The times., 1899-10-27

The annual report Of the Bureau Of Ord
nance Of the Navy Department and the
estimates for the fiscal year ending June
80. 1901, have been made public. The esti-
mates for appropriations needed for the
year ending June 30, 1901, amount TO
s6.503 l24. as against S5.372. .104. for the
previous year. The principal item in the
increase is for building a naval magazine
at Dover. n. J., at cost Of $4,000
The report shows that the construction
Of $50 main battery guns has been au-
thorized. an increase OF l69 over last year,
which does not include batteries for the
three battleships and three 2rmored cruis-
ers provided for al the last session OF
Congress. IT also shows that in 1897 there
were s. vessels in the Navy with 5s3
guns assigned to main batteries and g63
assigned to secondary batteries. In 1888
there were 81 vessels with sol guns in
main batteries and I,023 in secondary,
while ia 1893 there are 1913 vessels with S27
guns in main batteries and 1850 in second
airy batteries.
batteries of New ships.
Concerning the batteries for the new
ships the report says:
The main battery Of battleships Maine
Ohio. and Missouri viii consist of four
12-inch guns Of 40 calibres, mounted in
pairs In two electrically controlled bal
anced turrets. having inclined port plates
and Of sixteen 6-inch rapid-fre guns OF so
calibres, mounted as follows: Twelve on
the main deck. ten OF which are in an
armOTed central redoubt OF casemate and
two IN bow Sponsors; four others are
mounted on the upper deck in armored
Classmates.
The new monitors Arkansas Florida
Wyoming, and Connecticut viii each carry
two l2-inch 40-calibre guns, mounted in
one electrically controlled balanced. clip
tical turret with inclined port plate. and
four 4-Inch 50-calibTe guns, with shields
on the superstTuCture. The six cruisers Of
the Denver class win each carry ten 5-inch
guns Of 80 calibTes The development Of
the lZ-inch gun has been so great that its
adoption for recent vessels, rather than the
1S-inch gun on the older vessels, became
logical sequence.
The l2-inCh gun has a prOjsctile Of
but $50 pounds weight as against 1,1c0
pounds for that Of the 13-inch gun, but the
muZZle velocity of the new 4O-Calibre T.
inch gun VIII be not less than 2,S00 foot
seconds against $500 foOt-secSnds of the
present I3-inch gun. The muzZle energy
OF the new I2-inch gun viii, therefore, be
s.. .22l foOt-tOns as against 40 404 foot-tons
for the 13-inch. The penetrating power Of
the new I2-inch gun at 5000 yards viii be
1872 inches Of harveyed nic6el-steel aTmoT
as against 1881 inches for the l3-inch
gun, but the racking and baterinE effect
IF the 12-inch prOjectile viii be less. The
new l2-inch gun viii readily perforate any
armOr a1oat or likely TO be put a1Oat,
and the bureau considers il a more suita-
bic weapon for the new battleships than
a gun Of larger calibre.
The 6-inch rapid-ire 50-calibre gun for
the new vessels viii have muZZle velocity
exceeding $500 foot-seconds, with a muz-
zle energy OF not less than 5,83S foot
tons. At 1900 yards they viii have the
power 70 penetrate harTeyed nickel-steel
armor Of So inches in thickness and they
can be fred al the rate of ten rounds
per minute Such rapidity, however, is
the proving ground record, and 1t is not
supposed that such q rate Of IRE would Be
practicable in action. unless FOR a brief
interval The new 5-inch gun for the
Denver class and the 4-inch for the moni-
tors win be Of 80 calibTes and capable Of
developing muzzle velocity Of 1900 foot
Seconds.
ATmor Plate.
The report deals very fully with the
questfeR-ef armor for battleships. Il says:
There is no subject under the cogniz-
ance Of the bureau demanding more serious
consideration at the present time than that
OF armor for certain vessels now under
construction. for which as yet no armor
has been contracted for, and for vessels
authorized By act Of Congress, approved
March 3, 1893 which under existing laws
cannot be contracted for until the aTmoT
therefor has been contracted for.
This is q most unusual provision and
attended with considerable difficulty, and
IS contrary 10 the practice usually fol-
lowed. The usual course Of procedure is
for The shipbuildeT to prepare the armOT
drawings. giving The dimensions, weights,
and locations Of the plates. and 10 classify
them in groups in the order Of required
delivery, and these tables form part Of
the armOF contract. Il is Obrious that uu-
I'll several months have elapsed after
vessel has been contracted for the build
crs cannot furnish the desired information.
i would. Of course, be practicable TO make
al arnOT contract In general terms for the
approximate number Of tons required, but
i Is not necessary to contract for the
Rrmor until from SIX 10 ten months after
the vessel has been contracted for.
The armor situation at present is as
follows. The contracts for the Kearsarge
and Kentucky have been completed Ar
NOR is now being manufactured for battle
ships Alabama Illinois ana Wisconsin.
There remains to be delivered for these
vessels, s3Z tons for the Alabama, lsZ55
tons for the Illinois. and 3s4 tons for the
Wisconsin. a total Of 2fS1 tons. OF this
smCuut about I000 tons viii probably be
delivered during the next six weeks The
armor contracts for these vessels viii prob
ably be completed by January ], 1900. or
thereabouts
The above contracts We're not made
until June 1898, one year and nine months
after the vessels had been contracted for.
and, in consequence, the bureau is un-
able 10 meet the requirements Of the ship
builders although the armor contractors are
ahead OF their contracts in deliveries. The
result is that the vessels referred TO VIII
probably not be completed as soon as would
otherwise be the case
The delay iu contracting for the armor
for these vessels was due TO the fact that