The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-24

the ship, an ice machine and a condenser
and electric machines for hoisting ana
lighting.
We read In history Of the terrible broad
sides delivered from the hundred gun line
of battle ships of the first half. of this
century. Lord Nelson might have pound
ed such a ship as the Massachusetts all
day long with his entire broadside without
injuring her much more than she would
be injured by hailstorm, while one well
directed shot from the thirteen-ineh tur-
ret would have demolished any ship then
afloat
There are on the Massachusetts, six tDr-
rets. Two of these turrets, one TO the fore
and the other aft OF the middle of the
ship, contain the 18-inch guns These
guns, four in number, are almost the most
terrific engines of destruction of any ship
afoat. The turrets in which they are In
closed are made of steel as hard as steel
can be made, eighteen inches in thick
ness. Their shape makes 1t most likely
that a shell striking one of them would
glance off and infiict no damage. The tur-
rets extend far down into the interior of
the ship. They are worked each by a spe-
cial steam engine, and are controlled 10y
the officer In the turret, who can move the
structure, guns and all, around by work
ing a lever. Thus. he can point the guns
to any direction except toward the middle
of the ship. ie
The guns themselves are thirty-six feet
long and project out of the turrets far over
the decks. This great length is necessary
to get the full force Of the powder, which
is slow In burning. The shell used is thir-
teen inches in diameter. II is conical at
the extremity, and several feet long and
made of hard steel. 1t weighs 1850 pounds,
and the powder which propels 1t weighs
half as much. The weight of projectile
used in a gun can be ascertained approx
mately by taking the cube of the diameter
of the bore and dividing it by two The
ammunition for the big guns isostored far
down in the ship under the turret. There is
a hydraulic lift containing three cylinders.
In one Of these the projectile is placed and
the powder is of the brown, hexagonal
kind, and one charge is divided and sewed
into two serge bags From the bottom Of
the turret the charge is shot up 10 the
breach Of the guns and rammed home into
the guns by hydraulic rammer.
In theory a gun can shoot one mile for
each inch of it's caibre. Thus a 13-inch
gun is supposed 10 shoot thirteen miles, a
10-inch gun ten miles and so on. But In q
ship this cannot be done, because it is im-
possible to get the necessary elevation.
One-half the theoretical distance is nearer
the mark. ~
The other turrets Of the Massachusetts.
four in number, contain S-inch guns. They
are elevated above the big turrets and be-
tween them and the smoke stacks.
II it were possible 10 fire continuously
and at the same time all the guns of the
ship the effect would be tremendous. Each
minute one shot would come from the 49,
inch turrets and six from the S-inch tMrrets
and the four 6-inch guns would be working
IA proportion. while a hailstorm Of stee
would come from the twenty 6-pounder RAJ
pid-nre guns, the six l-pounder and the
four machine guns.
The protected deck OF the ship IL almost
level with the water. Above this the shr
| Is unarmored. The comparatively light stee
plates OF which the sides are constructed
are perforated with port holes ADMITTING
| light and air into the various messroons
offices and staterooms Of the senior Of
| feers. The steel floors OF this and ths
| apartments on the deck below are carpetec
| with iineoleum. The ceilings are steel and