The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-05

power also the ammunition hoists and
the dynamo and auxiliary blowers for ven
tilstjng purposes.
There viii be some elghty-odd auxiliary
engines in the vessel, thus adding greatly
to the efficiency Of the ship, in the CELEBRITY
and certainty with which the work can be
done. The cranes for handling the boats
are operated by steam, also the deck
winches pumps, windlass, and steering
gear. This latter Is located beneath the
protective deck and several feet below
the water line. The introduction of these
auxiliary engines Is brought about mainly
by the variety and nature Of the work to
be done and The demand for the latest and
best In every branch of mechanics repre-
scented in a man-of-war. Manual labor
is therefore reduced to minimum-a con-
dition OF affairs which must result in
greater interest and development of the
crew in their special duties, as now re-
qutred in a modern battleship, where fight
ing and all that leads up to thorough eff
cheney in that line of art not handI-
capped by the constant drudgery so uni
versal in the old time vessels of our navy.
The hight Of freeboard forward of the
vessels hull proper is 20 feet. and at the
stern 1874 feet. The floor of the pilot
house is Al feet high, thus placing the
eye of the steersman for ordinary cruis-
ing, about fifty feet above the water.
The sght-hOes in the armored coming
tower for use in close fighting are 342
feet above the water.
The bore of the forward 13-inch guns
viii have an elevation of 261s feet, and the
after 13-inch, 10 feet above the surface
of the water The 6-inch guns vary from
IS TO 22Ia feet, and the 6-pounders from
80 TO 401s feet above water, according to
their location on the vessel. The smaller
guns are mounted in the military tops,
at nights of from SO to 70 feet. This great
hight above water of both main and sec
ondary batteries VIII enable the vessel to
be fought in any weather, a quality al
ways sought for, but obtainable only in
vessels of good size, and considered of Inn
mense advantage by all naval authorities
She is also provided with bilge keels
placed before and abaft the midship body
only, so not to interfere with docking
her. These keels have a maximum depth
of three feet, and will largely tend to less
en- her motion in a seaway, and so con-
tribute to her steadiness as a gun plat
form so essential for correct gun fire.
-Four powerful electric searchlights are
also provided two on top of the forward
chart house, and two on each side of the
after military mast, an having an eleva-
ton of % feet above the water, and com
manding a complete all-round range.
There VIII be two sets Of triple-expan-
sion twin-screw engines, each in its own
separate water-tight compartment; the
collective Indicated horse power will be
about 10000, with 100 revolutions per min
ute stroke, feet. There are eight single
ended cylindrical boilers, each 151h feet in
diameter, by feet IN inches long, having
q total CRATE surface of 6S5 square feet
with q 200 square feet of heating surface;
pressure 1870 pounds These boilers are
placed two each in four separate water
tight compartments. The smoke pipes
are two in number, and stand abreast of
each other.
The first keel plate of this vessel was
laid Feb TO- 1897, not quite twenty months
ago, and the percentage of work complet-
ed to this date, based on the vessel fitted
out and ready for sea, is now reported
between So and 81 per cent. The contract
price was 81, 595, 600, and the date of COM
pletion is stated to be Oct 5, 1899.