The evening times., 1898-05-13
'LAONcR Of 1 8hTTLEsHIP
The Alabama Will Be Ready for
the Water Wednesday.
IA IT WORK ON The FIGHTER
The Contract for the yeSsel Was
signed Nine Months After Th0se
for the kentucky and Kearsnr;.e.
The Crnmp. VIII Build Three
More of the Same Glass.

Another American battleship is soon to
be launched. This is the Alabama. under
construction at the Cramp shipbuilding
yards In Philadelphia. The Cramps have
officially advised Secretary Long that the
vessel will be launched next Wednesday.
and there are preparations to make the
event a noteworthy one in launching an
mails. The Alabama will be christened by
Miss Morgan, laughter of the senior SEN
ator from Alabama.
Considerable satisfaction is felt in off,
cial circles at the expedition with which
the construction of the Alabama has been
advanced. The contract for the construc-
ton of the ship was made on September
g. 1896. nine months after the contracts
were signed for the construction of the
battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky,
which were launched on March "a. The
battleship Illinois, the contract for which
was given at the same time, will not be
launched for several weeks. The Alaba-
ma is to be completed in September of
next year.
Three moro battleships similar in gen.
eral aspects to the Alabama are to be
constructed under the authority conferred
on the department by the Naval Board
of Construction. Each of the ships will
have a displacement of II. .525 tons, distrib-
uted on a length of 1853 feet and a beam of
q feet. The draught will be q feet 6
inches, and the speed 16 knots. The main
battery will consist of four 13-inch breech-
loading rifles and fourteen 6-inch rapid
firing guns.
One of the best features of the proposed
ships will be the location of a submarine
torpedo tube on each side of the bow.
None of the battleships in commission or
under construction Is equipped with these
tubes.
Capt. Charles O'Neil, chief of the Bu-
reau Of Ordnance, proposes to give the
battery greater power than that given to
any ship yet constructed. BY increasing
the size of the chambers of the 13-inch
and 6-inch guns and by lengthening their
barrels. large charges of smokeless pow
der can be employed and the projectiles
will be given the advantage of additional
rifiing before leaving the muzzles.
1t is also proposed to operate the tur-
rets and auxiliaries of the ships excIu-
sively by electricity. The electrical sys-
TEN has operated so satisfactorily on the
battleship Iowa, the armored cruiser
Brooklyn and on foreign built ships that
the Naval Board of Construction feels
that il should be adopted for all future
ships,
Ealr-Skfnned Sailors
Norfolk. May 1S.-If there is any one
manifestation of patriotism more attract
i've than another the Naval Militia must
be that instance. The Norfolk navy yard
is now he scene of the rendezvous of the
Maryland and Michigan Naval Reserves.
and affords sight unequaled In the an
nails of warfare. These reserves are al
most exclusively men of standing. and
quite large proportion of them are
wealthy. or at least earning large salaries.
One of the party wears delicateiy ad-
justed gold spectacles. One, a coxswain.
had lanyard of the whitest silk and
some beautiful embroidery on his cap.
evidently worked by delicate fingers
Clean cut features, white teeth and soft,
white skins on the bare breasts belied the
rough uniforms.
Many were the sensations that Norfolk.
long familiar with seafaring men experi-
enced. "Cisco's Dewdrop Dining Rooms
were deserted. and the best hotels din
ing rooms overfiowed with "Jackies. =
The House of Blood Steak Joe" on the
water front, was appalled, at the sight of
scores of liberty men passing its bacchan-
allan signboard and the sight of a charm
ing society woman driving with sailor
man in her perfectly appointed trap was
At the old and staid Atlantic Hotel
DO suns. quartermasters. coSswains or
binary and able seamen were cheek BY
jowl with prominent guests
Never had the FOUNDERS seen the billiard
room full of bluejackets expertly playing
pool for Principles. and the Merrimac
Club door feeding jolly tars on planked
shad and Neirstener
Even the navy yard after decades of
cut and dried etiquette. red tape and
blue ribbon. felt thrill of emotion as
the free and easy salts made free with
the seats on the lawn at the afternoon
band concerts. and looked the girls over
with well-bred assurance.
One of Norfolks affiuent men went
aboard the old Franklin to see friend,
and found him engaged in row about
his hammock hooks. This common sailor
was University of Virginia ciassmate,
and he had given up a $4,000 a year posi-
tion for his present life.
The Michigan reserves have one or two
millionaire yacht-owners among them.