The times., 1899-10-01
TIE FLAGSHIP OLYMPIA.
One of the Handsemest Vessels of
the Navy.

est but not one OF the most powerful in
the American navy. But the Olympia
served her purpose well enough. What is
the use OF armor If the enemy is not going
to hit yous And as for armament. nearly
all the telling shots that were fired at San
tiago were from guns no larger than the
Olympia carries. The only armor in all
Commodore Dewey's squadron was that
around the gun positions of the Olympia
and the Baltimore The four S-inch guns
of the Olympia are in two turrets of Har-
Veyized steel, three and and half inches
thick. which revolve within barbettes Of
niclde steel four inches thick. The ten 8
inch rapid fire guns are in sponsors Of 4
inch armoT.
4 Protected Cruiser.
The Olympia as well as the Baltimore
the Raleigh and the Boston, is a protected
cruiser; the Concord and the Petrol are
gnnboats: the McCulloeh is a revenue -es-
sci. The term protected cruiser means
a vessel large enough to come in the
cruiser class having protective deck, but
no armor, except in some cases, as the
Olympia and the Baltimore, around the
gun positions. A protective deck is deck
OF steel. from one-cuarter of an inch 10
four inches in thickness, covering the ship,
not far from the water line. All large war
ships, whether cruisers or battieships. have
protective decks, and many gunboats have
them. the distinction between q cruiser
and a gunboat being chiefly one of size.
Dimensions Of the Ship.
The Olympia has a displacement of $50
tons. and it is likely that from this state
ment every reader OF this account viii see
instantly in his minds eye just how big
she is A few, however, may see it
little more plainly from being told that
she is $40 feet long and 50 feet ! inch
wide having a draught OF "a feet 10
inches She is regarded as one OF the
most efficient ships Of her class in the
navy and she is also beautiful ship to
the eye. She is remarkably fast Her
speed is reckoned as 2l-6S knots. This
Is. OF course, not so great as that OF
the Columbia and Minneapolis. the ocean
greyhounds Of the navy. which have rec
ords OF 22S knots and 23.T knots, re-
spectively. But there is not much else
in The navy that is speedier than the
Olympia Her engines are exactly Ike
those OF the Minneapolis. but she has only
TWO sets OF them, while the Minneapolis
has three The Olympia has two screws.
Besides the four S-inch and the ten D.
inch rapid-hre guns already mentioned,
she carries fourteen 6-pounders and twelve
light guns She was built by the Union
Iron Works, Of San Francisco, as the
Oregon was
We're the United States naval authorl-
ties called upon TO construct q new 0lym-
pia il is not probable, so perfect were the
original plans, that any considerable
changes would be attempted Possibly
slight increase in length and width would
be suggested. but even with the enormous
practical experience gained in the late war,
when theories Of construction were sub
jected 10 the severe test OF actual service,
st is more than likely that the new Olym-
pia would be TO all iDtents and purposes
an almost perfect fac-simile of the old.
Dewey's famous cruiser, which headed the
cououerlng squadron past Corregidor, must
ever occupy a unique and conspicuous
place 81 naval annals. The amazing vic
tory bloOdless and conclusive. which so
astonished the world and threw seventy
millions OF sober-minded people into costa
sizes Of juhilation. was made possible by
The perfection with which the ironclads
OF the Navy were constructed and design
ed. The confidence of the men behind the
guns was stimulated, not only because
they knew they were fighting under
brave and skillful commander, abut were
themselves aware that no device, 10 re-
source OF the builders art had been with
held In the effort to make their ships in
vulnerable and invincibie.
Laying Of the Keel
The keel OF Dswey's flagship was laid at
the Unicn Iron Works, San Francisco. on
June j. 1881 On November 5, 1892, she
was launched in the presence OF vast
crowd and with interesting ceremonies.
Miss Anna Belle Dickie. young daughter
Ef George W. Dickie, the great naval con-
etructor. named her. while another young
lady. Mss Elsie Lilienthal, officiated ar
the launch The preliminary trials of the
new cruiser were begun in August. 1893,
and TIE builders trials occurred in San
Francisco Bay IN November. The Official
trial. with Government experts aboard. was
made tn Santa Barbara Channel, on the
coast OF California. on December Is, 1893.
when. under forced draught, the Olympia
made foF herself a record OF PIGS knots IN a
run Of four consecutive hours. exceeding by
1.Ss knots the contract requirements. It
was not until January 26, 1895. that the de-
livery 10 the Government and her final ac-
csptance occurred, at Mare Island navy
yard IL the spring OF 1895 the Olympia left
San Francisco as the flagship OF the Asiatic
Squadron.
Units of the Olympia.
The units" Of the olympia-by which Is
meant the different materials Of which she
IS constructed, as well as the labor in
Telved- reduced 10 an absolute quantity in
order tnaf her actual cost may be COM
pUted BY her builders as well as for the
purpose OF affording detailed information 10
Government e1perts-appesr below.
In the hull OF the Olympia there arc
z.Ss7.5z9 pounds OF steel; Of brass, u.s.
600 pounds. wrought iron, I24. 600 pounds;
cast iron, l5s 400 pounds. and the steel riy-
cts weigh 3I5.SG0 pounds. There were ex-
pended on the hull 9s4 .S76 hours Of labor.
IN the machinery there are l1Ss. .5It
pounds of steel, 4l3.472 pounds of brass
3S5. $50 pounds Of wrought. and 379, ,3IS
pounds Of cast iron. besides 80, 500 pound.
OF steel for nuts and rivets.
The labor in fabricating the machinery
amounted 10 S44. Pa hours; SO that, pre-
saming such thing TO be possible. il
would have taken no less than 1881. .12l
men. each working one hour, to have buff
the Olympia The proportion between tbs
cost OF the material and labor gives 62 pei
cent 10 the labor.
The cruiser Olympia has some very dis