Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-13
SOON TO BE READY.
THE KEARsARGE AND KENTUCKY
TO BE LAUNCHED MARCH PATH.
SUPERB And POWERFUL SHIPS.
They Have Been Built With Unpar-
sIIeIed Rapidly and ut Compare
lively Small. Cost-Greas Event for
Newport News.
written for the Dispatch }

written for the Dispatch)
BY dint Of industry unparalleled In this
country the Newport News Ship-Build-
I ing and Dry-Dock Company will launch
the finest Of our new battleships on the
24th OF the present month-not quite
twenty months from the day the keels
were laid. The ships could have been
launched two months ago, but, TO facili-
tate their final completion they have
been kept purposely on the stocks till
magnificent new crane of great capacity
could be erected TO handle the armor
and other heavy weights yet to go in the
vessels. In the matters OF equipment
the works OF this yard are second to
none in the country, while the possession
of fine dry-dock and the wide appli-
cation Of electricity put them consider
ably In the lead.
The dual event OF two ships OF such
magnitude being launched on the same
day VIII mark an era in the history OF
our new navy, while each ship in itself
will be the heaviest mass Of the kind
ever moved from keel-blocks to water in
this country. Five thousand tons or
steei-the equivalent OF a couple OF
blocks OF good-sized houses-is a tre-
mendous mass TO transfer under any cir
cumsi ances, but to do so without the
slightest strain to the structure, Is some
thing calling for skill and careful fore
thought. and yet, that Is the sum OF
only one of these unfinished ships
The ships were provided for by act OF
N
the I'd OF the following January their
construction was awarded to the New
port News company for the remarkably
reasonable individual contract price OF
only 81 $4,000; and that, too. without the
usual inducement of a bonus for excess
of speed. That the vessels will be equal
10 all the requirements goes without
question, while at the same time their
moderate cost has opened the country's
eyes to the charges put upon their prede-
cessors.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHIPS.
The Kearsage and the Kentucky are
navigable fortresses Of formidable type,
and, in action would render a good ac-
count OF themselves in behalf OF Old
Glory. The dimensions of one apply
equally to the other, and their general
data are:
Length on Ioad-water line, 36S feet.
Beam, extreme, 70 feet inches.
Draft on normal displacement, q feet
6 inches.
Normal displacement, u,5S tons.
Maximum displacement, all ammunition
and stores on board. l2.S25 tons.
Maximum indicated horsepower (esti-
mated, 10000.
Maximum speed, required by contract,
10 knots.
Normal coal supply, 40 tons.
Maximum coal supply, bunkers full,
l,2l0 tons.
Complement, officers, seamen, and ma
rines, 6ll
The strictly novel characteristic of
these ships is their exceedingly moderate
draft of water-but twenty-five feet when
full laden, by which they may enter
practically any harbDr OF Importance
along our coast line-something denied
to most OF the armored cruisers OF all
other nations. The offensive advantage
possessed in this single feature cannot
be overvalued.
The power 10 meet an enemy will be
centred effectively in the twenty-five
guns forming the main and auxiliary bat
teries and these will consist of:
Main Battery-H'our 13-inch breech-
lOdQlnB Tlless IOuT o-iicn DTttCu-iOdUiHB
rifles.
Auxiliary Battery-Fourteen 5-inch
rapid-fre rifles.
For the purposes OF resisting torpedo
boat attack and enfilading the open decks
or unprotected gun stations OF an enemy,
twenty 6-pounders. six 1-poun1ers, ana
four Gatlings viii keep up a destructive
mitraileuse; and woe to the venrurcsome
small craft that exposes itself 10 the fury
OF that steel-clad blast. -Four torpedo
tubes, two on eacn side amidships, will
complete the offensive phase Of the ships.
The 13-inch and the S-inch gurs are
housed In two two-storied turrets. The
S-inch guns are in the upper half which
is fixed rlgidly TO the lower half. The
whole structure has total swing Of 20
degrees. and all four guns are pointed in
the same general direction, and swung
from side to side by the one great trrn-
ing gear engaging the lower half. The de-
sign has been seriously questioned here
and abroad, and there is prevailing
opinion that the experiment VIII never
be repeated.
The S-inch guns are sheltered behind
walls generally inches thick. but aug
mented TO II inches at the front The 1S-
inch guns are covered by u inches or
hardened steel. also. except at the 'front.'.