New-York tribune., 1900-12-02

Euryalus. the Iogue and the Bacchante. $40 feet
lSng l2O0 displacement, with p 600 horse
power and q knots speed. so far advanced that
they could be got ready for active service short
notice. France has completed her Jeanne dare.
AZ feet long OF 1880 tons displacement, 2s,00o
horsepower and a speed Of % knots which Is now
practically ready for service Germany also has
recently sent her Fdrst Bismarck S83 feet long
l06oO tons displacement $4,000 horsepower and 10
Knots speed, 10 the Far East.
We, however, have so far neglected this class
that We have at present no vessel directly eom-
parable with those just mentioned. Congress more
than year ago, upon the urge1t representations
OF the Navy Department, authorized the construc-
three armored cruisers OF the highest class,
but unfortunately, limited the price OF the
armor required 10 prevent anything being under
taken until the settlement Of that controversy. But
Tor this should now have three of these vessels
in advanced stage of construction The LNth
Congress realizing the necessity for increasing this
section OF the Navy, made provision for three more
armored cruisers The delay i'm the aTmored cruis-
ers first authorized. while unfortunate in great
many WAYS. has been productive OF good in
making it possible arrange for all six vessels
TO be of the same design. Bids for them will be
opened next week.
DIMENSIONS OF THE VESSELS
IL may be said without hesitation that the new
arnored cruisers. designed by the Naval Board on
Construction, consisting Of Admirals ONei Mel
vile, Hichborn and Bradford. and Captain sigs-
bee. viii be when completed superior in fighting
capabilities 10 any armored cruisers now in service
or projected abroad. The dimensions Of the YES
sels arc:
reaath extreme rs @'..- . II in
Mean dra4ght trial displacement, about. ?! = in.
iNtieme draught al ful load, about 70 IT. . in
In order that The vessels may have an effective
stoamiug radius consistent with their other quail
ties provision has been made for total bunker
capacity 200 tons, which IS materially greater
than that Of any similar foreign vessels. The ships
VIII be propelled by twin screw, four cylinder.
triple expansion engines of 5000 indicated horse
power, having stroke Of feet and running at
about l2o revolutions a minute. To produce this
enormous power there are thirty boilers i'm eight
separate watertight compartments. representing a
total 81 1880 square feet Of crate surface and GS0
square feet Of heating surface These boilers will
supply steam 10 the propelling engines at press
ure Of about 25o pounds to the square inch. and
with the power thus developed il is intended that
the cruisers shall be propelled speed of
al least twenty-five knots hour.
The armament Of each Of these vessels viii
sist of four S-nch guns mounted I'm pairs in two
electrically controlled eiptical balanced turrets.
placed on the middle line, one forward and
aft. each having Of train Of at least go de-
grees on the upper deck the corners OF the
superstructure. there will be four 6-inch guns.
mounted in Sponsors in each corner. and each
having either a bow or stern FIRE. with Of
train Of least lf5 degrees. There will be- in addi
ton, gun deck battery Of ten 6-rch guns forming
-. OS-slu'' HNe on edcn sIos, 80 ts az :" M -. -.
S. degrees forward and IS degrees abaft the beam.
excepting in the case OF the forward pair. which
are 50 arranged as 10 be capabl5 of direct ahead
ne There will also De formidable secondary
battery. consisting Of eighteen S-inch breechoad-
ing rites. twelve S-pounders. two machine guns
81. .aie sE automatic guns OF small cahbre mounted
m ne most commanding positions practicable and
hstlng large Of FIRE. In the lower top there
military ton a single shot l-pounder In these YES
sels as in all others Of recent design, there will e
made Tor two submarine torpedo tubes in one com
Inartrelt forward. fitted for the long lS-nch
For the guns above enumerated. there will be
- [lea 99 rounds of s-inch ammunition. 1900 rounds
o. 6-inch 1850 rounds Of l4-pounder. 5000 rounds
~ =. s-p0unoer, 1900 rounds Of FOUNDER automatic
and 200 rounds Of l-pounder heavy. and about 5o0-
@ ee rounds of small calibre ammunition. The maga-
ebsG1.eFe nave been specially designed with view 10
nelns made 10 reduce their temperature, II neces-
of the vessels
ARMoRED PROTECTION
The armored protection of the vessels will
sist of waterlne belt feet inches in width,
extending from the bow 10 the stern Of the vessel.
FOR distance of about a44 feet abreast OF the
engines and boilers this will be 6 inches in
thickness The belt is 10 be completed 10 the bow
and stern BY armored plates Of uniform thickness
of Sis inches. Above the waterline belt the side will
5s bpIo.eeieG e for length Of 222 feet by bell
@aterline belt 10 the main deck At the ends OF this
eIHlqr there viii be armored bulkheads inches IN
which the 6-inch guns Of the broadside battery
aye mounted. The four 6-inch guns on the upper
Ntck az the corners OF the suDeTEtructure. are
Protected by 5-inch armoF casemates The walls
oi the turrets for the s-inch guns will be inches
~ thickness with Giz inch port plates and Ia inch
lIekel-sisel tops The barbettes Of the bInch tur-
itls VIII have uniform thickness Of inches ana
nc ammunition tubes. extending from the turret
10 The protective deck. will have a uniform thick
ness of inches The coming tower will be
inches in thickness with pinch nickel-steel top.
from It's base the protective deck there will be
az armOreo tube inches IN thickness and OF SUM-
ent diameter not only 10 permit of the accommo-
uauon OF speaking tubes etc bLt also access TO
ne coming tower from below the protective deck.
ne signal tower aft. will be inches In thickness.
- complete oil tempered and annealed nickel-steel
figtectlEe deck. ~ inches thick the nat ana
hcnes thick the sloping sides is 20 extend the
shute ength of the vessel. and cellulose Golfer
@ SsIn belt. inches IN thickness additional
protection against Haferline damage which might