New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-17
FINE NAVAL MODEL.
,,,rt,rNG TO SHOW WESTERN PEG
At OMAHA WHAT A DRYDOCK IS.


,r..,,rr,on. July 16.-There has Just been
..,.bea at the Washington Navy Yard and
80 .od 70 the Omaha Exposition as part Of the
60 s- Department exhibit at that place model
''.,.b is probably unique. The pressing need
w. more drydocks In order to take proper care
~ J, ,bs ships Of the Navy. and the ignorance OF
". neople away from the seacoast OF what
.~sock was and It's functions. led Lieutenant
.s,.,co,njck. who had charge Of the exhibit, to
lest to Chief Naval Constructor Hichborn
'.s obstruction OF working model OF such
~, believing that 1t would prove most In
...os,ing feature. and 1t was built last winter.
:. .orsists Of an active working model on q
-. ~ ope-ouarter Of an inch to the foot or
'.,-torty-eighth Of the full size. The model
'" instructed mostly Of wood, but the inside Is
r,aa with brass plates brazed together In order
=. make il water tight. 1t Is an exact repro
,,..ion On that scale OF the Simpson timber
,1raocks which are to be built at the Ports
Nth Philadelphia and Mare Island Navy
-a,as and In size and general dimensions Of the
ga, drvaock at the Boston Navy Yard. which
,.,or however, Is to be built Of concrete.
rhsse docks will be 700 feet long on the coping
xo.a 70 the outer gate sill; 162 feet 8 inches
ia on
uds At the entrance on the bottom. 100 feet
vide 4, the entrance on top. SO feet deep to the
ro,king floor. and the top Of 3-foot keel blocks
ril be 80 feet below the mean high-water line.
The model has been prepared IN great detail
en- that the model ship which accompanies II
ran be locked and unlocked Just as the actual
chin would be- large basin Is constructed
outs;de the entrance In which the model ship
will be Aoa,ed, and a complete system OF piping
and valves Is provided so that 1t can be flooded.
allowing the model ship TO enter. and then
drained leaving her dry on the blocks. a rail-
ing'surrounds the three land sides, on which Is q
working model Of a powerful travelling crane,
used for handling heavy Weights Oorty tons be-
Ing the capacity. which may need to be taken
aboard ~ or removed from ship in the dock.
The ship model which is part OF the exhibit.
Is an accurate reproduction on the same scale
Of the ba;tle-shlps Illinois. Alabama and Wis
eonsin which are being built at Newport News.
Cramps shipyard, in Philadelphia. and the
Union Iron Works. at San Francisco. respec-
lively These ships are 313 feet Q inches long
over all 3GS feet long on the water-line. ~ feet
inches wide and % feet inches draught OF
water with a normal displacement Of l1.525
tons. and 10000 indicated horsepower giving
an estimated speed o. sixteen knots per hour.
Their total coal capacity is 200 tons. They
carry four 13-inch guns in turrets l3 Inches
thick and fourteen G-inch rapid-ire guns be-
hind casemates Of 6-inch armor. The side ar
nor extends from the stem 27S feet aft. and Is
6n inches thick, tapered al the forward end 10
inches The coming tower Is ID inches thick,
md the armor deck 22i inches thick amidshps
md inches thick a, the ends IF the ship. The
esse.s also carry a secondary battery of sixteen
FOUNDER rapid-fre guns four 1-pounder rapid
K guns. one Calling and one field gun.