Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-02
WORK ON wARsH1ps.
Much of Local Interest In Secret
Longs ReDnrt

Long. of TIL. Navy Department, the
l'!Vbab!r dat" Of completion OF the
"arsh'l5 building here is given as fol-
low:
.:ears&rse.. =. =. :. August l. 1899.
isnntu"kN August i. 1892
lannon's April !, 1900
.':kansis :. January II. 1900
!iSSnuri :. :. June II. 1901
The knarsarge and Kentucky are pro-
crossing ut - rapid rat. and it is pos
sio'r that they will be completed much
e4r!ier than anticipated by the bureau
: construction.
The probable date OF completion of
The Illinois is based on the suppo-itjon
nat the Iruor viii! be provided in due
saISun.
All IF tn" armor exrcp; the shutter
'a,cs for tin" batticslIils Nn;.rsarge
nd Kentucky has been completed. ac-
artrd ana delivered to the shipbuilders.
Owing To circumstances beyond its
ontroi the Department was not en-
!hleh to enter into contracts for tn"
.i'mnr plate Of the battieShip Illinois
alabama and Wisconsin until June last.
II" year and nine months after the YES
sis themselves had been contracted for.
The contracts require that deliveries
haSin in December. and such good pro-
:'GsS has been made that there is no
tDGb that this requirement of the con
acts Will be met.
y" contracts have rs Yet been made
for the ar,nor for the battleshirs Maine
Missouri ana ohio. nor for the four
,ast-Icfcnse monitors authorized by
nc last Congress.
Trprnycincn, have been made in the
Haiilod "f face hardening armor and
ave been applied to certain expert
ien,ai plates tested by the Depart
sent,
The use of electrical power has been
tu:h"riz. q TO Il greater extent on the
Ieearsar;gc ana Kentucky han of any
cher vessels.
All auxiliaries outside Of the engine
and fire rooms. except the anchor engine
md steering engine. are to be operated
ny electricity.
Turrct turning gear. ammunition
h"ists. hammers and eievatiiig gear for
ne turret guns, and boat cranes and
eek Winchcs are operated by electric
slntnrS.
In the vessels Of the Illinois class the
''sr of the electric power, is to he the
-'tn". except that boat cranes ana deck
inches are t" be- operated by steam.
In tho Missouri class Of bnttleships
nd tn" Arkansas class Of monitors jus:
EXTRACTED for electric power is To he
nrl"ych To the same extent that il is
j the Illiirois class, and il is possible
tnai even Il more extended use may
fe made Of it.
I'll" east Of manipulation. perfection
control. abs,,,cc of heat, ANA facility
.tcain, pneumatic or hydraulic pipes.
rake electricity an IDEAL power on
,irh"ai'd. and til" trend Of opinion IS
II iHvn! IF further eNtcnulnc its use.
New designs have been prepared for
tlns Of al! rHiihers calculated to insure
much greater muZZi" energy han is
htan"d from guns of the same c:llibcr
uW in service.
The first If these guns wlli DO install
ii rn hoard the hattlrshirs of the Mis-
,uri class. and on board Of the mnni-
Z rs a.! H.. Arkansas class
IN the armament Of the three battles
nrS recently authorized. the Depart
sicn' has determined to suhstitut" n
%W t%i" IF h-poWrr l2-inrh gun fnr
II" l::-inrh rIttrrn to h" installed in
No Illinois and sister shipS.
The innin batteries OF the new ships
yiil consist OF four l2inch rifles il, two
Irr"ts and ni six cen Improved inch
uickiiring guns in casomatcs. in
fi'c" Of four l"-inch and fourteen C.
IlcIl guns. in The Illinois class.
The ma Niulum thickness Of armpr tn
pt' employed in The Missouri will be -
inches for the main belt in place or
- | > inches heretofore used improve
mcnts in the manufacture Of arnlnr
WarrantinS this reduction.
An important feature of the Missouri
,MAesign will be the Introduction Of sub
merged toIIaszzb tabes FF4ch Naas
FIRST installed on any vessel * gu
Navy, each ship being fitted with tw,
tubes in Il separate Watertghtf com
"arlmont. arrenged with all nrc,.ssar,
| appliances for operating them aud 10
The StoWagc of eight 3-incter lorTG,loes