The Portland daily press., 1899-06-13
THE NEW MONITORS.
One of These Powerful Vessels 60 be
Built at Bath.

The naval constructors at Washington
have introduced In the plans for the four
new monitors which were authorized dur
ing the last session Of Congress. a num-
Der Of important features not found in
the double-turreted vessels OF this class.
The new craft will have greater speed
| than the Amplitude and Monadnoek. and
heavier armor proportionately than the
Monterey, but, at the same time, the
slightly less than that OF tine double
turreted class. carrying ten-inch guns,
since the batteries of the new craft, as
finally decided upon, will embrace two
twelve-inoh guns, four four-inch rapid
fire guns. three six-pounders, and four
one-pounders.A * iS5t*
.kThe twelve-inoh guns will have height
| Of axis above the water-line of ten feet
sig inches, while the four-inch weapons
will be elevated to fourteen feet seven
inches, the turrets for the twelye-incn
rifles being of the balanced sort, resem-
bling those planned for the new Maine
type Of battleship. Electricity will be
deAiAAou tAfoh6uouv III uduuliuk buff6b-
turning gear, ammunition-hoists, and
ventilating blowers.
The contract trial speed for the new
monitors Ii IL. 8 knots, and this speed, il
Ia thought, can be exceeded by the Monte
irey only under the most favorable CTR
cumstanoes. In coal endurance the new
vessels will exceed the Monterey. The
that Of the Monterey, and, tindeed, there
has been but little departure from the
model of that vessel. Although the new
craft are 30 per cant less displacement
than the Monterey, the scantlinss are of
the same size, as In that ship. This feat
ure, 10 ia confidently asserted, Will insare'
longer life for the small ler-type vessel.
A windlass has been planned for eachl
of the four new ships, which will be 10.
GATED snug under the turret and Just for
ward of IL, the whole enclosed In a raised
structure. This feature Is copied from
one already found n the battieship Ins
chain leads in on dsck from over the bow,
and then passes through an opening In
the deck to the windIass, and the wind
lass IL placed on the berth deck. It has
been found in service practically impossi-
BILE to keep water from coming down
through this opening, plugs and shoppers
1t is calculated that fully fifty tons Of
fresh water can be carried In the double
bottom compartment, which will tie an
absolute necessity on the new craft, owing
to the fact that only water-tube boilers
will be employed. The Monterey Is pro
vided with mixed set of Scotch marine
and watertube boi lers.
These water-tube boilers will be the
most radical feature OF all apparent In
the new monitors, particularly as they
viii be without supporting Scotch boilers.
here will be two sets OF engines of the
vertical. inverted cylinder, iirect-actinQ,
triple-expansion type, placed In one COM
partmsnt They are designed to develop
collective horsepower OF 2, 400 units
and in attaining this development the
engines must be turned up to 200 revolu-
items per minute. Steam will be carried
for full working power at $50 pounds
pressure to the square inch. The four
water-tube boilers provided for each ship
win be placed in one fore and aft com
partmsnt, two boilers on each side. ana
will furnish total heating surface Of
$500 square feet and at least 200 square
feet OF Craze surface.
The armor protection Of the new craft
will consist OF an i1-inch belt ON the hull
extending the full length OF each vessel.
and tapering at the top to i've inches and
to three inches at the base. The turret
armor will be ten inches thick, while
the eonnfng-tower will have seven inches
Of armor and the protective deck one and
Q half inches