The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-03-16

A Washington dispatch says the
plans Of the three big battleships
authorized by the naval appropria-
tion bill just passed are being
worked out. The general features OF
the ships have been defined, subject
to the approval of the secretary.
The battleships will be 1000 tons
larger than the Maine and the Mis-
souri, class, of a total displacement
of 13,5o0 tons, making them by far
the largest ships in the American
navy, and about equal in dimensions
to the best type OF battleships now
being constructed abroad under the
new practice. Though larger than
the Maine, the ships will be laid on
almost the same lines, being only
little greater in every dimension.
They will carry four 12-inch guns in
turrets. This calibre is an inch less
than the guns carried by the Oregon,
but by improved design they will be
almost equal in penetrative power.
The S-inch guns Of the Oregon type,
although they did very effective work
at Santiago and Manila, have been
abandonded. But instead of S-inch
guns the new ships will have no less
than sixteen 6-inch calibre, all
rapid fires, and twenty 6-pounders.
The speed of the ships will be eigh-
teen knots, an advance of two knots
over the Oregon class. but just equal
to that Of the new Maine. For pro-
lection against the enemy's shot, the
battleships will have one belt of
armor seven feet six inches broad,
running clear around the water line,
three feet six inches above and four
feet below
Altogether there is notable alb
sence of new features in the designs
of the battleship, which fact, taken
i'll connection with the small amount
of progress reported in the designs
for the Maine class, may be in
dicated that our naval designers have
very nearly approached the identical
battleship in their work. AS far as
these particular ships are concerned,
the fact that the navy department is
limited to $500 per ton in the pur-
chase of armor makes it impossible
to build them in the absence of fur
ther Legislation and the department
will be obliged to content itself with
the mere preparation OF detailed
plans during the coming summer.
The six cruisers of the unarmored
type provided for can, however, be
built, As Chief Constructor Hich
born has already been working out
the designs upon lines approved by
the board of bureau chiefs. 1t is the
purpose of the navy department to
place contracts for these ships at
the earliest possible moment. They
represent type of cruiser which
would be Of the greatest value ust
now for our foreign service. The
plans call for vessels of about $500
tons, and the ships will be improved
Marbleheads. so to speak, being 600
tons larger than the ships of that
class, and with better batteries and
more coal capacity. A most i'm
portant consideration is that they
| will be sheated with wood over the
steel hull and fully coppered, en-
| abling them to keep the seas even in
| tropical waters for many months
without being under the necessity Of
seeking a drydock. The battery will
be made up of six 5-inch guns for
each ship. The cost is to be con-
siderably more than that of the
Marblehead, which was 1914 900, for
the amount allowed by Congress was
81, ,14l, 800 each. This difference is
accounted for by the many improve
ments made in the Marblehead's
designs, notable one being the use
of water tube boilers, giving much
greater speed and economy.