Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-24
ANOTHER BATTLE SHIP
Arrangements Complete for Launching the
Wisconsin.
Will BE Given to the Water at San
Francisco Saturday MOrning-Simt-
lar to Alabama and Illinois.

The Navy Department is informed that
arrangements have been completed for the
launch OF the seagoing battle ship Wiscon-
sin, at the shipyard OF the builders at San
Francisco. next Saturday morning at $50
O'clock. Invitations to be present at the
ceremony have been received by the Presi-
dent and cabinet and all the principal ma
val officers duty in this city, but, so far
as known, rene of them will be able to at
tend owing to the fact that the near ap-
proach of Congress will not justify their
leaving the city just now for the length of
time that would be required to make the
long trip to the city of the Golden Gate.
The Wisconsin is Identical in all material
features with the Alabama, which was
launched at Cramps yard in May last. and
with the Illinois, which left the stocks at
Newport News early in October. The next
addition to the navy differs i'll the matter
of armor to the battle ships Kearsarge ami
Kentucky, but is similar to those ships in
hull and machinery, at the same time pos
sessing many advantages over the vessels
of the same type of earlier design.
Compared With the Iowa.
Naval officers call the Wisconsin an i'm
proved Iowa.. and a comparison between
the two vessels, one authorized by Con-
gress in July, 1892, and the other in June,
1896. exhibits clearly the advances and
changes in naval construction which have
taken place in the last four years. The
principal features of the two ships arc
follows:
Iowa-Length, 800 feet: breadth. - feet
212 inches: draught. "A feet displacement.
II $40 tons; speed, HOST knots; horsepowe r,
l. 105; coal bunker capacity, 1.I95 tens;
batteries (main), four Pinch eight S-lneh,
six finch; secondary batteries, twenty six
Founders, four one-poundcrS, four Colts,
two field guns, torpedo tubes, four
Howell armor (siGeS), IA inches: tur-
rets, 15 inches 8 inches. inches:
barbettes, Is inches, inches: pro-
protective deck, slopes; fiat, 224 inches;
water line protection, cocoa or cornpith,
cubic feet, 19,395 compleme nt-ofifcers, &c;
men. 1863: contract price, hull and machir-
cry. 100000.
Wisconsin-Length. 36s feet: breadth. -
feet 21a inches; draught, 23 feet inches;
displacement II, 52S tons: speed, 16 knots;
horsepower, 10000: coal bunker capacity,
200 tons: batteries (ma.nl. four 12-iEch.
fourteen 6-inch: secondary battery. sixteen
six-pounders. four one-pounders, one Colt
gun. two field guns; torpedo tubes. four
Whitehead: armCc (sides), top, 16l2 inches:
bottom 912 inches water line, 13a4 inches:
turretS, II inches. Is inches; barbettes, IL
inches, 10 inches; protective deck, slopes.
forward, 3 inches, aft, inches: fiat, "a
inches: water line protection. cocoa or
cornpith; cubic feet. l.. 4G4: compement-
officers, 40: men. 449: contract price, hull
and machinery, S26Ii,95o.
The Guns.
The thirteen-inch rifles of the Wisconsin
class will be mounted in couples in .liich
born overoalanced turrets placed in the
center line Of the vessel with an arc Of fire
of 1876 degrees on each side of the center
lire. These, With the unusually large bat
terry of six-inch rapid-fre guns in the
broedside, each with an arc of 90 degrees.
and those On the upper deck being capable
of direct fire ahead and astern, will make
the Wisconsin as Formidable n fighter os
any ship If her speed and endurance alloat
ir the world. Her heavy armor beIt ex-
tends from the bow beyond the after tur
ret, and maintains its maximum thickness
amidships, between the turrets and over
the entire spaces occupied by the engines
and boilers. The sides of the vessel above
the belt armCr form casemate of five and
one-half inches of steel. protecting the six
1rch gun positions, and along the entire
water line there is belt of fire-proof corn
pith cellulose. three feet deep, to prevent.
the ingress of water in the wake of an eff
fective pr3jectile from the enemy.
In addition to the main driving engines,
there will be installed more than eighty
auxiliary engines in various parts OF the
vessel thus adding greatly to the efficiency
OF the ship aid the ce!erity and certainty
with which The work can be DONE
The great height above water line of
both main ana secondary batteries will en-
able the vessel to be fought il any weather:
a quality always sought for, but obtanable
only in vessels of good size. She is also
provided with bilSe keels, placed before
and abaft the miGship body only so as
not TO interfere with docking her. These
keelS have a maximum depth of three feet
and will largely tend to lessen her motion
In seaway, and SO contribute to her stead
mess as gun platform.
Four powerful electric search lights are
also proVlded-all having an elevation of
twenty-five Ieet above the water and COM
manding complete all-round range.