The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-02
MIL SLIDE TUESDAY
Battleship Illinois About
Ready to Launch.
SUPERIOR TO THE OREGON
Full Description of a Perfect
Fighting Machine,

the yards Of the Newport News Shipbuild-
Ing company the biggesc. most powerful
and probably the most generally effective
batt1eship in the United States navy. This
will be the Illinois, which is expected by
the naval designers 20 be a worthy god
child of the state whose name she bears.
Larger by q thousand tons than the Ore
gon; larger than the Iowa, now the big
gess battleship in the service. the Illinois
Is stin so designed that she will be able
TO enter any harbor open to the smaller
battleships. while in the matter of speed
she will rank with any of them. The
most striking difference between the HI
inois and the battleships now in service,
Is the high freeboard OF the former, en-
abiing her to fight her guns from their
great elevation above the water in seas
so heavy that the guns of the lower YES
sci would be submerged and useless.
Splendid sea-going powers are also ex-
pected to result from this increased free
board, by which is meant the height Of the
| hull above the water line.
Some of the details of the great ships.
which vary in many important particulars
from the existing types, are given in the
Following description, prepared by Chief
| Constructor Hichborn:
The dimensions of the illinois" are as
follows: Length on lead water line, 36S
feet; beam, extreme, 70 feet 21a inches:
| draft on normal displacement of 11.5E
tons, % feet 6 inches; maximum dispIace-
! ment with stores on board, y ,325 tons:
| maximum indicated horsepower (esti-
mated 10000; probable speed, 1917 knots;
! normal coal supply, 800 tons; coal supply,
loose Storage, 300 tons; full bunker ca
! pacity, l, 400 to 15O0 tons; complement of
officers, 40; seamen. mariners, etc, 40.
The main battery will consist of four
13-inch breech loading rifles in Hichborn
! balance turrets, oval in shape, and placed
| in the center line of the vessel: and four
teen 6-inch rapid fire guns. The second
| airy battery will consist of IS 6-pounder
| rapid fire guns, four 1-pounder rapid fire
| guns, Colt guns and field guns She
will carry four torpedo tubes. The 13-inch
| guns have an arc of fire 1876 degrees on
each side of the center line, and the 6-inch
an arc of 80 degrees on the broadside,
| with the advantage of those on the upper
! deck of a direct fire ahead and astern.
Any injury to, or near. either of these
6-inch guns. will be confined to its own
compartment, as 113-inch steel splinter
bUlkhead separates each of these guns
from its neighbor.
The armor belt, which extends from the
stem to abaft theafterturret is 10 be
l61a inches thick at the top, and 91s inches
! thick at the bottom. except at he for
ward end, where 1t will be eapered TO four
inches at the stem. This belt armor will
extend from four feet below the normal
lead line TO three and one-haf feet above
it and will maintain the full thickness
amidships between the turrets, and for
the distance occupied - the engines and
boilers. Diagonal armor, y inches thick.
connecting this belt armor anr barbettes.
and extending from the slopes of protect
i've deck to top of the side belt on each
side. is worked to give protection from
raking fire. Abaft the after-turret the
protection will be completed by thick
ening the protective deck to inches on
the slopes. with 2a4 inches on the fat On
the slopes of this deck forward it is 3
inches thick and 234 inches on the fiat.
The armor on the 13-inch gun turrets Will
be II inches on the front and Is inches on
the rear and sides, while on the barbettes
for these turrets, which are circular in
shape. will be 10 inches on the front and
10 inches on the rear and sides The
sides Of the vessel above the armor belt
in wake of the 6-inch battery and form
ing the casemate, will be ar7nored with
5 inches of steel extending between the
turrets with diagonal armor of same
thickness at the end. connecting with the
barbettes. and worked above the 12l5-inch
diagonal arnor below. She Will be pro-
fected against the entrance of water. in
case of INJURY 20 the side. at the water
line by cofferdams extending for the
length of the vessel on each side. and
having general width Of feet, with a
total capacity Of about 1850 cubic feet. |
for storage of fire-proofed Corn-pitt cell |
luloS3. Independent of the numerous
small watertight pockets or cells forming !
the entire scheme OF cofferdams. the in /
ner bottom and hold the platform. splin- |
ter and berth decks. are divided into be
tween 250 and 800 watertight compart- |
ments both for the accommodation Of the |
motive power and the stowase Of coal. !
provisions. ammunition and other stores: !
and also for the preservation Of the ship |
in the event Of rupture Of the outer skin, |
or injury in battle. All these many com
partments are provided win pipes con-
Meeting with powerful steam pumps for |
the purpose Of removing any water that /
may get into them either from accident /
or design. Arrangements are also made |
for flooding all ammunition rooms in the |
event Of fire on board the vessel. All
these compartments. together with all Iiv- {
ing spaces. state rooms. etc, occupied by I
the officers or crew. nave special pipes /
arranged with view Of supplying fresh /
temperature q all store rooms. even in (
the most remote parts Of The vessel. com +
Portable and healthy. These pines all con- /
meet with powerful blowers which draw
fresh air BY means OF veuciiators extend +
ing from 10 70 - fee- above the saIps .
deck.
The forward coming tower armor VII .
be in thickness 10 inches. oval In shape.
size in the clear by Il feet. win an
armored tube inches thick extending
down to the protective deck. 10 house .
all wires OF other means ~ interior COM
municstion. 50 t1at the officer coming
the vessel in action can be IN constant 4
and safe comm gnicatlo1 with all parts oS +
the vessel An afte@-conniaE or signal 7.
tower * also provided. having ar inside
diameter Of feet and a thickness u S .
inches.
The currets VII BE- o7e-a;ed by electric
power; also the ammunition hois-s and
the dynamo and auxiliary blowers for
ventilatiIg pll-Toosss- There VIII be some
elghty-otsd auxiliary engines II tas YES
sci thus adding greedy 20 tina efficiency
or the sip II the CELEBRITY and certainty
with which The work can BE 3one. Tho
cranes for handling the boats are operated
by steam: also the dock winches. pumps.
,,-t-,.f,ass - sting go t. l..-.-