Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-25

make the combination almost unequalled
in naval architecture.
The big rifles, four in number, are
mounted in two turrets, one sweeping the
entire sea from directly ahead. fully half
way astern, the other with equal range
placed so as 10 command the sea from
either bow straight astern. These are
OF l3-inch calibre, yet the British navy
now confines its guns to 12-inch. In inches
the difference seems small, yet the Amer
lean gun has about - per cent. more
power.
AN EXPERIMENT YET.
At this point in the armament Of the
ships the American designers have en-
barked in a bold and enterprising expert
ment, the result of which will be awaited
with interest by the whole maritime
world. Instead OF descending at one move
from the heavy primary battery to the
small-canbre, rapid-iire guns, as is done
in the case OF cruisers, il has become
the custom of naval architects to inter
pose a battery Of medum-calibre guns,
o. or S-inch guns for instance, and these
are placed in smaller Independent turrets
about the ship. 1t occurred to the Ameri-
can designers that If they could dispense
with the weighty and space-consuming
machinery attached to these turrets, such
as the turning engines and machinery, in
dependent ammunition MOIST shields, ana
the ike, that much moro engine-poWer
could be placed IN the hui. o. the ship, ana
that much more armor could be carried
They solved the problem by rigidly at
taching the smaller tuurets, each com
tanning two S-inch rifles, to the top of the
big 1S-inch turrets
The plan had another advantage than
Notwithstanding Theoretically, it tended 70
a terrible concentration Of the fire OF the
ship. Probably the craft does not hoat
that would survive the awful impact from
the four guns of one Of these combined
turrets upon one small section OF It's hull'
and because they are trained in unison
their projectiles must strike close To-
getner.
INCREASED ARMOR PROTECTION.
with this saving in weight the de-
signers were able to give splendld arIhol
nrotaction TO the ships. All OF this ar
NOR &c of Harveyized nickel-steel, OF
American invention. and the best IN the
world I'M 10 this date, as is shown by
the many European efforts to equal 1t
nv other processes of Manufacture.
Moreover. it is skilfully disposed, so as
10 make every ounce Of steel count ioi
the protection of the crew.
The big turrets are II inches thick In
front diminishing in thickness TO 10
inches i'm the rear, where they are less
liable to be struck. because in action the
guns are supposed always TO be turned
towards the enemy The smaller turrets
above. for a like reason, vary IN mick
ness from IL TO inches. To make sure
No stray shot strikes the ammunition
hoists leading from the magazines 10
the turrets. the former are enclosed IN
tubes of hardened steel Is inches IN tnich-
ness. Mounted in this fashion, the guns
are almost invulnerable from the S-incn
rifles mounted high in air. with good
range. and capable Of piercing the walls
of most armored ships at fighting quar-
ters TO the big 13-inch guns that can
proiect their armor- piercing shot a dozen
miles across the sea.
AUXILIARY BATTERY.
The combination battery Is supple
mented by n numerous auxiliary battery
of smaller guns perched on every conve-