The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-19
INTO Old OCEANS ARMS.
Battleship Alabama Becomes the
Bride of the Sea.
AusPiclcus CIRCUMSTANCES.

PHILADELPHIA, May Is.-The battle
ship Alabama was successfully launched
at Cramps sh.pyards today.
There was not a hitch of any sort to
mar the success of the launching Miss
Emory Morgan. daughter OF Senator Nor
gan, christened the ship for her native
state. The weather was beautiful, but
only a few persons witnessed the cere-
mony, fear of Spanish treacnery keeping
ths gates of the shipyards closed against
all except about 200 invited guests and
newspaper men. The ship can be made
ready for commission IN year il the
armor is delivered promptly.
The Alabama is the first to be launched
of three battieships Of her type, the other
two being the Illinois and Wisconsin, She
presents marked divergences of design
from the first three. the Oregon. indiana
ana Massachusetts. The differences in
volve both the arrangement of the battery
and the disposition of the armor, and there
is considerable Increase In size and dis
placement. The first type had the armor
arranged in a water-lne belt and case
mate amidships with the ends. forward
and after belt protected by submerged ar
mored decks, and their batteries were
monntedSas follows:
-Four 13-.nch guns in two turrets: eight
S-inch guns in four turrets. one at each
corner of the superstructure, and four
s-inch guns mounted al the corners of the
In the Alabama the water-iine armor is
carried clear forward TO the protected
deck. instead of being submerged. as in
former ships: Is raised TO the level OF
the belt by slopes at each side. the same
as In protected cruisers.
The s-inch guns OF the Indiana type are
done away with entirely, the main bat
terry OF the Alabama type consisting of
four l3-neh guns In turrets and fourteen
G-lnch ranid-fire guns. Of which ten are
mounted on the gun deck, eight in broad
side between the turrets, and two firing
straight ahead forward OF the fore .urret
on the gun deck Four are mounted in
small Tedcubt on the casemate deck,
two on each SIDE. The broadside g-inch
guns, instead OF being mounted 10 pro-
jeeting sponsors. are mounted In recess
ports In order 10 secure extensive train
forward and abaft the beam
The general dimensions OF the Alabama
class are as follows: Length over all s7t
feet. breadth 2: feet. freeboard 20 feet.
freeboard abaft the after turret Il feet
inches. draft 25 feet inches, tispiaee-
fnent 1i.52o tons The guaranteed speed
IS to be sixteen knots and the estimated
horse power Io.eOo
The main battery has already been de-
scribed. The secondary battery consists
CT seventeen s-pounder rapid-dre guns.
six 1-pounder rspid-flre guns and four
gatiings.
The arrangement OF the boilers In the
Alabama class differs from that In the
Indiana in being eight singIe-end boilers
instead 81 four double-enders. and IN se-
ing p.acd ath.art ships. sfore and aft
flreroorn instead OF longitudinal atnwart
ships h-ero9En= as in the former class
Exam nations Of the plans of the Asa-
bana as compared with those OF the earlier
ships will show that IN. departure in the
details OF construction are IN the difec-
ton of simplicity and also in the resiuc-
ton OF The number OF different caiispers
OF ammunition 20 be carried on board the
effective weight OF fire in various positions
remaining substantially the same. Dis
pensing with the s-.neh turrets also clear
ly reduces the weights 20 be carried high
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