The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-24

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Special Dispatch to the rost>yntenigencsr
WASHINGTON. June A--Thc six nav
cruisers OF the Tacoma ciaa Ar~. In 90
respect. that Of being sheashed and cop-
pered. . radical departure from previous
practice, and they Are In all other respects
up-to-dAte For many yeasA. Chief Con.
structer Hich6orn stood almost alone -
his advocacy Of sheathing for shlps' hot-
tomA but peuissent arEumant. combined
with many object lessons from the reports
Of our ships In service, which tended -
prove the statements In favor OF shcathino.
have at last overcome the strong prsjucico
against II. ana oil Of the twelve ships Ar-
thorised by the last congreas-three nrst-
elass bastleships. three fisst-ciass armorsd
cruisers and SIN protected cruissrs-,Ars -
b sheathed and coppsrsd.
VIII Make ~ Kasts.
On account OF the congressional limlsa.
tion OF tho price which shs department.
may pay for armos. and the tmprobahilay
Of being able 70 get any armor at that
pFtos. tie ~ sAtps - the 1AcoaA esass ars
the only ones Tor which contracts can ~
made without further aceion ~ coagrss>.
Designs for these 'sh.ps are now belns
rapidly perfected b. the bureau OF con-
struction and repair. TAey vim b vsassls
Of about The stse % ~ naletUh ana Ctn.
ciunati. hut improved aa0 moAeeninoa 1Ao
latter ships we're Assignsd Il tn tins
when the crase fse spsed - - eeelD
rsachN6 NJ maximnm. ana % atta1u this
extreme speed. which Il Wtli ~ noted
could only b maintains1 for lev vss&a
after they were docked ana cleaned, oa
account OF their rapidly fouiins unsheathed
bottomA too many other qualities wees
sacrsfced. and they are now being altered
to remedy this defect The Tacoma and her
sister ships are destGnsd for = speed OF lsA
knots. but viii make II knots whan
pushed. while the Raleigh and Cincinnati
were designed for . speet Of - knota Tho
former win be able % maintAin their de-
signed speed practically indefinitely. while
tho latter could scarcely mAintain = spsed
Of Is knots. and that with IN excsealve
consumption Of coal The horse powsr re-
ausred IN the new designs h A.6oo. - COM
pared with io.0o In the Raleigh and Cin-
cinnati. which means less than half the
weigh, OF propeiiing machinery.
Dsnensiens 81 the Vessels.
The general dimensions and features ef
tho Tacoma class win b a. follows:
LsnstA "a iesd water isne. ~ fest: issesA. =.
srsms. - fset tnehsa: szsems ssssdih. aAs.s 3
sss.s drsfs. iai, iosssd i s.ss sssSs: sssl
neat. sSoss. ,ss tors; eesi carried % ssssl. 6
toas; fossl nunhsv capacity. sot see thaa ~ teus:
II. q = - sas,n@-vsrsieai inverted ssr-~s.lss.
I.:...::d% % s:a.:.'ss ....,:. ss,: ps-~. a.
nsss sass.rs-fsa s,.eA. sssa .. L 4 =.
Aasflsry bassss--Esshs sroansss rspsa-ass s.ss:
t~o ip~andS rartdAss gaas: fuw cses aarA1ns
Aan area. ahout s1B square fsse
The guns vii, all be designed for smoke
less powder. and the nve-inch guns viii
be more effective than the old type Of s.x-
inch guns. Eight OF them win be mount
ed on the main deck in recessed ports. the
four forward ones having a range from
rsgh, forward 10 90 degrees abast the
beam. and the four after ones from right
aft 10 50 degrees before the beam. Ths
two remaining nve-inch guns win be
mounted behind shields on the spar deck.
one forward ard ore aft. Pour sig
FOUNDERS viii he mounted on the main
deck, two forward and two sn,laship. and
four more on the spar deck. The two one-
pcnnf~r guns VIII be mounted aft on ths
main deck, and the rest machine guns on
the top cf the hammock berthtng amid
ship
Extensive Radius - AcsS@a.
Tha coai capacity 81 shees ships. with
hunkers fun f7oe tons, n sufficient 10 s4xs
them radius OF srtson ~ full speed %
about ssn miles, AZ the most economical
rsss Of sfeaminx. probably In the neigh
horhcod % ten knots per hour. they VIII
be ante 30 stsam about $500 miles without
re-eoaiinw. or mere shsn sufficient 20 saks
them frau Seattle 70 Manila The
ammunition supply will he isYsn. as n
Should ~ 30 make raptd-frs guns effect
fv. For each Of she sve-fneh guns they
viii carry 80 rounds. ana Cor each os the
sin Founders se rounds.
The wooA material use6 In the eanssrue-
sion ss sns halls viii be reduced 70 min
ssusssu All the bssfshesas on TIRE gun ana
berth decks Will es os metal, and they
WIN each - ffsed with = pilot house on
shs spar deck hviis ent3reiy ns non- mag
nssse metal where II II necessary 10 uss
wood for any purpose. II viii ~ treated
with the electric Are-pscosng proe>ss be-
fore being worried A wsser-slxht deck
covsred with hsif-sneh plate will b.
worked from ssem 70 stern. the SIDES ssop-
ing aown 20 three feet below sh< water
iine. and shs nas. Or midship pessien, rss-
ting eighteen inches above the s&me This
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