The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-19

scription OF the United States gllnboats
| ''Wheeiing" and ''Marietta," which were
launched yesterday 1t San francisco:
The compoSlte gllnboatS Marietta"
and "WheelIng." which carry two pole
masts and steadying sail only, were au.
thoriEed by act of Congress approved
March End, 1895. and IRE two OF the six
| light draft boats then provided for.
The framing iS Of stee! from the keel
up; the upper edge Of the wood plank will
lap the top side plating about two feet
six inches. Plank OF Georgia pine will
be worked on the frnmeS, secured thereto
by composite boltB in such manner as to
prevent galvafltc action. The outside
surface Of the PLANK viii be c0ppered,
No plating win be worked on the under
wnter body OF the vessel. except che keel
plates, q strip OF plating on each side pt
the keel plates urIier the boilers to form
the narrow portion Of the Hnter tank and
narrow strips for the plates under the
lonEitudaIs and bilge keeis. The entire
top sides will be plated as on steel Ves-
selG.
ThTouRhOut the machinery space. an
inner bottom of plating will be worked.
giving added strength TO this part OF the
vessel enabling tho bllges to be Kept
clean. and affording additional means OF
safety should the outer bottom be rup-
tured.
features are:
Length OF load water-line. ....,..,.. la feet
Beam, extronle, ot load water .. 90.
DEass ImS TormSi AZ bottom Of keel. fCet
DiSDiRceInont, normal, nbout....,.l, ,00O tons
Indicated horse power, about,'... W
speed an hour, In knotS.....,'..''. u
The ar7uanlents. being identioal in both
types, VIII consist of nix four-ineh, four
qix-pounder, and two one-pounder guns,
Mi Tnpitl fire, and will be disposed In this
order: Four four-inch guns IN two bat
terleg, port and stnrboOTd, on the gun
deck amidsh!ps: the two other four-tnch
guns bping carried on the main Deck one
ut the bow and one Mt the stern, each
having q wide arc OF fre. The six
FOUNDER guns will be carried on the gun
deck, two well forward, one on eltheE M
how, and two Omldshtpa between the
four-Inch guns, respectively in the port
and starboar1 batterieA The one
Dminder guns will be disposed where
most advantageous on tie fdmfnocK
For the tour-lnch guns there will be 800
r,,,nd4 Of ammunition. For the six.
nounder guns there will be 1902 rounds OF
Ammunition. For the one-p0aHdeF guns
there viii be l,20O rounds Of ammunition
The normal coal supply IL l20 tons, with
a total bunker capacity Of 2hO tons.
The engines Will be rights anu ielLs'
each in n separate watef-tight compare
,nent, and will be Of the usual NertlcaI'
dlrect. acting, triplc-e1DaIlStoi SyPc'
W-ith n high pressure cylinder anu low.
Dre%sure cylinder of twelve, eighteen and
Gnc. sourtS and twenty.elght inches re:
spcctively, having common stroke OF
niphtNen inches, capable OF deVeioPinS
SOO hUrse-poWer when running Ut wv
revolutions n minute.
Each boat Will have two Eingle-ended
boIicrs. In the Marietta they VIII De
SS the BIbcock and Wilson type, While
in the "WheelIng" they will be OF the
They will have moderate forced
draught lnducnl by two blowers for eacn ,,S
6ont applied directly to the ashSplt. Ihe
boilers win be placed side by sl1e IN oi ttle
sane compartment, with common hte'
room. %. .bn oor.
strur,lnn OF vcssels OF the composite type
ors that they are largely Independent OF
docking facilities and economical! IN the
re- ~ mol The uXfolIation OF the cop
nor causes the barnneies grass elc't 10
hc released Just nS soon as the NesseI -
nut in motion, and the bottom y made
Comparatively clean, thus perinittihE thS
| vessel 10 maintain her designated speed
with minimum c9Hsumpllnn OF roal
The docking expenses, whether AT
home or abroad. and the COST OF Iuel are
two very serious oullNyS that these V1S- ,-
sels are counted upon to minimize while
thcir activity, range OF action, ana gen
erRi ciIlcicncy are greatly increased.
The inland river service for whlch