Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-16

possible to keep up a perfect hail of pro-
jectiies. 1t was these very j and 6-pound-
ers on the Gloucester that knocked out the
two Spanish torpedo-boat destroyers.
Two Torpedo Tubes.
Each ship will have two torpedo dis
charges, one on each broadside, and these
tubes will be arranged to fire under water.
In this particular these ships will be a dis
tinct departure from all our other battle
ships and, too, a decidedly emphasized ad-
vance. The above-water torpedo discharge,
even when generally housed behind heavy
armor. has been looked upon as very dam
gerous to the ship itself. To fire the tor
pedo the protecting shutter had to be raised,
and at once there was an opening for d
chance shot from the enemy to strike the
war head and to hoist the vessel with its
own petard. With the submerged tube,
lately perfected. it is possible to fire the
torpedo from below the water line and safe
from the reach of an enemy's gunfire. The
advantages must be apparent to the most
unnautical of laymen, while TO the wiser
ones 1t is evident that the torpedo becomes
at once safer for its friends and much
more dreaded instrument of destruction to
its enemies
The ships are defensively very strong and
are coated with mail of toughened armor
throughout every vital portion. A water
line belt seven and half feet wide, four
feet of which lies below the water at nor
turret forward to the stem. Throughout
the length of The ship amidships from tur-
ret to turret this side belt has a top thick
ness or sixteen and one-half inches and
tapers TO nine and one-half at the edge
oeioW the waterltne, the defensive quality
OF the surrounding water making up for
the difference. a broad band of cornpith
celtulose, the obturating properties of which
are Wen known, will automatically plug all
shot holes admitting water and will aid
materially in preserving the stability of
the craft when the unarmored ends have
been riddled- So long as the waterline re-
gion remains intact and the major part of
the great number OF watertight subdivis-
Ions remain uufiOoded the ships will foar
and so long as their guns in the great tur-
rets are undamaged and the 6-fnch rifles
~ ulisi n these ships will be antagonists
20 De dreaded. even though the smaller
guns De swept away and the unprotected
ends OF the ships be riddled like a sieve.
Coming Towers.
coming tower ten inches thick lust be-
low the chart house and just abaft the for
"ard turret will be the fighting station for
the captain. while another armored station
SIX inches thick, to the rear of the main
mast VIII De sigral station and a con-
yenient fighting position for the admiral.
Eacn place will have the ampIest means of
communication with all important positions
within the ship.
The ships will carry unusually large cleo
l,icat plants, with outputs sufficient to meet
an OF the widened applicable OF elactr,oi
~. me turrets will be turned by cleo.
tflcity, the ammunition will be hoisted fror,
beloW and rammed into the guns bv eIec
tr-clty, all ventilation below the armora3
or protective deck will be by electric Fans
tHe SHIPS Will be lighted electrically. and
Inc great search lights of which there viii
De four will be fed from the same eIectri-
cdi source OF energy We are leading the
world IN this widespread use of electricaI
power for the management of our great
guns and turrets, and the results so far
nave oeeh highly gratifying.
Two Sets of Engines.
The ships will each be driven by two sets
OF tr1pie-expansion engines, actuating twin
screws, and each in its own watcr-tight
compartment These engines will be of the
1our-cylinder type-the high-pressure cylin-
der having diameter of 80 inches, the in
termediate-pressure cylinder diameter of
4o72 inches, and each of the two Iow-pres-
sure cylinders a diameter of 90 inches.
Eight great singie-ended steel boilers in
TOUR separate water-tight compartments
VIII supply the needful steam at a working
pressure Of 210 pounds-an increase of 80
pounds pressure over that for the other
battle ships. At full speed the vessels
would have steaming radius of five days,
WnlIe at a ten-knot jog they could cover
quite 1850 miles on their coal allowance of
l2oo tons, and, with their bunkers packed
and about five hundred additional tons
slowed elsewhere, the ships would have a
correspondingly increased range.
Auxiliary Engines.
Like all of the other modern ships these
vessels will have the usual assortment of
numerous auxiliary engines for pumping,
draining, hauling, lifting and the IIke-not
to mention distiliing plants, refrigerating
plants, and the other mechanisns to 60 to
add to both the comfort of the men and
the general efficiency of the vessels, ind
especially to limiting the tax upon tie
lighting crew to their strict work at the
guns.
There viii be separate electrical signal
code on each mast, to be worked from at
least two convenient stations; and the
lower half of each mast will be a vast
yentilator, down which fresh air will be
drawn for the depths below the protective
deck
The provision of Congress limits the cost
OF each vessel, exclusive of armo- and
armament, to not more than three millions
OF dollars; and 1t Is reasonable to assume
that none Will cost. by contract, more than
that bid for the Wisconsin, sister ship in
many particulars, i. g., s., ga, 900.