The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-26
THE MAGNIFICENT HARBoR OF SAN JUAN

the same displacement being about eign'
or nine miles an hour $1,000,
In the matter Of attack ana deieu'''
vessels are distinguished by the NUM-
and weight of the guns they carry ana by
the distribution and thickness OF IN
armor Protective armor is or TWO KINGS
that which surrounds the guns 50 rs 10
protect them from the enemys hre' anu
that which protects the motive power OF
the ship. so as % prevent the e"s'''S'
from being rendered useless
The maximum OF guns and armor ana
the minimum of speed are TO be found IN
the first-class battleship, which is Simply
a floating fortress, so constructed that
she need never run away. but can stand
up and fight as long as her gun turfels
will revolve. The general plan or con-
struction In a battleship is 20 surround
tho engines. boilers and magazines win
a wall Of HarveyiZed steel armor eight,
cen inches OF so thick and seven or eight
feet high. which extends about iour leet
below the water line and three feet above
II. This armor belt is not only on the
sides of the ship but IS carried across II
fore and aft. Immediately I'm front OF ana
behind the space occupied by the engines
and mage zines, and the whole anair is
covered with n solid steel roof three or
four inches thick Outside this central
fortress and extending from II clear 10
the bow and stern at each END Is pro-
tective deck of steel. three inches thlck.
which is placed several feet below the
water line Everything above this deck
and outside this fortress might be sho.
away. and the vessel would still float
and fight.
On the roof Of the fortress are placed
the turrets containing tho big guns The
largest of these guns. B-inch cahbre.
weigh about sixty tons each and viii
carry a she'll weighing LOO pounds about
u miles The turrets are circular. as a
rule. large enough TO hold two guns and
are made OF face-hardened steel from mr.
foen TO eighteen inches thick. Ihey re-
volve within a barbette or ring or steel
eighteen inches thick which protects inc
machinery by which the guns are trained
Further back on the roof Of the fortress
arc other and lighter turretq made OF s.
inch steel and carrying s-inch guns. ana
at other places are stationed rapid-hre
guns Of lighter calibre. protected by
thinner armor than that In the main belt
II ALL this secondary battery is strip
ped OF. leaving nothing but the turfets
with the big guns. and these are brought
down close 10 the water, and the armor
belt IS reduced 10 seven or eight inches
In thickness. the type Of vessel known as
the monitor H. reached. II - slLuplE Il
battleship or a reduced scale Such yes
sells are very slow and cannot stand
rough weather. on account Of their low
freeboarl. This speed Of monitors IS
seldom more than twelve or fourteen
miles on hour. and they are intended 10
act I'm coast defence. usually In connec-
ton with shore batteries. The best types
I'm the navy are the Terror and the
Puritan.
The speed OF q battleshlp IS about eigh-
teen miles an hour. The best specimen
I'm the navy Is the Indiana, declared by
It's admirers 20 be the most powerful
battleship afioat
Second-class battleships, like the Texas
are smaller vessels. usually about 700
tons. and they have much lighter armor
belt about twelve inches. and do not
carry so heavy an armament as ships or
the first class. The Maine was a second
class battleship. Her largest guns were
OF 1O-inch caIibre; her armor was twelve
inches thick and her turrets were eight
inches thick only.
The first step In reducing the armament
from that OF the battleship proper. at the
same time increasing the speed. produces
the armored cruiser. This type OF vessel
NAV carry no guns OF more than s-lnch
caNbre. and the armor belt Is reduced TO
three or four inches In thickness. IN