Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-04-02
TRAINING VESSEL.
FOR THE CADE rs
The U. S. Chesapeake is Now
Under Construction.
THE FIRST CHESAPEAKE
Two ENGAGEMENTS win Englisn
Vessel. la which she mia Not
Prove tho r-Finaiiy Cap
iurcd by nm Ensii,hmam.

Washington. April 1.-The appropra
ton bill for the year ending June 80
1898. approved by the President March
8. 1897, contained clause appropriat ting
S250,000 for one composite training YES
sci, propelled by steam and sail. to be
used for the training of cadets at the
naval academy. This act was after
wards modified by striking out the
word steam, and reducing the appro-
priation to S125.O00. Subsequently by
act of July 10. 1897. $l25.OO0 additional
was allowed for completion of this yes
sci.
The vessel which has been designed
by Chief Constructor Hichborn Is to
be fitted with all the most modern APP
pliances for service and comfort, and
will be constructed Of steel. The bot
tom will be sheathed with yellow pine
inches in thickness and coppcred from
the keel to feet. . inches above wa
terline. The main battery Will con-
sist of SIX 4-inch rapid fire rifles on the
covered gun deck: four 6poundcr
rapid-tire and two 1-pounder guns
mounted on the rail and worked from
the flush spar deck.
A full ship rig will he provided. the
lower masts will be of steel, the bal
ance of the spars of spruce or yellow
pine.
The buwarl1 plating. in connection
with the stem, is carried out 10 form
the bowsDrit. o
. The total sail area is 1875 square
feet, the vessel depends wholly upon
sails for propulsion and will thus af-
ford training in n part of seamanship
which tends to become Il lost art III
the navy.
Two boilers will be fitted for supply
ing steam to run the pumps windas SIS
nnd the electric, distilling and rcfriger-
atng plants, and for heating the YES
sci.
Permanent mess tables will be fitted
in such location as not To interfere
with passage about the deck or work
ing of the guns, and each OF the $50
cadets who can be accommodated on
the vessel will be provided with lock-
er for his clothes. y large pantry will
be located amidships on the gun deck
and convenient to the galley.
AT the after end of the gun deck is
located the cabin, a state room for the
captain "a spare state room and lava
tory, and offices for captain. executive
officer and navigator, and also the arm
ory.
deck are the water closets and wash
rooms for cadets and crew.
AT the after end of the berth deck
nre the bath rooms and water closets
for ward-room. Forward of these
rooms and separated by n water-tight
bulkhead are ten state-rooms for ward
room officers. and the ward-room din
ing-room, which extends across the YES
sci. On the starboard side forward of
the ward-room dining-room are quar-
tiers Tor the warrant officers.
THE DYNAMOS.
On the port side are the ward-room
pantry, paymaster's office, sick BAY
bath and water closet for sick bay
and dispensary. Immediately forward
of the compartment before described
separa ted by nm athwartship water.
tight bulkhead. are the dynamos in tht
centre, with skylight extending to spai
deck; on starboard side refrigeratinc
room: on port side n distilling room
The entire space forward of these /.
reserved as quarters for the crew. Store
rooms are provided in the hold for nj
stores and ammunition. Water tank,
are provided for 1923 gallons of frcsl
water. The vessel Will be supplied
with eight boats, a 30-foot steam cutie
Pnd launch being slowed in checks oi
the rail; two 2Sfoot cutters. one IS
foot whaleboat, and one 2S-foot Gi,
whaleboat carried on davits, Il 20-foo
dinghy will also be carried on davits:
16-foot dinghy will be carried in tn,
launch.
The principal dimensions of the vesse
are: Length on load waterline. Ia
feet breadth on load waterinc 81 feet
draft. mean, 16 feet inches; displacc
ment, 1,l75 tons
The superintendent of the Nava
Academy has expressed his approval O.
the design and has stated that wher
the vessel is completed and nut to hcl
new duty the Naval Academy will hay,
the greatest acquisition for training II
Its history.
After the advertisements by the de
partment, two bids were received fo
Ia mr. not Yott
vember 20. 1897. The bid of the Ores
cent ship-yard, Mr.. Lewis Nixon. man
ager, was $121 $50, that of the Bath Iror
Works $4,000. The contract va.
awarded to the Bath Iron Works. o
Bath. Me-, where she is now under
construction. The vessel has beer
named the Chesapeake" after the ba,
~ INA, name. near which. at Annapo
lis. Md, on the Seven river. the Nava
Academy is located. Chesapeake Ba,
was discovered about 1856 by the frs
colonists sent to Virginia by Sir Wal
ter Raleigh under charter granted b,
Queen Elizabeth. The Indian nam,
chesapeake" is said 10 mean "Fathe
OF Waters"
THE FIRST "CHESAPEAKE."
On the 9th of March. 1894, by an ac
entitled an Act to provide for nava
armament" the President was author
lied by Congress to procure, by Dur
chase or otherwise. equip and employ t,
protect our commerce from tho Alger
ienes four ships to carry forty-foul
guns each and two to carry thirty-si,
guns each and TO appoint the required
number of men and officers to command
them. The duty OF carrying out the
provisions of the law was assigned t.
the Secretary of War, the Hon Henri,
Knox. Mr.. John Humphreys was ap
pointed naval constructor and had gen.
eral charge of the ships laid down.
In report submitted to the House OF
Representatives by Secretary Knox, un.