Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-01
BETTER THAN ANY WE HAVE
ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE IOWA, But
WITH BIGGER GUNS.
Naval Board of Experts Reafiirms Its
Action in Recommending a M
val Programme Which In
cIudes Building of Fiji
teen Warships.


morrow there will be opened in the Office
of the secretary of the navy the proposals
for building three great battleships author
lied by the last naval appropriation Dill.
These vessels will represent the very latest
Developments in naval construction, in
many respects being improvements on the
Illinois class of battleships. upon which
they are generally patterned. The speciii-
cations call for vessels of 1850 tons dis
placement, about the size of the Iowa,
but the batteries will be more formidable.
consisting in the turrets of thirteen-inch
guns while the Iowa has only twelve-inch
guns The speed is fixed at sixteen knots
with provisions for reductions in price in
case of deficiency. but with no premium
| for excess speed. The Limitation of tn"
speed to this figure was only placed after
long controversy between the bureau
chiefs. and it is possible that some of the
bidders may propose to raise the limit as
high as eighteen knots, knowing that the
department will take into favorable con-
sideration any such tender in making the
awards. The department will permit bid
ders to submit their own plans or TO bid on
those of the department, and 1t Is expected
that the result will be that some of the bid
ders will avail of both privileges One fea-
ture of the designs that Is likely to give
rise 10 crltlc1SiH II tIlS pIoNisloi ioi sh iuii
equipment of torpedo tubes, both above
and under water. This is directly opposed
to the judgment of some of the foreign
naval experts. who witnessed the battle of
July 3, and reported to their home gov
ernments that the torpedo outfits on bat
tleships were a source of great Danger 10
the ships and that their presence was OF
only questionable value.
The naval board of experts. under the
direction of Secretary Long, has unani-
imously reaffirmed its action in recon-
mending q comprehensive programme in
vclving the speedy construction of fifteen
varships, as outlined two weeks ago, and
directed the various bureaus of the navy
department to proceed forthwith with the
preparation of the actual plans for the
greatest construction project ever under
taken in a single period by the United
States Ever since the adoption of the
programme by the board, on August IL,
the members have devoted themselves
earnestly to the knowledge gained in the
war with Spain and the necessity for vast
sea power imposed by the possession of
distant islands and increased American
commerce, and they began upon the de-
tails yesterday, without modifying in any
important particular the classes Of YES
sells which were determined upon as es-
sential for the navy hereafter. The meet
ing yesterday demonstrated that the men,
bers were more thoroughly than ever con-
vinced that larger ships, with higher speed
and much greater coal endurance, than
any now in the American service, were ABB
solutely indispensable and ought to be be-
gur with as little delay as possible.
The general programme. as originally
| laid down, provided for fifteen vessels, of
which six were to be heavily armored, line
GoI.t asx II
protected cruisers and three midway be-
| tween these extremes. The three battle
ships were to exceed 1900 tons displac-
ment with a minimum speed, with all
stores and coal aboard, of eighteen and
one-half knots; there were to be three first
class armored cruisers of 1900 tons or
one-third larger than the New York and
| the Brooklyn, with twenty-five knots
speed and a coal endurance of at least
| 100GG knots: three semi-armored and pro-
| tected second class cruisers of a highly i'm
proved Olympia type. and six sixteen knot
protected cruisers of $500 tons, slightly
! superior to the Detroit class, with the re-
markabie steaming radius of 1900 knots.
The board further determined that all
| ships should be sheathed with oak and
| copper, to make them comparatively in
| dependent Of dry docks.
| AS a result of the meeting. practically
| establishing this programme as the adopt
! ed policy of the navy for the immediate
| future the work Of designing the three bat
| tleships will begin at once along the follow
| ing lines: The displacement is fixed at
| 1850 tons upon a draught of 211s feet
| when the vessel IS loaded to the medium,
and at that draught minimum speed of
| 1S1s knots Is to be guaranteed. Coal bunker
| space for between 1,S00 and 1000 tons of
| fuel is to be- provided in order that a steam
| Ing radius of 1000 knots at a ten-knot
] speed may be secured. The armor Is 20
| cover the entire vessel. In the form of a
| c,irass. 1t will be made after the Krupp
modification of the Harveyized process, and
| Is to be twelve inches thick amidships ta-
| pering to five inches at the bow and stern.
| There will be four fourteen-inch rifles of
| extra length for smokeless powder, mount
| ed in pairs, in two turrets, the latter be-
| ing of the elliptical balanced type, with
| sloped fronts. The battleships. as well as
| the other vessels. will be equipped with
water tube boilers and twin quadruple en-
| gines. AS soon as the plans for these bat
| tleships progress sufficiently. the details
| for the big armored cruisers will be taken
| up by the construction officers.
| 1t is a peculiar coincidence that the plans
| for these magnificent battleships are begun
| simultaneously, to almost day, with the
| opening of bids for three battleships upon
| which the contractors have been figuring
| for the last three months.
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