New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-17
THE MAINE A HOME PROJECT.
EUuT AT THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD
FROM GOVERNMENT DESIGNS.
FER MONEY VALUE MORE THAN 100000
POINTS As TO HER CONSTRUCTION.

FER MONEY VALUE MORE THAN 100000
POINTS As TO HER CONSTRUCTION.
The Maine was laid down from designs FOR an
armorcd cruiser. although she has been officially
termed a Second class blttle-shp.' she IS Navy
Department design throughout the hui! BEING the
work OF chief Naval Constructor Theodore D. VIII
son. while the machinery was one O., tho early de-
signs OF Enguoer-ln-Ch.ef George ". Melville
When Secretary Whitney induced 20 all for
competitive designs for an armored cruiser and for
a battlc-ship the technical bureau OF the Navy
Department entered the Names design for tho for
MGR vessel and It was decided that IL was the best
submitted. For the battle-shp. which Is now the
Texas. the design submitted by tho Barrow snip ana
Engine Building Company Of England was ac-
cep;ei. l. was decided 10 follow the practice OF
England and to build the huis in the Government
navy Yards and 10 Jet our the building OF the ma
chinery by contract. The Names hull was built IN
the New-York Navy Yard and her engines were
built by the Quintard Iron Works. OF Network
City. for S73j 000 The total cost OF hull and ma
chinery was about E5o)00. The cost OF her arma-
ment must be added TO this, bringing her money
value up 10 more than Npoo"0
Tho Maine was n twin-screw. armorcd-turret vessel
OF the beted cruiser type AMI was Of tho following
Dimensions: Length OF water line 30 feet beam. 81
feet main draught. 2liz feet: displacement b.bs-
tons; area. load water plane. 1876 square feet
area immersed midship section. 1850 square feet;
sail area 713J square feet. The sail area was
small and TIC retention Of sails was said to have
been q concession to ihe idea that sailing ycsse
presents finer appearance than steamer
she was built under an act OF Congress. approved
August 3 1886. and her plans were approved No
yember l. lSS7 Tho bids tor materials for cons'ruc-
ton were opened June I. 1855 and the contracts
were awarded on June Is. isSS The first frame
was bent on September 10. 1883 the first keel plate
was bent on October II. 1855; tho first rivet was
driven AZ Il a. m. November . 1855; the FIRST frame
was raised December 5. 1859 ana she was launched
az noon on November ~ 800
HER ARMOR AND BATTERY
The vessel had A double bottom extending UP 70
the shelf for the armor belt The outer bottom
plating WIS one-halt inch thick with double sheer
strake and the inner bottom was thrce-enths OF an
inch thick Including those OF the doubc-bottom
there were IA watcr-tght compartments. For a
length OF about one hundred and eighty feet amid
ships there water-llne belt Of vertical steel
armor extending from three feet above 70 four foe.
below the water line. with wood backing eight
inches thick. and double plating behind this ono
inch IN thickness The turret@ were ten and one
hall inches thick and there was an armOrei con-
ming tower ten inches thick, from which an armored
tube f0g. and one-haR inches thick ran 10 the pro-
,cctiye deck 10 protect the steering gear, speaking
The main battery consisted OF four lo-nch and six
6-inch brcech-oadlng rifles seven. 6-pounder and
eight l-pounder rapld-hr.ns suns and four Cat
lings. The U-incn guns were mounted IN pairs n
turrcts ARRANGED en- echelon so mat an -FOUR cou.i
could be trained through an arc OF 30 degrees The
turrctS and guns were arranged 20 be worked by
hydraulic gear The 6-inch guns were fitted 10 DO
worked by hand central-pivot carriages and were
protected by steel shielfs two inches thick The
maximum effective range OF the l0-inch guns was
about nine miles With the four l0-!nch guns and
three or tho 6-nch guns trained from the broads.ie
q weight OF metal Of about twenW-tour hundred
pounds could De fred at one discharge.
In addition 20 the guns already men 5oned there
secondary battery. consisting OF four LS5-lnch
revolving cannon and seven torpedo launching
tubes
Her engines were OF tho vertical triple-expans. on
type, OF about nine thousand horse power giving
her A speed % above seventeen knots. The eight
main boilers were % the Scotch TYPO. with cor
ruEatcd stee. furnaces. As On all OF the ships
there was ccuuietc distllling plant capable OF
supplying five thousand gallons OF drinking water
daily. The ship lighted throughout by cleo
trcity, furnished by four dircct-driven dynamos
each OF 50 volts and 20) ompercs, and there were
s., tsf -f. frltse