The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-15

make, and they add largely to the pecu-
larity of her appearance. There are six of
these, and the caltber of their bores is six
inches. One of them surmounts lhe fore
castle--a "bow-chaseI;" another one dis
plays it's bumped back and long proboscis
on the poop-deck, while two more crouch
on either side. 1t is very noticeable how
exposed are all the gums of this ship, The
sides of the ship being much cut away to
allow full swing of the long. barrels Be-
tween the 6-irch guns on either side are
two more guns, Of Al inches caliber, and
between these last two and directly amid
ships, there is still another gun 5-pound-
err The caiber Of Al inches is new to us
the nearest we have TO it being ive inches
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
6-pounders. These are what are, knoYn
as rapid-fring Nordenfeldt guns, with a
caliber of PA inches. Two of them are
placed directly In the captains quarters
which are not habitable when, gun-drll;
takes place. Up aioft in, the military tops
are six more small rapid-6ring guns-fout
deadly automatic Maxim guns. All these
small weapons in the tops are for the pur-
pose of destroying the great guns crews
on the enemy's vessels when within the
radius of accurate FIRE.
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 he latter's guns are not
as effective as the newer Armstrong guns
of tho same bore. The weapon-throwing
power of the New Orleans Is best explain
ed by the statement that The" muzzie-en-
ergy' of one of her broadsfdes during one
minute is 1878 FOOT tons, a foot ton being
the product Of weight by velocity. The
muzzle energy of the Raleighs broadsldes
is about IS to 20 per cent. less. With her
low free-board and great speed. ID is cas-
lily seen how elusive a target the New
Orleans is, and with her powerful battery
how destructive an enemy she may be-
come. With a well-tra ineds crews she
should fire six shots minute from her
6-inch guns. twelve shots from her A.
inch guns. and no less than twenty from
her 6-pounders. ~
It viii surprise the average citizen TO
know that modern 6-inch gun can be
trained and elevated by a single man with
a rapidity that almost reminds one of the
ordinary handling of a fowling-piece& In
skilled hands the fearful energy which /
have spoken Of can effect a carnage that
we must shrink from thinking Of ana
yet 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 60
on TO say that the New Orleans Is 1T
ted TO run away as wellJas to fight, and
that hostile battleshp would soon maze
her fly. The guns Of The latter are Twice
as large and twice as deadly, and besides
a battleship has side armor so thick fhat
the guns OF the New ORLEANS could Tbt
hurt IT,, The sides of an ordinary cruiser
are only from, one-half to an inch trick.
But the New Orleans has her engines.
the vitals Of the ship. below the water
line. and also covered by protective deck.
which slopes downward as 1t approaches
the ships sides, and Is made Of steel three
inches thick. A stiI fqrther protection
of the engines is a row iof coal bunkcrs
six feet In Depth which extend along the
inner side OF the ship and rest on the pro-
tectiye deck
The New Orleans Is what is known as a
wet ship" that is, her waist Is so low
and long that IN heavy weather she ship.
q great many seas. but as they roll or
as easily as they come on board no
greater harm than disoomfort results. She