The evening times., 1898-09-06
THE CHESAPEAKE.
Cadets of the Navy VIII Cruise on n
Sailing Ship.

Sailing Ship.
Bath, Ne. Sept Ga valuable addition
to the new navy will be the large steel
practice ship now in process of construc-
tion in the yard of the Bath Iron Works
at Bath. This new vessel, for the build
ing of which Congress originally appropri-
ated SIZE, 600, and for whose completion, in
Guiding armament, $500, 900 will be availa-
Bile. will be known as the Chesapeake.
She is intended for the exclusive use of
the cadets at the Naval Academy, at An
napolis, and will be one of the largest,
and by all odds the finest, sailing prac-
tice ship in the world. She will be re-
markable for her great sail-carrying pow
er, the area of her principal sails being
1S, Isl square feet and her total sail area
1880 square feet. She will also have the
distinction of being the only single topsail
ship afioat.
The day Of sailing warships is past, but
Uncle Sam still holds to the theory that
the education of navigator or command
ing officer in the navy is not complete I'M
less he thoroughly understands the han
ding of a sailing ship. And he must be
not merely theoretically competent, but
practically so. This applies to the ordi-
scholarships for apprentices, propelled by
sail power, are an important part of the
American navy. Someone has said that it
only requires months 10 make a good sol
der, but years to make a good sailor. and
every American and English admiral will
tell you that the best officers and seamen
IN the navy are men whose nautical train
ing began on board a sailing ship. Uncle
Sam believes this thoroughly, and has
seen it proven many times by experience
He now emphasizes this belief by building
the Chesapeake On board of this vessel,
and others like her. the Deweys. Samp-
sons and Schleys of the future will receive
the foundation and the most important
practical part of their professional educa-
tion.
The Chesapeake is being built of steel,
her bottom sheathed with finch pine and
coppered. Her stern and Stern posts are
of manganese bronze. The following are
her general dimensions: Length OF hull,
PA feet inches; length over all inclu-
sive of Jib and spanker booms. 275 feet :;
BEAM extreme, 81 feet; mean draught l6
feet inches; depth, q feet 1-2 inches
displacement LIZA tons. She has a wood
keel % inches deep ana IS inches wide.
and great deadrise. The vessel is ship
riGged. and as already said will carry
very close TO 2O,0oD feet OF sail. Her total
height from the bottom of the keel to
the top of the main truck is l5S feet 8
inches, and the main lower yard is IS feet
long. II is proposed to make the lower
masts and yards of steel, the remainder
/ of the spars being OF spruce and yellow
pine.
Accommodations will be provided on the
Chesapeake for the captain, ten ward
room officers, two warrant officers, $50
cadets and q crew of ninety men In
armament the vessel will be up-to-date,
her battery consisting of six 4-inch rapid
fire breech-loading rifles on the gun deck
and four 6-pounders and two l-pounder
rapid-fire guns on the spar deck. With
( boats she will be well supplied, having
( a 30-fOot steam cutter, 30-foot launch,
I two 2S-foot cutters, one 2S-foot whale
/ boat, one -2Sfoot whaleboat gig and one
2o-foot dingy. Steam for the windlass,
I pumps, distilling apparatus, refrigerating
plant, Gynamos and for heating purposes
will be supplied by two Scotch boilers of
ample size. Her water tanks will have
a capacity of 55 tons. There will be no
steam propelling machinery, not even
auxiliary. With three complete decks,
built Of the heaviest picked material, the
I Chesapeake will undoubtedly be a strong.
4 seaworthy and durable vessel, splendidly
fitted for the uses TO which she will be
. put.