Evening star., 1898-10-03

Illinois might well be called the n.astif of
the navy, for it will have a set of teeth to
make it well worthy of the title. The 13-
inch guns with which it will be armed
II row projaCtile weighing LOO POUNDS q
distance of thirteen miles with effect. The
p1 ojectiies can penetrate at least eiSht
il ches of metal at this distance Its exc
cution on deck has baen shown by the
work in the battle off Santiago, when a
she'll of this size killed eighty men and
wrecked every steel structure with which
ii came i'll contact. The guns in both tur-
rets of the Illinois will discharge LILO
tel of metal at one round.
The Deck battery.
THE deck battery will consist of sixteen
6-inch rifles. These seem small in COM
parisOn, but when one considers that the
6-inch guns turned out by the shops in the
Washington navy yard will hurl Shell
Weighing 10 pounds through nine inches
of steel at distance of six miles, respect
for it is considera bly, increased. The beauty
of the 6-inch gun is that it can be dis
charged from four to five times minute
without danger With the entire battery of
this Caliber on the Illinois, eighty of these
pTojectiles can be discharged minute, or
f,S0O per hour.
In addition to the G-inch guns, sixteen g.
pound. four 1-pound, one Colt mac nine
gun and two field pieces go to make up the
secondary battery. The 6-pound and l.
pound weapons can be discharged from
fifty to sixty times a minute each. The
secondary battery is intended more for tor
pedo boats. The Illinois win also have
four tubes for discharging Whitehead tor
pedoes-
considering the size of the Illinois and
the slowness of naval construction, rapid
pI IogresS has been made. The contract was
signed September 20, 1891, and threa years
were allowed for the completion of the YES
sci. The keel was laid February 10 last. 1t
is calculated that the entire cost Will be
about S5,OoO0UO. The crew will comprise
JJU officers and men, including ABOUT 100
marines"
Typical American Girl.
Referring to Miss Letter, who is to chris
ten the Illinois, and who is we'll known
in Washington, New York publication Of
a late date said:
Governor Tanner of Illinois selected a
typical American girl. from a typical Amer
lean family, when he chose Miss Nancy
Letter. the daughter of Mr.. l.. T. Letter of
Chicago to christen the new battle ship
Illinois. We speak of the Letter family as
,ypiCa1ly American, because it has recently
given proof that it deserves this recOgni-
ZION. Mr. l. Z. Letter has made reputa-
ton of the highest character as a business
man in Chicago, and has amassed great
wealth. His son, Joseph Letter, recently
graduate OF Harvard. d short time ago was
engaged in one of the most gigantic wheat
speculations of modern times, He plunged
Ike an American. and made and lost for
tEne ike an Are. ic3n, and his generous and
honorable father settled his sons losses
ike an American. although his losses ran
up into the millions A daughter of Mr..
Letter is the wife of one of Great Britain'S
favoTite sons. George n. Curzon, who has
just been appointed to the most important
public place in the gift of the queen-a po-
stiOn that gives Mrs. CurZon the place of
vice queen Of India. This is the record,
? "A for of hn oft fn iS nod
record. and we have no doubt that there
will be more of it