The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-10
ENGLISH VIEW OF
AMERICAN SHIPS.
impressions of the London Tele-
graphs Correspondent.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
American Gunners Fine Marksmen.
Possessed by Perfect Fever To
Fight the Spaniards-Compar-
isons of the Warships.

| eager for war 20 is the splendid squad
ron OF American fighting ships lying at
anchor six miles from here in the Gulf
Stream.
As briefly announced IN my dispatch Of
last night, ] spent great portion OF yes
terdav I'm visiting the different warships.
Althoueh me most rigid war discipline
nreyaus and strangers are forbidden tt
approach the fleet newspaper reprcsen-
;atvcs arc allowed free access every
where. and in return they bring TO the
officers and crews the latest news as TO
what is going Ou in the outer world far
away from this isolated, barren coi"l
rccl.
During he weeks OF preparation mat
! have elapsed. the patience OF the sailors
bge boen severely tried. They are burn
| ing with % desire 10 avcnge the Maine
| which every man in the American navy
| believes was deliberately blown up by the
| Spaniards.
THE FIGHTING FEVER
II &C. almost impossible TO convey an
! ADEQUATE idea OF the fighting fever mat
! has taken possession of the Am, Ilcdh
! sailors When I went on b''fd ,ne low"
Yesterday brought the news that the
! president bad signed the ultmItum 10
| ep9in. and fhe mon. when they heard IT,
! Iurf4had their delight while the oihcers
] exchanged concentrations With 'dch
other 10 the prospect of satisfactory
termination OF long wait IN ms Dro"-
Hg climate. -...
The Iowa is the newest and INST power
| ful of the American battleships. Shs
was built az Philadelphia, and put IN
{ commission for the first time 900 OcloDeI
/ seventy feet. and her mean draush'
! eytuty-four feet. The Iowa displace-
I men is II 2qC tons. and she can traVel at
| 1910 knots while her coal capacity en-
| ahlas her 10 steam over 1000 miles inc
/ engines are Of 10000 horsepower ana the
shin is driven by twin screws, ana mas
one military mast two primary ana
four secondary turrets.
! ON tbc shin, sides Us a belt Of Harvey
nickel steel fourteen inches thick ana
I'm addition there are twolve-inch steer
bulkheads. Above the water-lne belt
there Is hyo-inch armor as high as the
main deck. The protective deck is rom
two and "a half % three inches t''cN'
and the ships sides have csliuiose h"'"
ing 90 plug sho, holes. while h-r coal
bunkers give a further protection or
fourteen feet 90 the vitals OH lns ''77'''
IOWAS ARMAMENT
Her armament fNIl4HIf.. vi on =
breech-loadcrs. in pairs I'M the turrets,
having Il inches OF Harveyized steel
armor. These turrets are placed amid
ehips one forward 0nd one abait the
tunnels.
In addition. there are four other tur-
refs heavily armored two ON either
beam each containing a pair or h-lNch
| breech-loaders. The smaller guns ''I-
risd include six finch quick-hrers. TWEEN
rf..1r- I'd
pounder qulck-nrers four Calling ma
chine guns and a. number OF Colt re-
volyer guns throwing steel bullets weign-
ing four 90 the pound and intended lot
defence against t0rpcdo-boats.
The Iowa has six torpedo tubes none
Of which arc submerged, and carries a
crew of 4>G men.
In the arrangement Of the guns and
everything on board American ingenuity
I'm the development OF labOr-saying ma
chinery has been displayed in a most re-
markablc mouner Electricity is made
use Of exclusively I'm loading and firing
the big guns. and the system of c0mmu-
nlcation between the conning-tower and
the other parts of the ship is revela-
ton I'm compactness simplicity, and eiii-
cheney.
SIGHTING THE GUNS
American guns are sighted somewhat
ulAt ItHbl nom ll"7c u''" 4h tI.. I'' ''''ti
service. All OF 'nt"' o'"h '' tif sHl"u
-Ip OF DO PuleA-uIei7' are sulP'lcu WIN
OILY one u'''9'"l4o al|I'' Dt''' "''n Jus
lrl""l -os'- WI ~. it"'., '-l'' '"N mn
igI vi ,,'oS, ua ,.i ,'' ,, u'
o ,I,1' go ,.,j , ,.or
Va , t,,t ~, 80, ,..,.,i.,.
'.,' ,'''I' va" '''D
V ~, .''J ht1 tt, 49,. ,r..cf 49, s'.i
- '''' ~ .t,.'.. -., ~, ,'.'. 80
''''7' ". wv ''
aye ~ ill"ue il '.'."' IN. ,I.y gums" a'''P'
VII '"' 'l u""'ppH ,'"'.' r &c.
,1,'.' .,,.
tPu'uioh are ,ie 'o'''y,'''P i'iu''','' J'i'
.,I'.... .,' I,''','''
.',t, c.,,,..,... e..,,i.., c,t..,,.. 90
...i
800, HI'.i.,'. S-,.',- H.. w
,,,rotor D.1to, ,,d ,to,.o,,..,.. a.,
- ',1,,.,.. ,...,,'D,,.I ..rf,..'Io
/ -, ,1 +t.. r.., ..i..s, t.,...i,. 49,.
I,,,,,,,,,. port.r f,.,.bt,,, r,-fl.,.,, WI.
Ioy and r,o,te .rh.so note b..,.o .,'..i,
,.,r,.jre iron, t,.art,.-,,,.,,, t,trt,.
i,,otr
mn. Indian, .ltto,,ob .,.i ,i.l., ,....t,
shin tb@r me low, b'7s r",',. IN. +,',
.'-,,,,',,,. I'm b.r III. 'rJ 5,.a 100. mn.
nm ber 1ir.... she also has ,..,i 80,
polf-,. eg~ e,,r,t.s, t1o,s.rd l.,o-. ana
| carries r.rr le-inob efirs fIsf.'1 ,f f,1.
Pinch ri,s I'm bor ur.r,9r,. ,,irr.ts H.
second ,rrran,ert i. tba s,n,o ,s tbot -
the rova
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