss tsrre twsye reS u.s. 0r coal
ed, DghtinV in an armorciad be rendered an
occupation withou, risks bus Il would seem that
this 10 the weak point In the ship. though probably
IL Is an Inevitable weakness.
The Yashima has two lo Inch acton guns In
each barbette ten 6.inrh rapid IRE guns. and
"a smaller[pieces big steel casting. which
and balanced rudder. Tho modern practice
g. the British navy l. to give cruisers bal
anced rudder and 70 support II by footn y
balanced rudders with an extraordinarily hori.
zontal keel right To the after end. The adnp-
tion o: what may be called torpedo boat practice
for so powerful and heavy vessel AS these ar
| morclads Is bold step on the part OF tie Jap
aness authorities. Mr.. Watts has, however,
! had some experience with this form OF rudder.
and certainly tho massive steel casting. with
| its broad and SIN nanges for the attachment
| OF the plating and working IL into the main
structure, will provide enormous strength In
| this part, where IL Will undoubtedly be ie-
The speed OF the Yashima with forced
draurht Is to bs ISL knots, ut an air pressure
| At natural draught. with 10000 horse power,
she Is to achieve 1874 knots.