The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-26
NAMES ARMOR CUT DOWN.
CHANCES MADE ~ THE PLANS FOR
THE NEW BdTTLESHIP.
Her Protection to BE 11-Inch Instead of IT,
Inch Armor - Tho Change Made to Get
Greater Speed with tho Original Draft

Her Protection to BE 11-Inch Instead of IT.
Inch Armor - Tho Change Made to Get
Greater Speed with tho Original Draft
Suggestion of tho Cramps Adopted.
WASHINGTON. July 25.-At its meeting this
afternoon tho Naval Board OF Construction
adopted recommendations OF the Cramp Ship
Building Company OF Philadelphia to make
certain changes In the plans OF the battleship
Maine. under construction at the firms ship
yards. In order that the ideas OF tho Navy De-
partment might be more nearly realized. The
most important change recommended by the
+ Cramps and approved by the board was that
the armor OF the Maine should be eleven in
'stead Of twelve inches in thickness.
There was only one dissenting voice Mt the
meeting. Admiral Bradford Chief OF the Blu
reau Of Equipment. objected to n reduction In
the thickness Of the armor and argued In favor
OF increasing the length OF the vessel to give
greater buoyancy and thus prevent an increase
in the draught through the retention Of H.
inch armor.
Tho hoard was disposed from the first to-
ward tho recommendation OF tho Cramps, as
the tendency In modern warship building Is
toward q reduction in the thickness OF protec-
ton. The battleships of the Pennsylvania
class. authorized at the last session Of Con-
gress will have armor two inches thinner than
'ho' W VIC TIC uctlOu vi lHe ubdTu tlOtS
not mean that there was a mistake made In
the original plans which it has been compelled
to correct Despite a published statement to
that effect. there has never been any question
as to the stability OF the Maine on tho original
designs. All the calculations Of the Cramps
and the Navy Department indicate that her
stability will be perfect.
The original plans of the Navy Department
Tor the Maine and her sister ships the Ohio and
tho Missouri, provided for sixteen knots speed
on draught OF % feet inches The Navy De-
partment was very anxious that the three
soils shou d not draw more water in order that
they might be able to enter every important
had been awarded it was decided by the de-
partment that vessels Of greater speed were
more desirable. and the plans were changed
with the consent OF the contractors so as to in
sure speed of eighteen knots To provide
Tor tho additional weight OF machinery and for
more coal the plans called for an increase in
the length of each batteshp
since then the Cramps have been working
out the distribution OF weights in order to
ascertain whether the vessels would have n
drauRht of more than 90 feet y inches under
the new designs. The department had. in ad-
dition to providing that the vessels should be
longer, changed the calihre of the big guns
from j. inches to - inches in order TO reduce
the weight; Tho Cramps ascertancd that this
reduction in the size OF the guns and the
lenEthening Of tho ships would not give them
a draught OF % feet u inches or less. but that
thew would draw Jia more inches. or % feet
IL q inches. The Board OF Construction to-day
adopted the suggestions OF the Cramps prac-
tically as submitted, the only change being
and thinner in others than proposed by the
PHILADELPHIA concern