The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-15
SIN NEW CRUISERS.
Navy Departments Plans Provide for
Speedy Vessels.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
Washington, June 26.-Designs have been
completed by the naval board on construc-
ton for six fine cruisers of over 5000 tons
displacement and a steaming radius of
action that will place them ahead of any
ships OF their class in the service. All
/ these vessels We're provided for at the
/ last session of Congress, together with
three battleships and six powerful protect
ed cruisers. but owing to the difficulty In
securing armor no attempt has been made
to draw plans for any but the cruiser
class.
White tine act authorizing these cruisers
! directed that they should be of about 2,3OO
| tons displacement, ii has been found by
! the experts that the appropriation would
! permit of larger vessels. and designs have
| therefore been drawn for vessels of 3,4O9
! tons when loaded heavily. In appearance
! and eftec tiVeness the ships will approx
| mate the Raleigh and Cincinnati, but are
! 10 have less engine power, far greater
| coal capacity, and thus be enabled to
steam long distances without necessitaung
| stops for coal They will be sheathed and
| coppered and in all respects up TO Ga e.
| For many years Chief Constructor HicL-
| born stood almost alone in his advocacy Oh
sheathing for ships bottoms but persist
ent argument combined with many object
| lessons from the reports of our SHIPS IN
| service which tended to prove the state
| ments in favor of shea hing, have at last
overcome the strong prejudice against H.
and all of the u ships authorized by the
| last Congress are to be Sheatned ana cop
! pered.
VIII Make Seventeen Knots.
The new cruisers are designed for
! speed of 1872 knots, but will make II KNOTS
! when Dushed while the Raleigh and ON
| cinnati were designed for a speed of 10
! knots. The former will be able to main
tain their designed speed indefinitely.
| while the latter could scarcely MAINTAIN
a speed of Is knots, and that with an eX-
| cessive consump ton of coal The horse
! power required in the new designs is 4oU
! as compared with 10000 in the Raleigh and
| Cincinnati, which means less than half
| the weight of propeling machinery
The general dimensions and features OF
| the new cruisers will be as follows:
Length on load water line" 292 feet
| Length on extreme water line. 3OS feet
! Breadth on extreme water line 43 feet
! Mean draft at trial dlspiace-f
ment, two-thirds coal, ammu-3
nition and stores ............. 1872 feet
| Extreme draft fully loaded. 1881 feet
| Trial d displacement, about......51OO tons
| Fun load displacement, about.3,4W tons
| Coal carried on trial........... 40 tons
Total bunker capacity ........... 100 tons
| Speed on trial. 1872 Knots
Estimated indicated horse
power OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 500
Type of boilers, water-tube.
| Number of boilers...............
Main battery 10 5-inch, 50-caliber rapid
fire guns Auxiliary battery, eight 6-poun-
der and two 1-pOunder rapid-tire guns;
four Colt machine guns.
How the Gums viii BE Mounted.
The guns will all be designed for smoke
less powder, and the 5-inch guns viii be
more effective than the old type of 6-inch
| guns Eight of them will be mounted on
| the main deck in recessed parts, the four
| forward ones having a range from right
| forward to 60 degrees abaft the beam, and
the sour after one from right aft to 50 de-
erees before the beam. The two remaining
5-inch guns viii be mounted behind shields
on the spar deck; one forward and one aft.
| Eour 6-pounders will be mounted on the
| main deck two forward, two amidship and
four more on the spar deck The TWO /
| Dounder guns will be mounted eft on the
main deck and the Colt machine guns on
the Top OF the Misunderstanding amid
ship
The coal capacity of these ships, with
| bunkcrs full 600 tons) is sufficient to give
them a radius of action at full speed of
| about $500 miles. At the most economical
rate of steaming, probably in the neigh
| borhood of 10 knots per hour, they will be
able TO steam about $500 miles without
/ recoaling, or more than sufficient TO take
them from San Francisco to Manila. The
ammunition supply win be large, as it
should be to make rapid-fire guns effective.
For each of the 5-nch guns they will car
nv $50 rounds and for each of the 6-pound-
ers 800 rounds.
Little Wood to Be Used.
The wood material used in the construc-
ton of the hulls viii be reduced to a mini
mum. All the bulkheads on the gun and
berth decks viii be of metal and hey will
each be fitted with plot house on the
snar deck, bus5t entheiy of gnetic
metal. " here IL is necessary to use wood
for any purpose it will be treated with
the electric fireprooine process before be-
ing worked A water-tght deck covered
with half-nch plate will be worked down
from stem to stern, the sides sloping down
TO three feet below the water-line and
the fiat or midship portion rising Is inches
above TIE same. On top of the water-tight
deck at the sides belt OF ooturating ma
telial will be worked, covering the water
line for the whole length Of the ship. All
OF The propelling machinery, steering gear
and magazines viii be below the water
| tight deck
The rig will be two-masted schooner
! with signal yards on the foremost The
sail area will be about 5000 square feet.
Each vessel will have two searchlights
an electric signaling system and a COM
plete installation and electric lights. The
, blowers for ventilation and deck winches
win be operated by electricity.
Each ship viii carry one 30-foot steam
cutter. one 30-foot launch, two 2S-foot cut
ters. two 26-foot cutters, one 2S-foot whale
boat Gig. one 2S-foot whaleboat and one 49,
fool diney. The COMPLEMENT win be q Of
ncers, 23S seamen and % marines.