Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-26


of either Europeans or efficient Americans
Is something too momentous to predict
a modern battle ship is the most typical
aggregation of all the fruits of present
cunning; and the man that can utilize sue
cessfuIIy all the powers placed there at his
command will be able TO deal such blows
as only the most vivid ina gnation can be-
gin TO compass. Awed are by ma
lures working in the evidence of d thunder
storm. still the worst fury of lightning is
modest beside the individual force of some
of the guns carried by modern battle ship
As the most formidable example of our
commissioned battle ships, let US see how
VIC have prepared the Iowa to give and
take, and try TO follow in part what might
reasonably be expected of her in action.
The Battle Ship Iowa.
Clothed in her peacetime dress of white
paint, one scarcely imagines her a ma ssive
steel structure of something over 1000
tons, so lightly does she seem to rest upon
the water: and. clothed in her wartime
garb of shostly gray, she would be even
more aelusive- But wait till she is seen to
lie unrIove1 upon a white-capped sea that
makes her smaller neighbors rock, and then
her pcnjerous might is realized. Think of
the force within that must be generated to
make her move along against wind and tide
at tEe rate OF sixteen Knots an hour, and
then try, If possible. to picture the blow
that would fall upon the craft SO unlucky
as to lie across her rushing course.
The Iowa is really a navigable fortress
Sto feet long. trifie over - feet wide and
emitting her smoke stacks and bridges is
30 feet tall from her keel up to the top of
her superStructure amidships. Laden for
sea, half of this body lies below the water
line. That she may be comparatively in
sensitive to moderate injury below water
She has double or inner bottom reaching
frCm the keel Up to short distance below
the load lire; and the space between these
two skins, so to speak, is infinitely subdi-
videt into numerous water-tight compart
n.ents to further localize injury. Her lons
for a distance of quite two-thirds Ter total
length. are girded by broad band of heavy
armor ~ feet wide, about equally divided
above AID below the water line. Along Tie
sides amidships, for 1S5 feet, this belt is / 4
II ches thick, and proof against all but the
heaviest of an enemys shell at very close
range The out board ends of this girdle,
then tura inboard at sharp angle and ter
inmate on the center-iine, where they form
the main support for the ponderous bar
bettts that shelter the vital mechansms OF
the big Finch guns. This formation re-
suits in massive hexagonal buIwark of
hardened steel, which presents a well-nigh
inyulnerable front to shot shell from any
point Of the bow. the stern, or either of the
sides Upon this siX-slded wall is laid the
middle portion of the protective deck. %.
inches thick. which houses over the vitals
of the craft. Below this deck, behind many
feet of sheltering coal. so wisely is her sup
ply OF 1,SD tons distributed. and beneath
the water. lie her engines. her boilers and
her 80 tons of ammunition that await the
coming of a foeman worthy of that powder
and hardened steel. From the lower edges
of the armor belt inboard. the protective
deck. slightly thicker. runs forward and aft
to the ends, and forms. at the bow the
spine for the ponderOus ram which lies just
far enough below the water-lne to gore an
enemy where she is weakest.
For a distance of ninety feet amidShips
and to height of seven feet above the
heavy water-line belt the sides are of ar
NOR five inches thick: and il is from be-
hind the protecting shelter of this steel
wall that the two torpedo tubes on each
side are worked. The ends of this thinner
belt also turn siantingly inboard and
athwartships, and terminate likewise
against the barbettes for the 12-inch guns
Forward and abaft this lighter armor the
sides are reinforced by broad band Of
corn-pith cellulose. which will swell and
automatically plug all shot holes admitting
water.
A veritabie Lady rinth.
The whole interior of the craft is cut up
Into something like 40 water-tight COM
partments. and powerful pumps OF great
capacity stand ready to hold in check the
consequences of accident or leak. Wood
work is grudgingly allowed ground cork
ard white paint standing instead for ap-
is present. from the seamans ditty box to
the admirafs easy chair. Is fireproofed by
a process of tried efficiency. The fewest
possible passages are cut through the pro-
tective deck: and, with the exceptions of
the air passages to the engine rooms and
fire rooms and the uptakes for the smoke
stacks. are covered by heavy armored graf
frgs to keep out she'll The rest of the OPEN
ings are closed with solid coverings as
heavy as the neighboring deck. Heavy
water-tight doors seal the passages between
neighboring compartments and offer a rea-
sonaDle impeachment to unnecessary inter-
communication. Electric alarms guard
against FIRE and the dangerous admission
Of water: and a steam steering gear way
aft and below the protective deck, controls
the ship safe from the reach of foeman's
shot.
The battery.
The main battery consists of four twelve
Inch and eight eight-inch rifles Of great
power. A secondary force of six four-inch
and twenty six-pounder rapid guns will