The times., 1899-07-26
THE NEW BATTLEsHIP MAINE.
Changes in Plans Agreed Upon ID!
the board on Construction.

At its meeting yesterday afternoon the
Naval Board on Construction adopted rec
concentrations of the Cramp Shipbuild
ing Company, OF Philadelphia, that GER
tain changes be made in the plans of the
battleship Maine, under construction at
the firms shipyards. in order that the
ideas of the Navy Department might be
more nearly realized. The most import
ant change recommended by the Cramps
and approved by the board was that the
amor for the Maine should be eleven in
stead of twelve inches in thickness. There
was only one dissenting voice at the meet
ing. Admiral Bradford. Chief of the Bu-
reau of Equipment objected to a reduc-
tion in the thickness of the protection
and argued in favor of increasing the
length of the vessel in order to give
greater buoyancy and thus prevent an in
crease in the draft through the retention
of twelve-inch armor. The board was
disposed from the first toward the recon-
mendation of the Cramps. as the tendency
in modern warship building is toward a
reduction in the thickness of the protec-
tion. The battleships of the Pennsylva-
mia class. authorized at the last session
OF Congress. will have armor two inches
thinner than that OF the Maine.
The action of the Board of Construction
does not mean that there was a mistake
u1dQt pldus lIt bOdlu
has been compelled to correct. Despite a
published statement to that effect there
has never been any question as to the sta
bility of the Maine on the original designs.
All the calcllations of the Cramps and the
Navy Department indicate that her stabil-
ity will be perfect The original plans of
the Navy Department for the Maine and
her sister ships. the Ohio and the Missouri,
provided for sixteen knots speed on a draft
of % feet 6 inches. The Navy Department
was very anxious that the three vessels
should not draw more than that amount Of
water in order that they might be able to
enter every important port on the Atlantic
Coast. After the contract had been award
ed il was decided by the department that
vessels OF greater speed were more desira
BILE, and the plans were changed with the
consent OF the contractors SO as to insure
a speed OF eighteen knots. To provide for
the additional weight OF machinery and
for more coal the plans called for an in
crease in the length of each battleship
Since then the Cramps have been working
out the distribution of weights in order 10
ascertain whether the vessels would have
a draft OF more than % feet inches under
the new designs. The department had in
addition to providing that the vessels
should be longer. changed the calibre Of the
big guns from IS inches TO u inches in or
DER 10 reduce the weight Ihe Cramps as
certained, however, that this reduction in
the size of the guns and the lengthening
of the ships would not give them 4 draft
of % feet inches or less, but, in fact,
would make them draw 1-2 inches more,
or % feet II 1-2 inches OF water. The
Board on Construction yesterday adopted
the suggestions of the Cramps practically
as submitted, the only changes being that
the armor should be thicker in some places
and thinner in others than proposed by the
Philadelph!a concern.