The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-30

The Most Formidable War Vessels
Even I'm Our Fine Navy.


Three more OF our hattleships the Ilis-
nois. Alabama and Wisconsin are rapidly
advancing toward the time OF launching
and by the fall they win be ready TO be
put in the water. These vessels were pro-
vided for by act Of congress approved juno
TO- 1886 the Illinois going to the Newport
News Shin Building COMPANY for 81. sos ooo
tho Alabama for s. 500 COO going 10
Cramps and the Wisconsin for s.. f74 40
going TO the Union Iron Works, OF San
Francisco.
The shirs combine structuraliy' the best
features OF the Iowa and the Kearsarge,
having the high freehoard of the former
and the moderate draught OF the latter
As the vessels are sister ships descr'p-
ton OF one applies equally to the otherr.
and the principal dimensions and general
features are-length on load water-line,
sfS feet: beam extreme - feet % inches:
freeboard forward. 10 feet 6 inches: free
board aft, II feet inches: normal dis
placement Ilsa5 tons: draught at norma,
displacement % feet inches: load dis
placement IL 80 tons: draught at load dis
placement. "a feet IS inches: maximum In
dlcafes horsepower fsstimatedl, 10000:
speed (estimatedl. rs knots: normal coal
supply $50 tons; total bunker capacity.
!. 2al tons complement. 40.
These ships are the uross formidable bat
powers OF ofrense and defense are the
equal II not the superior. OF many
Enropear vessels Of greater displacement
The main battery will consist of four IT,
tnch breech-ioadiag rifles. supplemented
by fourteen s-inch ranid-fire guns The It.
inch guns are mounted In two balanced
barbette turrets of i5-lnch Harveyized
steel--thA defensive equivalent of twenty
two inches Of ordinary stee.-while the
49,
inches thicker. These turrets turn through
arcs OF go degrees, ard all four guns can
Re concentrated upon point about sixty
feet Off the Slips beam on either side
Each one Of these guns fires a hardened
steel shot OF 100 pounds with an impulse
81 - CT foct-tous II takes vivid imag-
ina.ion indeed TO forsee the consequences
OF four such shot planted on a single point
Nothing could withstand the stroke within
even the long range of modern warfare
The harbettcs. within which are located
the vital mechanism for these guns. and
Also their ammunition hnIsts are If hard
enel steel * inches thick. and rise soiidly
from the foundation of the heavy protect
I've deck up 10 about four feet above the
decks on which the tirrets lie
Tho battery % rapid 6-inch guns Is
placed on the main and the upper decks
-Four Of them in two heavily arnorea
sitions on the upper decks while the re-
manning twelve also behind six inches ~
arr7or are divided into two batteries
four anIdslhpz and one we'll forward on
each side Splinter bulkhesds of steel an
inch and n half thick separate the gun
stations one from another and heavy
shields prevent the admission OF shot
through the ports These guns will have
an individual rate OF FIRE Of FIVE aimed
shots a minute each shot weighing 100
pounds. and capable Of piercing unsseforYI-
I'd through trihe over eigh; inches of
steel ! IN yards distant.
/ secondary battery consisting rrinel-
psllv az sixteen s-poun5srs "a disposed ad
vantageosrsiy on the main deck well for
ward, on the berth deck well aft and upon
the superss rzsct;ire and bridges where prom,
ss5nz RE saoSs effective service against
torpedo craft and tire exposed positions q.
an eneuy's decks These guns can be ared
aaste ten times n minute
Protection - Inc htIi. - provided nv i
11z~foot water-i;ne telt-AaIf under water
AZ normal aTaught-reaesing from, atrea -
The after turret 30 IRE stem. From a rasn,
abreast n after tlrret TO an
norher abreast me forward a..
fsis aTrncT has nax mum thick
gradually 80 ! inches 81 the Stem. AZ
eaen end ~ the heavy BEL: Gtawartshlpx
eulkhssds 81 hardened steel - inches thick
reach frors side 10 side and oppose raksne.
fire. On top OF these walls rests the main
hoiy OF the protective deck. "a inches
taick. A continuation Of taLs protective