The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-16
THE CRUISER NEW ORLEANS.
She Is the Latest Type of "a British
War Ship.
New York Post.

New York Post.
Perhaps the most interesting vessel in the
United States navy to-day is the new cruis-
er New Orleans. She is nothing less than a
British man-of-war flying the American flag,
for only few weeks ago she was at
GraveSend. having just been turned out, a
spleW new cruiser, by the great English
ship-TEaking works of Sir William Arm
strong. And, by way of an early variety in
her career, she was at that time flying the
green and yellow flag of Brazil. Even so
late as q few days ago, when she left the
navy yard at Brooklyn, there was still upon
her. stern in the midst of a mass of gold
arabesque work the Portuguese name of
Amazonas.
When she was purchased by this govern
Brazilian officers had been living on board
or her for several days The Armstrong
Company of Newcastle on Tyne, had ex-
pressly built her for the South American
republic, which takes no pains to construct
It's own men -of-War preferring to pay other
countries for doing such NAeicult work.
When IT comes to turning out a great ship
OF war, 1t is little more trouble to the Arm
Strongs to do so than it is to q Marblehead
boat-builder to turn out dory. The Bra
lillian Navy Department did not interfere
with the designing of the AmaZonas, except
IN insignificant details, so that she is to-day
the very latest type of modern British
Before going into technicalities let me
speak of her general appearance The New
orleans is ship that makes an impression.
Even a farmer could see something unusual
about her. AS she swung into the stream
last Sunday, from the navy yard; to start
off for the war, she was sleek with a new
coat of slate color, and her long and mar
row shape, low sides and extremely long
guns made her look different from ordinary
men-of-War. There was little top hamper
about her, except two tall military masts,
on each of which were two platforms
mounted with small guns. She vas so low
as to present a small target to the fire of an
enemy, and SO full of guns as to give the
impression of being extremely dangerous
She is very swift, capable of making TWEEN
hon DK11
long TANKS have put on the gruesome and
eVaniShing color of war gray, her shallow
form will glide through the burrows of the
sea and be barely visible few miles dis
tant even on bright day. On a murl<y fiay
she would be deadly surprise to any enc
my who is unprepared.
The largest guns of the New Orleans are
twenty-five feet long, which is nearly five
feet longer than similar guns of American
make: ana they ADD largely to the peculiar
1ty OF her appearance. There are six of
these. and the caliber of their bores is six
inches One of them surmounts the fore
plays its bumped back and long proboscis
on the poop deck, while two more crouch
on either side. 1t is very noticeable how
sides of the ship being much cut away to
allow a full swing for the long barrels. Be-
tween the six-inch guns. on either side are
two more guns of Al inches caliber, and be-
tween these last two and directly amid
ships there is still another gun, six pound
er. The caliber of AZ inches is new to us,
but the English guns. being longer have
more penetratiVe power than our own of
larger make.
1t is these differences and others in the
guns of the New Orleans which have made
her of great technical interest to our naval
officers. Continuing with the list of her
guns, there are, fore and aft, eight other
siX-pounders. These are what is known as
rapid-firing Nordenfeldt guns. with a calber
of 2A inches. Two of them are placed di-
rectly in the captains quarters, which are
not habitable when gun drill takes place.
Up aloft in the military tops are six more
small rapid-firing guns-four Nordenfeldt
one-pounderS and two of the de- ally auto
matte Maxim guns. All these small weapons
in the tops are for the purpose of destroy
ing the great guns crews on the enemy :
vessels when within the radius of accurate
fire. f.l.ta
A broadside from the New Orleans in
cludes fifteen guns of all sizes. In size and
battery she should be compared with the
Raleigh. but the latter's guns are not as
effective as the newer Armstrong guns of
the same bore. The weapon throwing pow
er of the New Orleans is best explained by
the statement that the ''muzzle energy" OF
one of her broadsides during one minute is
1913 foot tons, a foot ton being the product
Of one of the Raleigh's broadsides is about
10 to 20 per cent. less. With her low free
board and great speed ii is easily seen how
elusive a target the New Orleans Is, and
with her powerful battery how destructive
enemy she may become. with q we'll
trained crew she should fire six shots "A
minute from her six-inch guns twelve shots
from her 4.7-inch guns and no less than
twenty from her six-pounders.
1t will surprise the average citizen TO
know that a modern siX-inch gun can be
trained and elevated by single man with Il
rapidity that almost reminds one of the
ordinary handling of q fowlng piece. In
skilled hands the fearful energy which
have spoken of can effect carnage that we
must shrink from thinking of, and yet a
carnage which all this energy is expressly
intended to enact. Leaving such thoughts
to the lingo. who relishes them much more
than naval officers, let us go on TO say that
the New Orleans is fitted 10 run away as
we'll as to fight. and that Il hostile battle
ship would soon make her fly. The guns
of the latter are twice large and twice
as deadly, and besides a battle ship has
side armor so thick that the guns of the
New Orleans could not hurt IL. The sides
of an ordinary cruiser are only from one
half to an inch thick. But the New Or
leans has her engines the vitals of the
ship. below the water line. and also covered
by a protective deck. which slopes down
ward as il approaches the ships sides. and
is made of steel three inches thick. A still
further protection of the engines is a row
of coal bunkers six feet in depth which
extend along the inner side of the ship and
rest on the protective deck.