Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-06

The performance of the new battle ship
kearsarge on her builders trial was even
more satisfactory than that of the Ala
bama, under similar circumstances a few
days ago. She was handicapped by
heavy growth of sea vegetation and shells
on her bottom, having been in the water
without docking for over a year In addi-
ton to this drag she was more fully
weighted than was the Alabama, and de-
spite these facts she made 4 maximum run
Of 11-2a knots an hour, her average being
far above the official requirement. The
Kearsarge is unique in that she carries
cellulose below the water, on her sides, be-
hind the armor, giving her additional pro-
lection against sinking in case her hull is
pierced below the water line by a shot in
action. The function of the celulose is to
permit a shot To penetrate it freely, but
TO close up behind the entering projectile
so compaCtly that the water is practically
excluded. 1t is not used for flotation pur-
poses, is it relied upon for the exclus-
ion of shots. Il is in some respects to the
ship what the earthern banks are to earth
work Notifications, which allow easy pen
etration without detecting the shot and by
closing in behind the shot result in less
destruction of the fertilization than in the
Ease VI ii I!IdSplliN uttuIt Inc utNd ASIA
ton wrought by the American battle ships
and cruisers off Santiago, July 3, 1898,
however, suggests that the most serious
danger TO fighting craft in action is not
from punctures below the line, but the
wrecking of machinery by explosive shells
which pass into the superstructure and
thus disable the ship. In the case of each
OF the Spanish ships its disablement result
ed from the destructive fire delivered upon
The decks. while the gun crews de-
moraliZed and driven from their posts by
the incessant hail of shot and shell. of
course the cellulOse is we'll enough as an
extra pTecaution. But 1t Is to be remem-
bered that ii is the function of the bat
tleship to give blows as well as to resist
them and in this particular the kearsarge
Is calculated TO hold her to perfection
Her armament is very heavy, her main
battery consisting of four thrteen-inch
guns In this respect she is superior to
the heaviest armed battleships of England
Germany or Russia, some of which have a
greater displacement and are credited with
superior speed. In the navies of France
and Italy alone can heavier guns be found
on battleships, which, however, are not
the latest additions TO those navies OF the
French ships the Brennus launched in
1871, has three 134-inch guns: the Hoche
launched in 1896. has two 13.4 inch guns:
the Magenta, Marceau and Neptune
launched, respectively, in 1890 1887 and
1es2, have four 1873 inch guns; the Amiral
Baudin and Formidable, launched in ISIS.
and 1885,, have two 145 inch guns and the
Amiral Duperre, 1879 has four 1874 inch
guns. Thus 1t is 10 be seen that in each
case these larger guns are of an earlier
date than those of the ke'rsarge and NAV
not In action prove nearly as effective In
the lt2lian navy much the same condition
prevails. thus: the Sardegna, 1890; Stella
1881. and Re Umberto 1SSS. have four 49,
inch guns; the Andrea Doria, 1855. Fran
cesco Morosini, 1880; Ruggiero di LAURA.
1884; Lepanto. 1888. and Italia, 1880, have
four seventeen-inch guns