The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-18
NEWEST SEA FIGHTER HERE
UA Gle SANS KRARsARGE MAKES AN
UNOFFICIAL CALL

The resplen dent white ships OF the North
Atlantic squadron. oourtseying In o choppy
sea and atretching In line from st. George TO
gtapleton. Staten Island. were put In tenn
porary eclipse. yesterday afternoon by the I'm
posing new battleship Kearsarge. just from the
yards Of her builders. the Newport News Ship
Building 4 Dry Dock Company. at Newport
News Mostof officers Of the squadron didn't
know that the Kearsarge was expected here.
and when she appeared in tho Narrows they
began to guess what ship she was One young
Lieutenant jumped to the startling conclusion
that she was the Olympia, making q record
from Gibraltar and foolinR ezpeotant throng
OF patriots. When she got nearer everybody
in the squadron realized that she was Uncle
Sans superb thunderor the first battle
ship with superimposcd turrets. the newest
and most modern of sea fighters.
Folks ashore. especially on tho long pier at
st, George. concentrated their attention on the
stranger She Is even q trine whittier than the
chips OF the squadron. She looks moro bust
ness-like. being without the towering venti-
lators Of the Indiana and Massachusetts,.
respectively the second and third ships in
the squadron. as 1t lay yesterday, with
stems carving the inrushinR tide. Most OF tho
multitude crowdng the waters edge were. as
a rule. unwilling to risk themselves In small
boats to take near view OF the ships, as the
brisk wind was at odds with the tide. About q
dozen young mon with marine glasses reaped
good days wages by letting them out at five
cents for two-minute peep at the ships. 1t
was q dull day aboard. and only about 200
visitors visited the flagship New York.
The Kearsarge let go her starboard bow
anchor. a lump Of IL. $50 pounds OF STEEL about
800 yards astern OF the New York. The squad
ron did not greet the massive battleship. and
Pho did no saluting. That is because she Is
not yet in commission. and all the naval off,
cers aboard were merely passengers. But
every man aboard the vessels OF the squad
ron silently saluted the new fighter and
admired her democratic simplicity and
power No black muzzled rifles protruded
from the fourteen ports, seven on q side. OF her
secondary battery. That detracted q bit from
her formidable aspect but she was otherwise
wicked looking enough to suit a pirate. Two
great. long -barreed. black. 13-inch guns
stretched from each Of her lower turrets. one
forward and one aft and from each OF the tur-
rets above two S-inch death dealers pointed
up and down the bay. The four guns OF either
OF these turrets may be concentrated on a
single target. and fired simultaneously by one
man. Then look out for trouble for the enemy
Anaval officer said yesterday that the force Of
the shock Of this mighty discharge would send
one ofthc l3. $50 pound bowers OF the battle
ship flying overheard II 1t happened to be on the
deck near the turrets In the line OF flre. The
wooden part OF the deck. forward and aft. to
prevent soaring and indentation from pow
der grains. Is covered with flash plate.
Except for tho absence OF 8 tho four
teen hve-inch rapid flrers Of her sec
ondary battery. the Kearsarge's armament
Is almost the same as 1t will be whom she goes
into commission. She has her battery OF
twenty 6-pounders. the sort that 10 unhealthy
for torpedo boats or torpedo boat destroyers.
all mounted.
The Kearsarge left Newport News at 2
O'Clock on Saturday afternoon. and the whole
population turned out to help the steam
whistles OF craft and shops give her fitting
send of. She Is the first battleship ever turned
out by the Newport News Company. After
she got into tho open sho adjusted her COM
rasses aud then headed this way. Aboard her
were Walter A. Post, General Superintendent
OF the Newport News Ship Building and Dry
Dock Co.. Capt. William NJ. Folger, who will
be her commander: Capt. Colby NJ.
Chester. who will command her sister ship.
the Kentucky. and these naval officers who
will DO with her after she is accepted by
Uncle Sam: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS g. A.
Merriam. Executive Officer; Lieut. j. H.
Sears Navigator: Lieut.. Price OF the
Engineers and Lieut.. Poyer. She was In
charge OF Capt Mason OF the United States
Transport Service. who brought her to this
port and her engines wore in charge OF Chief
Engineer Ernest Bach OF the Newport News
Company Sho came up under natural draught
and averaged 1871 knots Mr.. Post said that
he was highly pleased with her, that
she had more than fulfilled his expecta-
tons. and would doubtless give good
account OF herself on her trial trip.
There was no hitch OF any sort on the
trip up the coUs'. She Is a mighty steady ship.
and in beam Off tho Virginia coast she
rolled almost imperceptlbly. This Is partly
due to her bige keels. She is the only warship
10 ~, "A hal ae
40 near completion on tho eve OF her trial
trip, which will be made on the Cape Ann
course on Sept. %. Her contract speed is ak
teen knots. 1t is predicted that she will break
all records and make the four hour run at the
rate OF about eighteen knots an hour.
She will be brought to the Navy Yard at
Brooklyn this morning by Pilot Bell and put In
dry dock under the superintendencO OF Naval
Constructor Bowles She has not been out OF the
water since she was launched year ago and her
underbody Is probably very foul. One OF her
engineers said: we have brought up an
oyster bed on her" After she is scraped and
painted she will start for Boston. probably on
Wednesday. where tho official trial board will
GO aboard. She had her builders trial trip on
Sept 5.
The KearsarRe is consptcuously unlike the
tattIeshps ofthe Indiana type. not only In hav-
ing the superimposed turrets. but in having
two masts instead OF ono and in having four
instead oftwo powerful cranes These big lift
ing machines have been tested at sixteen TONS
II isa child's Job for one OF them to lower and
hoist the ships 40-ioot. S-ton steam launch.
They are operated by electricity. unlike all
other cranes on our battloships Electric power
Is also used to turn the mighty turrets. and 1t
can turn them $50 degrees In Just 80 seconds
Capt. FolEer is pleased with tn superim posed
turret, and thinks II will be a success.
After the ships trial trip her great guns will
be let OF all at once from tho turrets. and the
Say Will know more about the new scheme Of
ming main batteries.
Mr., Post said that the KearsarGes twin set OF
engines driving her propellers would develop
about II 900 horse power. Her engines for
auxiliary purposes were OF about 1000 horse
power, She has fifty five electrical motors. He
displacement on a draft OF 23h feet will be
ll.o23 tons, When she has all her coal.
will ba 10 huO tons