The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-02
BATTLE SHIP ILLINOIS
UNCLE SAM'S LARGEST WAR VESSEL
TO BE LAUNCHED TUESDAY.
Her Maximum Displacement 1925
Tons, Horse Power 10000 and Pos
sibIe Speed 16 1-2 Knots an Hour.

WASHINGTON Oct. Next Tuesday at
IL o'clock there will glide off the docks of
the Newport News Shipbuiding Company
the biggest, the most powerful and probably
the most generally effective battle ship in
the United States navy. This will be the
Illinois, which is expected by the naval de-
signers to be a worthy godchld Of the State
whose name she bears. Larger by a thou
sand tons than the Oregon; larger than the
Iowa. now the biggest battle ship in serv-
ice the Illinois is still so designed that she
will be able to enter any harbor open to
the smaller battle Ships while in the matter
of speed she will rank with any of them.
The most striking difference between the
Illinois and the battle ships now in service
is the high free board of the former, en-
abling her to fight her guns from their great
elevation above the water in seas so heavy
that guns of the lower vessels would be sub
merged and useless. Splendid seagoing
powers are also expected to result from this
increased free board, by which is meant
the height of the hull above the water
line.
Some of the details of the great ship,
which vary in many important particulars
from the existing types, are given in the
following description, prepared by Chief
Constructor Hichborn. The dimensions of
the Illinois are as follows: Length on load
water line 1858 feet beam, extreme, Y feet
212 inches; maximum displacement, all am
munition and stores on board, 1926 tons;
maximum indicated horsepower (estimated),
10000; probable speed, 1619 knots; normal
coal supply, 800 tons: coal supply. loose
storage. 1000 tons; full bunker capacity,
1,4OO to 1900 tons; complement of officers.
~; seamen, marines, etc.. 449.
The main battery will consist of four
thirteen-inch breech-loading rifles in HIGH
born balanced turrets, oval in shape, and
placed in the center line of the vessel, and
fourteen six-inch, rapid-fire guns The sec
ondary battery will consist of sixteen six
FOUNDER rapid-fire guns four one-pounder
rapid-fire guns two Colt guns and two field
guns. She will carry four torpedo tubes
Her armor will be similar to that of the
other battle ships, but the vital portions of
the Illinois will be better protected. Many
late improvements will be added to make
the ship an impregnab BILE floating fort. The
turrets Will be operated by electric power.
There will be some eighty odd engines in
the vessel, thus greatly adding to the eff
cheney of the ship in the celebrity and cer-
talnty with which the work can be done.
BY the use of these engines manual labor is
reduced TO a minimum; a condition of af-
fairs which must result in a greater inter
est and development of the crew in their
special duties, as that required in a modern
battle ship where fighting and all leads up
TO thorough efficiency in that line of art
not handicapped by the constant drudgery
so universal in the old-time vessels of our
navy.
-Four powerful electric searchlghts are
provided two on top of the forward chart
house and two on each side of the after
military mast all having an elevation of
twenty-five feet above the water and COM
manding complete all-round range. There
viii be two sets of triple expansion twin
screw engines, each in its own separate
Eater-tight compartment; the collective in
dicated horsepower will be about 10000 with
120 revolutions per minute; stroke, four feet
There are eight single-ended cylindrical
boilers, each 15l2 feet in diameter by feet
ia inches long, having a total CRATE sur
face of 6S5 square feet. with Il 200 square
feet of heating surface pressure, 100
pounds These boilers are placed, two each
in four separate water-tight compartments.
The smokepipeS are two in number and
stand abreast of each other.
The first keel plate of this vessel was laid
teb. ~, 1897, not quite twenty months past
and the percentage of work completed to
this date, based on the vessel fitted out and
ready for sea, is now reported between So
and "a per cent. The contract price was
S25S5,0O0 and the date of completion is
stated to be Oct. 5, 1882