The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-04
VESSELS THAT MAKE A NAVY.
Difference Between FIRST and second
Glass Battle Ships One of Power.


Philadelphia Ledger.
The difference between a first-class and
a second-elass battle ship is simply diff
ference in degree of power, both offensive
and defensive. That is, the first-class bait
tie ship has more and heavier guns. and
more and thicker armor, and, as a neces-
Sary sequence, is a larger vessel. The d-
vision of vessels of war into classes is ar
bitrary, and dependent upon current size,
and not the same in all navies. What is
to-day a second or third-class ship was a
few years ago a flrst-claSs ship, the largest
vessels being always designated as first
class. First-class battle ships of the pres
emit day range from 10000 to 1900 tons in
displacement. The battle ship is a vessel
designed for a place In the first line of
battle, and thus capable of withstanding
heavy fighting with the least possible dam
age. Her qualities are necessarily a. COM
promise of different elements, and the art
of the designer lies in so proportioning the
OFFENSIVE ana defensive elements as 10 pro-
duce the most formidable vessel possible on
a given displacement.
Cruisers are divided into two classes-ar-
mored and protected. The former is yes
sci carrying a moderate amount of armor,
which in modern vessels of this sort is
fined mostly TO the gun positions and ar
mored deck. Her offensive and defensive
power is less than that of the battle ship,
while her displacement may be nearly the
same, or even more. greater proportion
of that displacement has been given TO
weights of propellng machinery and fuel,
thus giving her higher rate of speed and
ability to make longer cruises without re-
coaling.
The protected cruiser is a vessel in which
the latter qualities are still more empha-
sized. She must possess the highest rate of
speed for Sea-going vessels, and the great
est possible steaming radius or distance
which she can steam without recoaling. Her
offensive and defensive qualities are re-
duced to the minimum for fighting vessels.
In modern ships of this class the main bat
terry seldom contains anything heavier than
slX-inch guns, but they are rapid fire; that
Is, the projectile and powder charge are in
one piece, like an exaggerated pistol cart
ridge, and the greatest possible skill is re-
quired to so arrange the ammunition supply
from the magazines that the maximum rate
or hre of which the guns are capable can
be maintained. The defensive qualities of
this class of vessels are confined to ar
mored deck, which in some vessels is as
much as six inches thick over the vital
parts of the vessel, and ranges in most ves-
sells of this class from two to four inches
thick. They are also usually provided with
local armor or shields at the gun positions,
which Is seldom more than three inches
BY displacement in war vessels, or in any
hoating structure, is meant the weight of
water displaced by the immersed volume OF
the vessel, this being equivalent to the total
weight of the structure. according to the
WSll-known principle in mechanics that
floating body displaces it's own weight of
water. This function in war vessels is the
foundation upon which the naval architect
must apportion qualities of offensive, de-
equipment weights and his skill in his pro-
fession depends upon his success in making
combination of these qualities which shall
come the nearest to perfection in accomp-
fishing the desired objects.
Gunboats are vessels of less than two
thousand tons displacement which are des-
tined for service in rivers and shallow
waters where they would not be likely to
be opposed by any considerable force. In
effect they are naval police. and usually
carry little, if any, armor and moderate
battery, and do not possess high speed
Torpedo boats are vessels of a still small
er class, ranging in displacement from fifty
n three huf In w
thing is sacrificed to extreme speed Their
attacks must be sufficiently rapid to attain
their object before or very soon after they
are observed, otherwise they will fail, as
they have no defensive power at all, being
penetrable by musket fire in most cases.
While nearly all modern vessels of war
carry torpedoes, these carry nothing else,
except one or two light machine guns for
defense against boat attack.
Despatch boats are not armored, and are
not considered as fighting ships, though
used for defense They must have the high
est attainabe speed, lin order that they
may convey dispatches to or from the fleet
in the shortest possible time.