Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-08
THE NEW WARSH|PS,
Plans Being Worked Out
at Washington
BATTLESH|PS TO Be LARGE,
Much Larger Tnan Any Vessels Nov 10
Our Nary.
THE MATTER OF ARMoR-PIATE.
Limit of Cost VIII Delay BUILDING
of Larger ships. Hut Work Of Buflds
With at Once.

WASHINGTON. March THE plans
for the three big battleships authorized
by the naval appropriation bill just pass
ed are being worked out. The general
features Of the ships have been defined.
subject to the approval of the Secretary.
The battleships will be a thousand tons
larger than the Maine and Missouri class.
OF a total displacement of 1850 TONS
making them by far the largest ships I'm
the Ameriosn navy, and about equal in
dimensions TO the best type of battleships
now being constructed abroad under ths
new practice. Though larger than tho.
Maine. the ships viii be laid on almost
the same lines. being only little greater
in every dimension. They will carry four
Pinch guns In turrets. This calhre IL
an inch less than the guns carried by the
oregon. but by improved design they will
be almost equal in penetrative power.
| The S-nch guns of the oregon type. al
| though they did very effective work ~
| Santiago and Manila. have been aban.
doned. But instead OF s-inch guns the new
| ships will have no less than sixteen g.
! inch-calibre guns. all rapid-fre. and
twenty 6-pounders.
| SHIPS TO BE SPEEDY.
The speed OF the ships will be IS knots.
an advance OF knots over tho oregon
class, bat Just equal 10 that of the news
Maine. For protection against the enemy's
| shot the battleships will have one belt of
armor feet inches broad. running clear
around the water-line. 3 feet inches.
above and feet below.
Altogether. there is a notable absence
of new features I'm the designs OF the bat
teshps, which fact. taken in connection
with the small degree OF progress report-
ed IN the designs of the Maine class. may
be an indication that our nesal designers
have very nearly approached the ideal
battleship I'm their work.
As far ~ these particular ships ara
concerned the fact that the Navy Depart
ment is limited TO $500 per ton In the pur-
| chase OF armor makes IL impossible TO
build them i'm the absence Of further legis-
lation, and the department will be obliged
| to content itself with the mere prepara-
tion of detailed plans during the coming
summer.
THE CRUISERS.
The six cruisers of the unsrmored type.
provided for can. however. be built, and
Chief Constructor Hichborn has already
been working out the designs upon lines
approved by the board OF bureau chiefs.
IL is the purpose OF the Navy Depart
ment to place contracts for these ships
AT the earliest possible moment. They
represent type Of cruiser which Is be-
lieyed TO be Of the greatest value Just now
to our foreign service. Plans call for ves-
sells of about $500 tons. and the ships VIII
be- improved Ma i~A.heads 80 10 speak.
being 600 tons larger than the ships OF
that class and with better batteries and
more coal capacity.
A most important consideration IL thai
they will be sheathed with wood over tho
steel hull. and fully coppered. enabling
them TO keep at sea, even In tropical
waters. for many months without eSg
under the necessity OF seeking dry
dock. The battery will be made up OF SIX
5-inch guns for each ship.
The cost Is TO be- considerable moro
than that OF the Marblehead. which was
sC7lOOO. for the amount allowed by con-
gress was $l11 500 each. This difference
Is accounted for by the many improves
ments made on the Marbleheads design.
| a notable one being the use OF water
tube boilers, giving greater speed and
economy.