The record-union., 1899-03-08

WASHINGTON, March THE plans
for the three big battlesmps author
lied by the naval appropriation 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 a
thousand tons larger than the Maine
and Missouri class, of a total displace-
ment of 1850 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 a little greater in every
dimension. They will carry each four
12-inch guns in turrets. This caliber
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
abandoned. But instead of eight 8
inch guns the new ships will have no
less than sixteen guns of 6-inch calibre,
all rapid fireers and twenty-six pound
ers This battery represents the ideal
proposition between guns taught by
the experience of our own fleet during
the Spanish NsaE and of the Chinese
and Japanese vessels during their late
The speed of the ships will be eigh-
teen knots, an advance of two knots
over the Oregon class, but just equal
to that off the new Maine. For protec-
ton against the enemy's shot, the bat
tleships will have but one belt of armor
seven feet, six inches broad, running
clear around the water line, three feet
six inches above and four feet below.
1t was originally planned to have this
armor sixteen inches thick, but the de-
signers have now reduced the thick
ness to twelve inches. This change
was made in order to strengthen the
easements. which will be made seven
and a half inches thick instead of five
| inches. rs iSss Agsssfa
Altogether there is notable absence
of new features in the designs of the
battleships, which fact taken in con-
nection with the small amount of pro-
gress reported in the designs for the
Maine class, may be an indication that
| our, naval designers have very nearly
| approached the ideal battleship in their
work.
| AS far as these particular ships are
concerned the, fact that the Navy De-
! partment is limited to $500 per ton in
| the purchase of armor. makes it impos-
| sibIe to build them in the absence of
! further 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,
and Chief Constructor Hichborn 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 con
| tracts for these ships at the earliest
possible moment. They represent j
| type of cruiser which would be of the
| greatest value just now for our for
| eign service. The plans call for YES
! sells of about 2. 600 tons. and the ships
! will be improved Marbleheads, so 20
speak. being 400 tons larger than ships
! of that class and with better batteries
and more coal capacity.
| A most important consideration IS
that they will be sheathed with wood
over the steel hull and fully coppered,
enabling them to keep the seas even in
| tropical waters for many months with
| out being compelled to seek dry
dock The battery will be made up
of six 5-inch guns for each ship.
The cost is expected to be considera-
bly, more than that of the Marblehead,
which was S674,00 for the amount al
lowed by Congress was 81, 141 800 each.
This difference is accounted for by the
many Improvements made in the Mar
blehead's design. a notable one being
the use of water tube boilers, giving
much erea ter. sneed and economy.