The sun., 1898-06-16
THREE BIG BATTLESHIPS.
PLANS FOR Fro HTINa NTAoHINES
AUTHORIZED ny CONGRESS.
Secretary LonE Approves the Plans end Will
Ask for Bids-The Vessels HHust ne CSns
Rletea In Less Thar ThIrty.three aaonths.

Secretary LenG Approves the Plans snd Will
Ask for Bids-The Vessels HHust ne CSn.
Pleted In less Than Thirty-three menths.
WASHINGTON, June 15.-Final approval was
given to-day by tho Secretary Of the Navy for
the construction Of three big battleships under
designs agreed to by tho special board consider
ing tho subject, and bids will DO asked for from
leading shipbuilders. Firms may submit bids
other on their own plans or those OF the de-
partmont, but II on their own plans they must
comply with certain general requirements speci'
fed in the call. 1t is proposed that ships shall
be completed in a shorter time than any similar
vessels Of the navy. Heavy penalties are to be
imposed for failure to meet contract require
monts. No bid will be considered that does not
contemplate the building of the ships in less
than thirty.three months, three years heretofore
having been the time allowed for battleshipS
In general appearance and type the now ships
will be like the Alabama and Wisconsin, al
though thero are some important changes in
tho design tending to make them higher ratio
war crafts. Their speed, however, will be only
sixteen knots. There lie some criticism because
1t will not be higher, in view OF the speed OBJ
tained abroad by battleships Of equal displace-
ment which in several instances has reached
eighteen knots and moro. Secretary Long con-
cluded, however, that to design the vessels orig
six months additional time and the usual squab-
BILE in the technical board over the subjects Of
weights Of machinery and other parts Of tho
ships.
Franco has three battleships Of the Charlie
mngne class. of less displacement than the pro-
posed vessels and capable of I g knots speed
Great Britain latest batteships arc also to have
speed equal to the Frenchmen. Completed tho
ships will stretch over 3S6 feet Of water on q
beam of 70 feet extreme and q draft OF 23l2
normal, displacing 1900 tons, and having a
total coa-carrying capacity of l,20o tons. Not
q sail will be carried, and the two military
masts of each ship are to be fitted with
fighting tops. mounting throO machine
guns. Protection of the hull against
projectiles is to DO afforded by side armor belt
OF a maximum thicknesso of 16la inches and q
mean depth Of feet inches. to extend at least
from the stem to the after barbette ard to main
tain the maximum thickness through tho engine
and boiler spaces. All turret armor will be
fourteen inches throughout A protective deck
is to extend through the length Of the vessel,
varying in thickness from three inches to tive
inches A celluose belt 10 also to bo fitted along
tho entire length OF tho ships. All the 6.inch
ordnance Is to be protected by five inches of
armor, with an additional 2-inch splinter bulk
head between guns.
Four l3.inch guns, mounted In two turrets on
the midshp line, ono forward and ono aft; ten
6-irch rapid.fping guns in broatslde on the
main deck and four on the upper deck within
the superstructure, and a secondary battery of
twenty.four rapid firing and machine guns will
compose the batteries of the ships. Tho weight.
with mounts and carriages, will be fully 574
tons, and that Of tho ammunition required 449
tons.