Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-16
AS TO a RMOK,
Reconmcn 'Raions Made In Connection
with ,he.Sew Hattleshipx

Recon'ncn 'neions Made In Connection
with ,he:Sew Hattleshipx.
Rear admiral O. Neil chief of ord
nance. United States Navy. has il!St
submitted tn the board of construction
suggestions in regard to the arr,:t mant
and al-lnol Tor the. battleshps >.r,v
Jersey. Georgia and PENNSYLVANIA IN
view Of the fact that one Of these bat
tieships. possibly the Georgia will 10
bulit hy the Newport News Shiphui!d-
ing and Dry Dock Company. th.. bat
terry details Of these ships will D.. Of
interest here. One II these vessels Will
bc built at Cramps shpyard at Phil
adclphia the third at the Union Irar
Works. san Francisco. if the Navy d.
partn'ent follows its customary plan ot
giving one ship to each of the great
ShpNart!S.
Designs for these vessels have nor
Vet been considered. owing to the fact
that until Congress authorizes an in
crease IN the price 70 be paid for their
aHm"r. the plans Will not be drawn by
tbs construction bureau The SAM.
conditions prevail in regard 10 the three.
ailn"red cruisers. ana With III. excep-
tlon OF Sin 3oOH-tnn cruisers for Whi..h
bids have been asked it is doubtful Il
any -. the ships authorized II, the last
session If Congress Will be under way
for Year N more.
vidin& for the battl"ships. they wer.,
~ nay. an approximate disbursement
OF l'.G''o IONS each and 4 speed aud ,..,tI
capacity emitting them to be clasScd
among the al@n"rcd cruiser type war
shir. fy The tightening Of the alnor
plate. made possible BY ,he increased
resisting power Of armor. Admiral
o'Neil is enabled 10 plan much heavier
batteries he has prepared five Sepa-
rate plans fo- the new ships. Each
provides for the same number Of guns
Of each cai5re in the secondary bat
terles and the same general arrange
neEl.
IN IN" secondary battery each vessel
Is /" carry sixteen "-inch guns. 80 call
ibre in each length: sixteen :-pound,.rs
30 calibrrs in each length: four auto
matte l-prunders. six single sho. J.
FOUNDERS. ten machine guns and two
field guns. In the main battery ono
plan r"niemplates four l2-inch guns Of
40 calibre. four S-inch of 40 salibrc and
twelve 6-inch of 80 calibre The l2-inch
guns az" 10 b" mounted in barbettr
turrets fore and art of the superstr.lc-
ture. Nv" S-inrh guns in barbette lur-
r,is on each beam, an,ls the finch guns
IN brnadSidc. So as to give the largest
possible arc of fire.
This arlangrmcn1 would give. each
ship a br"adsdc battery on each side
OF four Finch. two S-inch ana six
6-lnth guns. in addition to the largo
number Of secondary battery guns that
coutd be brought to bear directly on
each side. The guns Of the main bat
terry that could be brought to bear di-
rectly fore ana aft would be two 10
lnch. four S-inch and two 6-inch in
addition 10 numerous secondary ba:-
terry guns.
The second plan differs from the first
IN that It provides for eight S-jnch guns
arranged in four barbette turrets, Two
on each side. There are two Other.
plans Identical with this. except that
one proposes to substitute four 10-inch
guns for the 12-inrh. and the other
proposes to substitute two l0-inch guns
and Two l2-inch for the four Pinch.
In these plans the fore and aft fire is
the same as in the first plan. but the
hfoaiside fire is increased by two
S-inch guns. The fifth plan differs
from the first in having no s-inrh
guns. and increases the number OF g.
inch TO sixteen. eight firing on either
broat!side and four directly forward
and TWO directly aft
The plan that Will probably meet
With most favor. if it is found To be
practicable 70 carry it within the limit
OF weights ultimately assigned to the
battery. is that Of the four 12-inch
guns and eight S-lnch. The S-in4h gun
IS. OF course. greatly favored BY naval
officers and proved its value during the
Spanish war. 1t can be fired with "a
pidlty and accuracy and is Very de-
structive against light or even mediam
weight armor. If it comes to a question
of reducing the number OF S-inch guns
or reducing the heaviest gun from
Pinch to l0-inch. many officers would
advocate :. reduction in the size of all.
Admiral O'EeiFs suggestions con-
template the use OF armor as light as
is consistent With good prices. The
Wate: line belt, 10 extend the entire
length Of the ship. is to be nine inches
thick along the vital portions. and will
taper 10 four inches fore and aft Of The.
main batteries Diagonal armor OF
nine inches in thickness is to run from
the side arlnor to the main barbcttcs.
The armor is to be much more widely
distributed and the smaller guns Of
both main and secondary batteries arc
70 be given better protection than any
batteships heretofore designed. 4
novel feature Of the American navy IS
proposition to isolate the finch guns
IN separate easements 50 that Il burst
ing shell might not put several guns
out Of condition.
me vocalist is never SO financially
A1O1l n anna al L..