The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-19

the traditional bottle OF wine on IN
/ PROV of the big fighter as it slid from
the ways. The fact that the launching
of the ship was one of the most sue
cessful ever witnessed at Cramps, i
regarded as an omen of good fortune
So eager was the Alabama to get int
her native element that before tn
swing of the shoe which holds tn
cradle in place had been completed
the monstrous hull, Juggling with
weight of thousands of tons on TIT
strips of oak, tore them apart and tn
big mass of steel glided gracefully int
the water q few seconds ahead O.
schedule time.
Miss Morgan stood on a diaS built OF
the launching platform, directly under
the bow of the Alabama. She was at
tended by her father, Senator Morgan
and her sister, Miss COrnelia Morgan
AS the ship began to tremble prepara-
tory to sliding off the well CREASED way.
she took a firmer grasp on the gayly
wine, which she held in her right hand
and, swinging it above her head
! smashed it against the nose of the ship
saying as she did so:
II crown thee with magnolias, brave
ship, and chriSten thee with a proud
name, Alabama"
The bow of the boat was hung with
|
| and roses gathered by ladies OF the
state of Alabama and sent here for the
! occasion.
SPANISH TREACHERY FEARED.
Only a few hundred people witnessed
| the launching, as against the thousands
| that are usually in the yard on such
/ occasions. For some tine past the yard
has been closed to ali visitors and the
rule was not relaxed to any extent to-
day. Fear of Spsnish treachery has
| made the government and the Cramps
extremely cautious, as a single bomb
exploded by a hostile visitor would do
/ almost incalculable damage.
THE war time launching" was for
this reason, almost a private affair.
After the Alabama had come to a
standstill in the Delaware, tugs towed
her back to her dock and workmen
swarmed over her, beginning at once
the work of preparing her for service.
II the armOr IS contracted for now and
delivered promptly. the ship viii be
ready for commission within a year.
1t is a curious coincidence that the
yard number of the Alabama, 290 is
the same as the yard number of the old
Alabama built for the confedeTacy in
an English shipyard during the rebel
lion.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHIP.
The Alabama is the first to be
launched of three battIeships of her
type, the other two being the Illinois
and the Wisconsin. She presents
marked Emergencies of design from the
first three, the Oregon, Indiana and
Massachusetts. These differences in
volve both the arrangement of the bat
terry and the disposition of the armor,
and there is considerable increase in
size and displacement. The first type
had the armor arranged in a water
line belt and casemate amidships, with
the ends OF the forward and aft belt
protected by submerged armOred decks,
and their batteries were mounted as
follows:
Four 13-inch guns, in two turrets;
eight S-inch guns, in four turrets, one
at each corner of the superstructure
and four 6-inch guns, mounted at the
corners Of the caserate below the su-
perstructure.
In the Alabama the water line ar
NOR is carried clear forward to the Dro-
tective deck, instead of being sub
merged, as in former ships, and is ra sed
to the level of the belt by slopes at
each side, the same as in protected
cruisers.
The eight-inch guns of the Indiana
type are done away with entirely, the
main battery of the Alabama type con-
sisting of four 13-inch guns in turrets,
and IA six-inch rapid-fire guns, of which
ten are mounted on the gun deck. eight
in broadside between the turrets and
two firing straight ahead forward of the
fore turret on the gun deck. Four are
mounted in a small redoubt on case
mate deck, two on each side.
The broadside siX-inch guns, instead
of being mounted to projecting spon-
sOrs, are mounted in recess ports in
order to secure extensive train forward
and abaft the beam.
The general dimensions of the Ala
bama class are as follows: Length
over all. 374 feet; breadth. - feet; free
board forward, 20 feet; free board abaft
the after turret, 13 feet inches;
draught, 90 feet inches; displacement, |
$50 tons. The guaranteed speed is
to be 16 knots, and the estimated horse
power 10000.
The main battery has already been |
described. The second battery consists !
of II six-pounder rapid-fire guns, six /
rapid-fire guns and four |
Gatlings.
The arrangement of the boilers in the |
Alabama class differs from that in the |
Indiana and being eight single-ender /
boilers. instead of four double-enGers, |
and in being placed athwartships |
afore fireroOm, instead of longitudinal /
with athwartship firerooms, as in the |
former class.
The maximum thickness of armor on |
the water line is 16R inches, tapering to
~ inches at the bottom of the belt
The casemate armor is 81 inches thick.
and the superstructure armor is OF the
same thickness. The armor of the 13-
nch gun turrets is 10 inches thick. ex-
cept in the port hole plate, which is Il
inches thick. The armor of the bar
bette on which the turrets rest is 10
inches thick.
The thickness of the protective deck
lrmor on the fat over the citadel
and also forward and aft, is
~ inches, and the thickness of the
slopes forward and after of the amid
ship citadel is IA inches. The connin.;
hick
s 2. 100 tons. and of the protective deck
Irmor 500 tons.
The weight of armament with normal
upply of ammunition, which is two
birds of the full war supply, is 1874
ons.
The builders say the construction of
he Alabama has been delayed over a
ear by the failure of the last congress
o provide the necessary armor. which,
lad prompt provision been made, the
Alabama would at this time, instead of
eing launched, be fitting out for SER
ice.
Spanish Ships Not Ready.
London. May 19.-The Paris CORE