The times., 1899-06-16
RUssIA's NEW BATTLEsHIP.
Cramps Trying to Beat the English
yesseI-BuiIding Record


Philadelphia, June 15.-The work on the
big Russian battleship Retwisan, building
at the Cramps yards, promises to establish
a record In ship construction in this coun-
try. The shortest time for building a mod
ern-type battleship is eighteen months,
and this record is held by an English es-
tablishment. 1t is an open secret that the
Cramps are straining every effort to beat
the English record, because. If successful,
1t will afford an immense impetus to the
building of foreign ships in American
yards
The Retwisan, If built under the eight
hour law, would require about twenty
seven months to construct. but the law is
not applicable to foreign ships built in
American yards. The keel of the Russian
ship was laid only a few weeks ago, and
already the hull is up. practically to the
level of the protective deck. Armor de-
liveries are coming in with a regularity
that insures no waiting for plates when
the time comes to place them. AS the
work proceeds the Cramps, it is said, will
put in double shifts II this recourse is
found necessary in order to beat the rec
ord. At present every man in the estab-
lishment that can be worked to advantage
on the Russian ship is assigned, it is
stated, to that craft.
powerful ever drawn in the United States
for foreign nation. She combines many
features of armament which are a direct
outcome of the lessons of the Spanish
American war. Instead of confining pro-
lection to complete armor-belt, encircling
the ship at the water line, which has been
in late years so characteristic a feature
of battleships, the entire hull of the Ret
wisan will be covered amidships with ar
fr1nr rla thn
will measure nine inches in thickness, and
the water line will be further REINFORCED
by the protective deck being brought down
to the lower edge OF the belt plating.
Higher up on the hull Will be 6-inch ar
NOR tapering off to 6-inch plates in the
vicinity of the central battery guns.
Except at very close range, the upper
hull armor. 1t is claimed, will keep out
all projectiles below, even including the
6-inch calibre. 1t is quite certain that
6-inch projectiles will not pierce the g.
inch and 6-inch armor. and unless high
velocities are employed the 5-inch armor
at maximum fighting range should, it ia
asserted by ordnance men. defy even g.
inch shells. The foregoing assertion is
based on the information that Krupp-pro-
cess armor will be employed. The adop-
tion of the all-over hull protection is due
principally to the showing made at San
with water-line belts. The upper hulls
were unprotected. and it was in the upper
structures that the damage was wrought.
The Retwisan. in size, approaches close
ly to the American battleship Iowa. The
principal features of the Russian craft are
Displacement. 12,700 tons; length, 374 feet
beam, 72 feet inches; draft. % feet: indi-
Gated horse power. $4,000: normal coal sup
ply, 1,01s tons: full coal supply, 1000 tons:
speed. Is knots.
The battery will consist OF four 12-inch
guns in turrets; twelve 6-inch quick-f firing
guns in central battery; and. as the aux
Hilary battery, twenty 3-inch guns. twen-
ty three FOUNDER guns. and six one
FOUNDER guns. Torpedoes will not be car
ried. The heaviest armor provided for In
the designs is ten inches in thickness.
This thickness will be found in the turret-
plates. There will be 4-inch armor plates
on the protective deck The complement
of the Retwisan will be 1872 men.