Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-05-12
CLASSES OF WARsHIPs.
How Cruisers Differ and the Purposes
For Which Designed.

us, it is becoming that everyone shouic
have a fair understanding of the types o.
vessels mustered in our defense and know
too, something of the duty cut out fol
each.
OF the battleship and monitor nearly
every one has proper conception, and
too, of the torpedo boat but of the three
types of cruisers there is only confused
general knowledge.
The term cruiser used to apply, in the
DAYS of sailing ships, to the frigates-the
type next most formidable to the old line
of battleships-an and was intended TO COM
pass the speedier of the heavy fighting
craft delegated to the particular service OF
hunting up the enemy or preylng upon
his commerce, and, with certain technl-
cal notifications, practically all of our
large swift, unarmored vessels of the late
war were SO classified. The gunboat was
then, and now is, the small vessel of mod
crate speed and gun power, unmarked for
special service by any particular charac-
teristics of either offense or defense.
With us the gunboat has maximum
displacement or total weight of something
lust over !, no tons and a minimum OF
$50 tons. the Castine and Machias rep
resentiag the major extreme and the lit
tie i}rancroft representing the minor eX-
IRENE. OF the simple and unprotected
cruiser type we have three the Detroit,
Marblehead and Montgomery-each OF
mihe over 1909 tons displacement.
When these vessels were first designed
they were officially known as gunboais,
but the department wisely saw that limit
must be drawn somewhere, and, placing
the gunboat limit of size to craft under 3,
] 600 tons. the three vessels at once became
dignifed as cruisers, Besides their prom
ised speed and their fultllment i'll reach
ing over eighteen knots reasonably made
them deserving of the title in conjunction
with their pretty heavy batteries of the
rapid.fire guns.
The simple or unprotected cruiser, in
common even with gunboats has no pro-
lection in the shape Of armor for her
''vitals," as her engines, her boilers and
her magazines are called. She has a water
tight deck, though of moderate plating,
which extends from side to side and from
bow to stern, completely roofing over the
''yitals. * While not proof against modern
shot this deck prevents the admission OF
water below which may come in through
breaks in the plating above this deck, and
in that materially aids in preserving the
stability of the craft if pierced by shell
lust above the water line, but near enough
to admit water in careening. So lar as
possible coal is placed upon this deck and
against tie sides as a bulwark against tie
attack of an enemy, and while the coal re-
mains there it forms good defense TO
guns ranging from one Founders to six
pounds. The armored shield borne by
!
some Of the guns or the armor plates
about some of the guns is not considered
protection 10 the craft itself, and while
either may be present on a simple cruiser
the fact that Ter vitals remain undefeDded
make her an unprotected cruiser.
The protected cruiser is the next adj
vance upon the simple cruiser. Here,
again, we have water tight deck, but
this time it is supplemented by coat Of
mail and many range on the flat portion
from one inch to two and one half inches,
and varying on the slopes on the sides
from one and one-half to four and three
Quarter inches. This armor presents
defective front to shot passing through
the sides and threatening the magazines
and the motive power, and, Of course
gives the vessel the power of standing W
before craft capable of dealing out Ger.
tain destruction to the simple cruiser
Again the coal is slowed along the sides
above and below the water tight and pro-
tec,ive deck, and a new defense, in The
shape of Il band OF cellulose, stands ready
to take the first shock of attack and tc
plug automatically by It's own swelling
all shot holes admitting water. Of course
it is not proof against explosive shells
which may displace it rather than pass
through it.
Of the protected cruiser type the Oym:
pia is by long odds the most typical vesse
in our service. Aside from her hull pro
lection, the guns of her main battery, foul
eight-inch guns, are mounted in two tur'
rets, an all-around shelter unequalled by
any ship of like class and size in the world
and some notion of what this and the othel
phases Of this $500 ton ships defensive
qualities constitute may be gathered wher
it is realized that she could stand up anc
give good account of herself against Ell
Their the British Powerful or Terrible
ships Of over Il 600 tons displacement.
The armored cruiser. repres ented in ON
service by the New York and the Brooklyn
is the protected cruises bettered by slightly
heavier amor on her protective deck
slightly heavier armor about her turretec
guns and the presence Of band Of watel
line vertical armor and plating Of from
three to four inches on her sides just above
this heavy belt. This water-line anmor il
placed amidships and reaches fore and at
throughout the egion occupied 10y the vi
tails. As can be seen, the armored cruise
is larger and heavier protected version o
, the protected cruiser, and, again, able t.
withstand blows that would render an un
protected, or even protected cruiser de
fenseless in a short while. She has grea
speed-in case of the two vessels named
f fully twenty-one knots,-and she is as thu
: old wooden frigate was, the next mes