The times., 1898-03-21

The battleshins kentucky and hear-
launched Thursday.
They could have left the ways two
months ago. hut 10 haste their compile
tion they have been kept on the docks
till much of their armor has been put
on.
The ships were provided for by act Of
Congress approved March >. 1895, and on
the 2lst of the following January their
construction was awarded to the New
port News company for the Individual
contract price Of s. 10000 without the
usual indUcement Of bonus for excess
OF speed.
The main facts as to the size power,
speed and armament Of the ships fol-
low:
Length on load water line. 36S feet;
beam extreme, = feet inches; draft
on normal displacement, % feet G inches;
normal displacement all ammunition
and stores on board, 12.&2 tons; maxi
mum indicated horse power testimated),
l0C91; maximum speed. required by con-
tract. Is knots: normal coal supply. 40
fun. l.2I0 tons. complement, officers. sea
men and marines, 81
The main battery Of each ship COM
prises four thirteen-inch b. L. r. and
four eight-inch B. L. Il.
The thirteen-inch and the eight-inch
guns are in two two-storiel turrets. The
eight-inch guns are in the upper half.
which is fixed rigidly TO the lower half.
The whole structure has total swing Of
go degrees, and all four guns are pointed
in the same general direction and swung
from side to side by the one great turn
inE gear, engaging the lower half.
The eight-inch guns are behind walls
generally nine inches thick. but aug
mented to eleven inches at the front
The thirteen-inch guns are protected by
fifteen inches Of hardened steel also, eX-
cept al the front, where there is an
added thickness of two inches.
The auxiliary battery comprises four
teen dve-inch rapid-fring guns mount
ed in the superstructure on the main
deck. This superstructure, where it faces
an enemy. is Of hardened steel six inches
thick. Each gun station is separated
from the adjoining gun by a two-inch
wall Of steel, that the effect Of pene-
trating shot and bursting shell may be
localized. Each Of these guns has a
service rate of speed OF quite six aimed
shots q minute.
The six-pounders are mounted in part
on the berth deck forward and aft. The
rest Of them are placed in the super
structure above the hve-inch guns,
where they have range and advantages.
The one-pounders and the Gatlngs are
placed on the bridges and in the military
top.
-Four torpedo tubes. two on each side
amidships. complete the armament Of
the ships.
At the water line there Is a broad band
of Is l-2-iach armor. running along the
sides amidships ia feet, and tapers thence
20 four inches al the stem. This belt is
: IL feet wide. and under normal condi-
tiOns only 1-2 feet viii be above the wa
Ter line. At the eNtremitics Of the thickest
part athwartship bulkheads turn inboard
and end against the barbettes or heavy
tubes of I5-inch steel. which rise from
the protective deck and shield the ammu-
milton hoists and the turning gears of the
rurrctS The forward buikhead is lU inch
e thick. the after one = 4 protective
deck Of hardened steel. . 81 inches thick,
rests on the four walls formed by the
athwartship bulkheads and the inner
edge Of the inlaid side armOr. Under this
heavy roof and many feet Of coal lie the
engines, the boilers and the magazines
and shell rooms. broad band Of cellu-
lose. from stem TO stern. and back Of the
5-inch armor, which protects the sides
amidships from the heavy armor belt up
% the main deck. viii automatically plug
all shot holes admitting water.
With l2IO tons Of coal on board and at
a cruising speed Of ten knots an hour, the
vessels viii be able TO cover GOO knots
while al the rate Of l3 knots an hour they
can easily cover $500. Under q press so
more tons Of coal can be carried, yielding
q corresponding wider range Of action.
Each Of the ships win be provided with
two sets of triple expansion engines.
which acruate twin screws Five boilers,
teeming with the pressure Of $50 pounds OF
steam. viii drive the engines and turn the
screws 20 times a minute
The turrets VIII be controlled by cleo
tricity-the first instance on so large a
scale on any vessel. and the same power
will bring the ammunition from its store
rooms TO the breeches OF all the large
guns-the 6-pounders and less excepted.
Each mast viii be fitted with a signal
outfit and the lower half Of each mast
viii form wind-piDe down which fresh
air viii be drawn
The Kearsarge will be christened by
Mrs. NinslOw, the wife OF Lieut.. Cmdr
Ninslow. the son Of the officer command
ing The old kearsarge in her mernora bic
fight with the Alabama
The Kentucky will be christened by
Miss Bradley, the daughter Of the gov
eTnOT Of the State Of Kentucky.
MR.. nEBS HERE.