The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-30
THREE NEW wARsuIps.
They Are 10 BE the Most Formidable
In the World.


New York December pa speclal to
the Tribune from Washington says: De-
signs for the greatest battlcships ever
projected for the American navy were
agreed upon by the naval board of con-
struction today after several months OF
discussing the important questions OF
battery. armor speed, coal capacity and
displacement. The three now vessels-to
be .ai.el the Georgia, the New Jersey and
the fenAsy.vdnia-wiil equal Ia rormida-
pnlty me nnest line OF pattle snaps yet
iaiu uown b. any Iureign power, ana, witn
the typicai American improvements, viii
s&rpesa N hSntiug force any snps now
auO-,t. Inc saiiupt features VI te desigL
contemplate uispiacO ueuL OF approNI-
macy li,VU0 tons. an eodipaTtu VITA tnc
Vi, son > ll,npu, or the Ne>, Name, - ,3uU
me speea Is TO ps "al least nlueteen
khots. with cOal nunher vi Zoo rons
iaere will be twJ superimposed turrets,
one lore ana the other AIT, each contain
ing two I2-lncn ana two o-incn guIs OF
the new elongated bore ana nlga smoke-
less power ve.Oclty. me Remaining guns
oI the main battery VIII cUns,sl OF Twelve
b-incn quicknre IN broaqsIde MS ~
Fragments Of battery mas neen many
ADOPTED instead OF an alternative plan
when provided for tour l2-incu guns in
tuIrets ana sixteen 6-inch bruadslde,
wAI,n ha. b,en put forward to AVOID th4
eApedient On superlmposed turrets. ine
Two story turrets, whIcn are dlsunctively
an Alnerlcen innovation. as appiIed TO tn =
hear. aIge ana Toe hentucNy are regurueI
as nu longer or doubtlui success anu it
is know tnat foreign governments are
preparing to adopt them To secure the con-
centration OF angle oil hre they secure
which is unapproached by any other eX-
pedient.
The board also definitely determined
upon the use OF the most modern krupp-
lied armor for the new vessels, its pre-
else distribution TO be decided upon atter
the chief Constructor has made sufficient
progress with the actual pans TO deter
mine tae p. oper arrangement of weighs.
The armor problem has been the most dill
ficult to sove. and to this cause is at
tributed the delay in planning tile ships.
The act authorizing the vessels was APP
proved Match OF This year and IL stipu-
lated that no contract should be made for
any portion of the vessels until contract
was made for the amor. Congress hay
ing limited the cost of armor To 5000 a
ton. it was evident from the beginning
that no satisfactory ship could be built
under such restrictions and for that rea
son the plans have been discussed with
unusual elaboration.
/ If the weight of armor entering into
these ships was very large item, lne
question of the adoption OF Krnpp or the
inferior harveyized material was extreme
ly important This can be readily APP
preciated from the fact that roughly 3Ou0
tons OF the former tthe approximate
4 weight required for each battleshipl Is
equivalent, as regards resistance TO pene-
tration. to 1000 OF the latter The adop-
tion. therefore, of the material treated by
the Krupp process meant that 1000 tons
4 OF weight would be available for distrbu-
ton among other vital characteristics OF
a battleship-weght of propelling ma
chinery lspeed). armament, coal carry
ing capacity and draught'
The total cost OF each of these three
ships when ready for sea will sAaeed "
600, 900 each. They will cruise 1000 miles
straight away and there will not be three
ships OF similar offensive and defensive
strength in the feet OF any possible enc