Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-05-19
LAUNCH OF THE ALABAMA
The Splendid BattlGship Sent 10
The Water al Cramps
Shipyard Yesterday.
WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL AFFAIR
The Christening Cerem ony
Was Performed by Miss
Morgan--Description
of the v es ell.

Associated Prs4s Dsptt.l by SneHu wtr,t
Philadelphia, Pa. May IS. Il no bait |
tleship ~ lauAma was HucceHslully |
launched az Cramps shipyard, this
morning.
The launch was highly successful.
The christening ceremony was grace
fully performed by Miss Morgan, daugh.
ter of senator Morgan OF Alabama.
DESCRIPTION Of THE ALABAMA.
Tho Alabama ia the first to be
launched at the three new bRttleships
Of her typo. tha other two being the
Illinois ana Wisconsin. She presents
marked Emergencies of design from tho
first three. the Oregon, Indiana and
Massachusetts. These differences in
volvo both tho arrangement OF the hat
terry and the disposition OF the armor,
as we'll as considerable increase in
size and displacement.
The first type tad the armor arranged
in water liuo belt and casemate amid
Ships, with the onda forward and aft
OF this belt protected by Submerged
armored decks.an their main batteries
were mounted as followR:
Four l3-inch guns in two turrets,
| eight S-inGn guns in four turrets, one
NJ UhCu VI thp dpbhAO
ami four 6.inch guns mounted at the
corners of the casemate below the sup
orstructure.
| 10 the Alabama type, the water line
arlnor la carried clear forward: the
protective deck instead of bsing sub
merged as in former ships is raised to
the level of the top OF the belt by slopes
at each side, the same as IN prutected
cruisers. Tne 8-inch guns uf the Indiana
| type are done away with entirely, the
| main battery of the Alabama type con-
sisting of four l3-inch guns in turrets,
and II G-nch rapid fire guns, of which
10 are mounted on the gun deck, eight
10 hr0Rdside bent turrsts and two firing
atraight ahead forward of the fore
turret on the gun deck. The other four
ale mounted in a small redoubt on the
casemate deck, two on each side. The
broadslde G-inch guns, instead of being
mounted in projecting sponsors, arc
mounted in recess ports in order to
secure extensive train forward and absft
| the beam.
The general dimensions of the A la
bainu class are as follows:
Length, over all, 37l feet; breahth,
~ feet; freehoard, forward, 90 feet;
freeboard abaft the after turret, IL feet
- ~ iopb " atu-
placement, IL. $50 tons.
The guaranteed speed ia TO be 16
kaoiH and the estimated horse power
10000.
Tho main battery has already been
described. The secondary battery con-
sists of II FOUNDER rapid fire guns,
six one FOUNDER rapid fire guns and
four Gatlings
4 Tho arrangement of the boilers in the
Alabama class diifHiH from that In the
Indiana, in being eight single ended
boilers instead of four double. enders
and in being placed athwart- ships With
fore and aft fire room instead OF
longitudinal, with Rthwart ship fire
rooms as in the former class
Examination of the plans of the Ala
bama. as compared with those of the
earlier shipH, will show that the de-
partures in the details of construction
are in the direction OF simplicity and
also the reduction of the number OF
different oaibres of ammunition re-
quired to he carried on boari, the
effective weight of fire in various posi-
tions remaining substantially the same.
Dispensing with the S-inch turrets also
considerably reduces the weights to DO
carried high above water which it is
heavy seawny.
On the whole the armament, armor
and speech OF the Alabama with dis
placement OF 1880 tons compares
favorably with that of the latest type
OF battleships abroad with displace-
ment of IL, 900 TONS.
The maximum thickness Of armor on
tho wRter line is l6la inches tapering
J to 9l5 inches at tho bottom of the belt
; The casemate armnr 10 5la inches thick
and the Huperatructuro armcr ia of tho
Same thickness. Tho Hrmnr Of tho Ii.
inch gun turrsts 10 IL inches thick. or
eept tho port holu plate, which is II
inches Tho armor OF the harbettes on
whiun the turrots rcst ia is inoheB
thick. The thickness of the protective
decls arinur on the Hat over the citadel
midships and also forward and aft is
90, inches and the thickness of the
slopes forward and aft Uf tho amidshiE
citadel ia four inches, Tho coming
tower il cylindrical and 10 inohss thick.
The total weight OF armur and bolts
ia 2720 tons and OF the protective
deck armor 593 tons. The weight of
armament with normal supply Of am
munition. which is thirds of the
full war supply, ia S64 tons.
Tho builders say the construction Of
the Alabama has been delayed over u
year ny this failure OF the last Congress
to provide the LeceRsasy armur, lad
prompt pTovisiUn been mado for the
manufacture OF tho nrmor. the Alabama
would at this tins, instead of being
launched, be fitting out for service.