Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-08
BIC BULL DOGS
FOR UNCLE SAM.
Government Prepares Plans for
Three Huge Battleshlps.
LARGEST FIGHTERS IN NAVY
Ton. aud be In Every Respect
Ideal pcsccnskers.

Washington March 7.--Tho plans for
the three big battlcships authorized by
the naval appropriation bill just passed
are being worked out. The general fea-
lures OF the ships have been defined.
subject to the approval OF the sectc-
tary. The batticHhips will be a thousand
tons larger than the Maine and Mis-
souri, class. OF "a total displacement Of
1850 tons. making them by Tar the
largest ships In the American navy. aud
about equal In dimensions TO the best
type OF battlcships now bciug COM
struotcd abroad under the new prac-
tlcc. Though larger than tho Maine
the ships viii be laid on almost tho
same lines, being only a little greater
IN every dimension. They Will carry
each four is-inch guns Ia turrcts. THIS
cnlibcr " an inch less than the gunH
carried by the oregon. but by Improved
design they will be almost equal Ia
penctratiyc power. The s-lnch guns Of
the oregon type. although they ala
very elective work at Santiago and
Manila. have been abandoned. liut In
stead Of s-lnch guns. the new ships viii
have no less than sixteen guns % 6-inch
calitrc. nil rapid-hrcrH. and twenty
slX-pounderH. This battery represents
the Ideal proportion between guns no
taught by the experience OF our own
ficct during the Spanish war. ana OF
the Chinese and Japanese vessels dur
Ing their late war.
The speed ~ the ships viii bc oigh-
teen knots, an advance Of two knots
over the oregon class, but 3ust equal
q o III.
lection against the oucmy'H shot the
hatileahlps viii have but one belt u
nrmor. seven feet six Inches broad.
running clear around the water line.
three feet six inches above and four
feet below. II was originally planned
60 have this armor sixteen Inches thick,
but the designers have now reduced
the thickness 10 twelve Inches. This
change wan made IN order 10 strength
on the easements. which will be inade
seven and a half inches thick. instead
~ iiyc Inches.
Altogether there IL a notable absence
~ new features In the designs of the
battlcahips, which fact. taken Ia con-
ncction with the small amount of prog
rcas reported In the designs Tor the
Maine class. may be an Indication that
our naval designers have very nearly
approached the Ideal battlcship In their
work.
As far a. these particular ships are
concerned, the fact that the navy de-
partmcnt H. limited TO $500 per ton In
the purchase OF armor makes II impOa-
aiblc 10 build them In the absence Of
further legislation. and the department.
viii be Obliged To- content Itself with
the mere preparation OF detailed plans
during the coming summer, tn" xix
cruisers OF the unarnorcd type pruvid-
ed for can. however. be- built, and chief
Constructor Hlchborn has already been
working out the designs upon lines APP
proved by the board Of bureau chiefs.
IL IL the purpose 90 the navy depart
mont 10 place contracts for these ships
40 the earliest possible moment. They
represent type OF cruiser which would
our foreign service. The plans call fpr
vessels 81 about 1900 tons. and thu
ships viii be improved Marblchcadr, No
IN speak. being coo tons larger than
ships ~ that class, and with better bat
tefios and more coal capacity. A most
important consideration n they VIII be
ahcnthod with wood over the steel hun
and fully coppcrcd. enabling them to
keep the seas, even In tropical waters,
for many months without being com-
PEELED to seek drydock. The battery
will be- made up Of six h-inch guns fuf
each ship. The cost win be- consider
ably more than that Of the Marblehcud,
which was tG7i 900. for the amount al
lowed by Congress was ti.lil.sQ0 each.
This difference II accounted for By the
many improvements made In the Mar
blchcnd'H design. a notable one being
the use ~ water tube boilers, giving
much greater speed and economy.