Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-10-06
THE BAT|ESH|P ILLINOIS.
Some Idea of the Vessel Just
Launched and Christened at
Newport News, Va.
THE BIGGEST BATTLEsHIP IN THE NAVY.
Bsttleships In Having q Much Higher
Freeboard, Which Is Expected to En-
nance Her Seagoing Powers-Her Di-
mansions, Battery, Etc.

washington, Oct. 2.--NeXt tuesday,
at IL o'clock, there will glide off the
ways at the yards of the Newport
News Shipbuilding Co., the biggest.
most powerful and probably the most
generally effective battleship in the
United States navy. This will be the
Illinois, which is expected by the naval
designers to be a worthy godchild of
the state whose name she bears.
Larger by a thousand tons than the
Oregon; larger than the Iowa, now
the biggest battleship in service, the
Illinois is SO designed that she will be
able to enter any harbor open to the
smaller battleships, while in the mat
ter of speed she will rank with any of
them.
The Most Striking Difference.
The most striking difference be
tween the Illinois and the battleships
now in service, is the high free board
of the former, enabling her to fight
her guns from their great elevation
above the water in seas so heavy that
the guns of the lower vessel would be
submerged and useless. Splendid sea-
going powers are also expected to re.
suit from this increased freeboard, 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 par
ticulars from the existing types, are
given in the following, description pre-
pared by Chief Constructor Hichborn:
Her General Dimensions.
The dimentions of the Illinois are as
follows: Length on load water line,
36S feet; beam, extreme, ~ feet 21@
inches; draft on normal displacement
of II, 525 tons, % feet inches. Maxi
mum displacement, all ammunition
and stores on board, 1926 tons; max
imum indicated horse power (esti-
mated), 10000; probable speed, 16A
knots; normal coal supply, 800 tons;
coal supply, loose storage, 1000 tons;
full bunker capacity, 1,4o0 to 1,5Ot
tons. Complement of officers, 40; sea-
men, marines, etc, 449.
Her Batteries.
The main battery will consist of four
13-inch breech-loading rifles in HIGH
born balance turrets; oval in shape,
and placed in the center of the vessel,
and fourteen 6-inch rapld-fire guns
The secondary battery will consist of
sixteen 6-pounder rapid-fre guns, four
1-pounder rapid-fire guns, two Colt
guns and two field guns. She will car
ry four torpedo tubes. The 13-inch
guns have an arc of fire of 135 degrees
on each side of the center line; and
the 6-inch an arc of 90 degrees on the
broadside, with the advantage of those
on the upper deck of direct fire
ahead and astern. Any injury to, OF
near, either of these 6-inch guns, will
be confined to it's own compartment.
as a 11a-inch steel splinter bulkhead
separates each of these guns from its
neighbors.
She will be one of the most perfect
ly armored vessels in the navy.
Internal Operating Machinery.
The turrets will be operated by cleo
trical power, also the ammunition hoists,
and the dynamo and auxiliary blowers
for ventilating purposes.
There will be some so odd auxiliary
engines in the vessel, thus adding
greatly to the efficiency of the ship,
in the celebrity and certainty with
which the work can be done.
Four powerful electric searchlights
are also provided; two on top of the
forward chart house, and two on each
side of the after military mast; all
having an elevation of 25 feet above
the water, and commanding a COM
plete all-around range.
There will be two sets of triple ex.
pansion, twin-screw engines, each in
its own separate water-tight compart-
ment; the collective indicated horse
power will be about 10000.
The first keelplate of this vessel
was laid February 10, 1897, not quite
20 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
81 per cent. The contract price was
s2,595 900, and the date of completion
is stated to be October S, 1899.