Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-09-01
THE BUILDING OF
NEW eATTLEsHlPs.
Fifteen New Vessel. WIN n. BuIi, rh.,
WIN he Superior 70 Any Tia.
Nov sail the sea.

the speedy construction Of l5 warships
exactly a. outlined two weeks ago, and
directed the various bureaus Of the navy
department to proceed forthwith with
the preparation Of the actual plans for
the greatest construction project ever
undertaken in a single period BY the
United States. Since the adoption Of
the programme by the board ON Aug. II
its members have devoted themselves
earnestly 70 the thorough consideration
OF the lessons gained In the war with
Spain, and Of the necessity for vast sea
power imposed by the possession OF dis.
tAnt islands and increased American
commerce, and they began upon the de-
tails Tuesday without modifying, In
any material particular, the classes Of
vessels which were determined upon
~ essential for the navy hereafter. The
meeting demonstrated that tho MEM
bers were more thoroughly than ever
convinced that larger ships with higher
speed and much greater coal endurance
than any now in tho American service
were absolutely indispensable and ought
TO be begun with as little delay a. posi-.
bic.
The general program, as originally
laid down, provided for % vessels, Of
which six were 10 be heavily armored
line Of battle fighting ships, siI 10 be
small protected cruisers and three mid.
way between these extremes. The three
battleships were to exceed 1900 tons
displacement, with a minimum speed
with all stores and coal aboard Of 1917
knots; there were to DO three first class
Armored cruisers Of 1900 tons, or ono
third larger than the New York and the
Brooklyn, with ~ knots speed and 3
coal endurance Of at least 10000 tons I;
three semi-armored and protected sec
ond-clAss cruisers Of highly improved
Olympia type and sir l6-knot protected
cruisers Of 400 tons, slightly superior 20
the Detroit class, with the remarkable
steaming radius Of 1900 knots. The
board further determine that all ships
should DO sheathed with oak and copper,
10 make them comparatively independ.
snt Of dr. docks.
As result Of the meeting establishing
this programme a. the adopted policy Of
the navy for the immediate future, the
work Of designing the three battleships
VIII begin At once along the following
lines: The displacement is fired at 49,
800 tons upon q drAught Of 25I6 fee,
when the vessel Is loaded TO the maxi.
mum and At that draught q minimum
speed Of isH knots IL TO be guaranteed.
Goal bunker space for between 1900 and
1000 tons Of fuel u to be provided, In or.
der that . steaming radius Of 10000
knots a. q i0-knot speed may be secured.
The armor IL 10 cover the entire vessel
In the form Of cuirAss. II win DO made
after the Krupp modification Of thu bar.
veyised process and Is 10 be ~ inches
thick Amidship, tapering TO Ave inches
at tho bow and stern. There will Be
la-inch rifles Of extra length for smoke.
less powder, mounted in pairs In two
turrets, the latter being Of the ellipticAl
balanced type with sloaped fronts. The
hattleships a. well rs all the other YES
sells, will be equipped with water tube
boilers and twin quAdruple engines. Al
soon A. the plans for these battle
ships progress sufficiently the details foI
the big Armored cruisers will be taken
up BY the construction officers.
One Of the reasons why the British
coal is preferred is that tho Welsh min,
ers send IL in small bricks Z to )
inches thick and II inches long. Thil
fact makes coal easy to handle on the
small engines employed in Venezuela
Coal is carried ON little platform Al
the locomotives have no tenders. Il
the coal were In the ordinary form 4
would roll off. Then, too, this kind o.
coal having been used for some time
the crates In the boilers have been bull
70 suit IL.
IL IL a peculiar coincidence that thl
plans for these magnificent battleship
are begun simultaneously TO almost
day with the opening Of bids for thre
battleships upon which the contractor
have been figuring for the last thre
months. This competition will close a
noon tomorrow, and IL is almost fore
gone conclusion that the Cramps, th
SCOTS and the Newport News compan.
will each attempt 10 secure vessel
which is practically tho duplicate Of
similar battleships now being built b
each Of these firms, although tho prC
posals are expected TO develop Sigh
notifications which will give increase
speed and endurance over the Alabama
the Illinois and the Wisconsin. Thes
vessels, which were authorized by Oh
last congress, have given rise % cor
siderable controversy because the
possess no radical improvements owe
their predecessors and were ofadmitted