The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-10

Washington, March THE plans Of
ahe three big battleships authorized
by the naval appropriation bin just
passet are being worked out. The gen
erai feA lures OF the ships have been
defined, Subject to the approval of the
secretary. The ~battieships will be 1000
tons larger h the Maine and the
Missouri class. OF a total displacement
Of i3,5oo tons. making them by far the
largest ships in the American navy.
and about equal in dimensions 10 the
best type Of battleships now being
constructed abroad under the new
practice. Though larger Than the
Maine. the ships viii be laid ON al
most the same lines. being only a is-
tie greater In every dimension. They
will carry four i2-inch gum in turrets-
h calibre Is an inch less than the
guns carried by the Oregon. put by i'm
proved design they Will be almost eQual
in p~enetrative power. The S-inch uns
OF the Oregon ype although they did
very effective work at Santiago and
Manila, have been abandoned. But
instead OF S-inch guns the new ships
will have M less than sixteen s-inch
calibre. all rapid fires, and twenty
6-pounders. The speed CT the ships Will
~ az MINUS aA VI NNV
knots over the Oregon class. but Just
equal To- that OF. the new Maine. For
protection against the enemy's shot.
the battleships will have one belt OF
armor seven feet six inches broad. run-
ming clear around the water line. three
feet six inches above and four feet
below. .
Altogether there is a notable absence
of new features in the designs OF the
battleships. which fact. taken In con-
nection with the small amount OF pro-
gress reported in the designs for the
Maine class, may be indicated that our
naval designers v very nearly ap-
preached the identical battleship in
their work. AS far as these particular
ships are concerned. the fact that the
navy department Is limited 10 $500 per
ton in the purchase OF armor makes
IL impossible TO build them I'm the alb
sence OF further legislation and the de-
partment will be obliged 70 content
itself with the mere preparation OF de-
tailed plans during the coming sum
mer.
type provided for can. however. be
built, as Chief Constructor Hichborn
has already been working out the de-
signs upon lines approved by the board
of bureau chiefs. 1t is the purpose OF
the navy department to place con-
tracts Tor these ships at the earliest
possible moment. They represent a
type Of cruiser which would be OF the
greatest value just now for our foreign
service. The plans call for vessels OF
about $500 TONS, and the ships Will be
improved Marbleheads, so to speak,
being 600 tons larger han the ships OF
that class, and with better batteries
and more coal capacity. A most i'm
portant consideration is that they Will
be sheathed with wood over the steel
hull n fully coppered, enabling them
TO keep the sea- even in tropical waters
for many months without being under
the necessity OF seeking a drydock. The
battery will be made up OF six 5-inch
guns for each ship. The cost is To be
considerably more than that OF the
Marblehead. which was 1914, 900. for the
amount allowed by congress was
81, 141, 500 each. This difference is &C
counted for by the many improvements
made in the Marblehead's designs, a
notable one being the use OF water
tube boilers, giving much greater speed
and economy.