Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-08-19
ABOUT NEW wARsHIPs.
Battleshps, Cruisers and Iron-Clad Fight
ers to Be Built.

VldeS Tor three eagOing barbette
turret battleships, of 1900 tons dis
placement and a minimum 18l knots
speed when the vessels are loaded to
their deepest draught,or an average
speed above 10 knots under ordinary
cruiser conditions; three first-class
armored cruisers of 1900 tons and %
knots speedi armored cruisers 6000
tons displacement, and 20 knots
speed, similar to the Maine type, but
highly improved, and six protected
cruisers of 2500 tons and l6 knots
speed.
The reduction in the speed of the
ships, which is uniformly about two
knots less than that proposed at the
preliminary meeting Of the board on
Tuesday, was brought about by the
desire To secure unprecedented range
of action on account of the increased
responsibilities of the United States
in the Pacific and the certainty that
these vessels, or most of them, would
be required do make up the fleet in
that ocean. The sacrifice of speed
to endurance was made with view
of securing vessels of at least 5000
knots radious, or capable of steaming
straight away from San francisco
to Manila and Samoa. The board
decided that the Pacific. rather
than the Atlantic would be
the seat for the naval oper-
tions In the future, and while great
sacrifice to speed could be made to
the vessels attached to the outer line
of national defense on the east coast
of the United States, abnormal coal
capacity and high economy were
prime requisites as long as distant
possessions to the westward required
protection All the vessels, however,
will be as speedy as the fastest vessels
now building abroad, and they will be
em!nently more practicable in endur-
ance strength and formidability.
The main battery of each of the
battle-ships will be composed of four
12-inch rifles in tuirets on the center
line fore and aft, similar to those of
the Iowa and the second batteries will
mount fourteen and sixteen rapid-fre
6-inch guns. In addition to these
there will be very large auxiliary bat
teries of assorted FOUNDER sizes; both
quick fire and semi-automaJic. The
i3-Inch guns of earlier battle ships
have been put aside in new designs on
account Of their great weight and be-
cause 1t Will be necessary to increase
materially the length Of the l2~inch
caliber to meet the requirement OF the
smokeless powder TO be exclusively
used hereafter iu the navy.
The first. class cruisers Will be COW
cred with heavy armor from bow to
stern, and will be armed with 4-inch
guns in turrets and ten to twelve g.
inch rifles in broadside. They are to
be superior in every way TO similar
ships afloat in the world today. The
second class cruisers, as at first pro-
posed, were TO be of 5000 tons each,
but the board added 1000 tons to
them, TO be utilized wholly in coal
carrying capacity. They will haYe
two inch guns and ten to twelve s.
inch rapid-tire. The details of the
six smaller vessels are not yet
determined upon, as all The energies
of the board we're first directed to the
heavier vessels,
All the ships will be sheathed.
They will all have quadruple eXpan-
sion engines AMI water tube boilers,
aud with the exception of the smaller
craft, they will be equipped with
under water torpedo tubes. The
smaller cruisers will have steaming
radius of 1900 knots at l0'knot
rate. The .second-clas will nearly
approach this radius. The tirst-class
cruisers VIII not be able to go 10000
knots, and minimum of 5000 tons
10 lie fixed for the battle-ships.
The board also took under advise
ment the construction of two troop
ships each capable Of transporting Il
regiment of 1900 men with officers,
arms, ammunition, equipment and
: supplies.
WHEAT GRADING