The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-16
VLsI DIMENSIONS
Of NAVAL MONSTERS
Stupenduous Task of
the Construction
Board.
LARGEST wARSHIpS IN THE WORLD
FIFTEEN THOUSAND TONS DIS
PLACEMENT REPRESENTED IN
EACH OF THE VESSELS.
Wonderful Achievement Mapped Out
By Congress in the Machinery of
Reached, Nineteen Knots.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 5.--when Con
gress in March. 1899. appropriated
money for three seargoing coast line
battle ships, carrying the heaviest ar
NOR and most powerful armament for
vessels OF their class. II was evidently
the intention TO provide for vessels
more powerful than those OF any other
nation in the world. The unfortunate
provision by which the contracts for
the vessels were mace subject TO an
agreement as 10 price OF armor while
IL DELAYED the work served one good
purpose in making II possible to com
biue with them two battle ships pro
yided for by the act of June I. 1900.
The bureau OF construction and repair,
in the designs for these FIVE vessels,
has fully carried out the evident pur-
pose OF congress. and the plans now
approac hing completion represent five
OF the most powerful battle ships ever
projected.
The vessels appropriated for in 1893
are required TO be sheataed and cop
pered. whereas those of the later APP
Dronriation have been held by the
navy department not to be covered by
the provnion as TO sheathing. and the
bureau }fas therefore designed two
classes of vessels, one sheathed and
the other not sheathed. The designs
have been further complicated by the
decision OF the board OF construction
to dJ three Of the vessels with the SUI
perrin posed turret similar 10 those on
-. L. ~. II res roo
TO provide the other two vessels with
what has been designated the Quadri-
lateral arrangement Of the S-inch guns
OF the main battery.
The general dimensions and chief
characteristics Of the sheathed and
coppered vessels are. Length on load
water line. 1875 feet: breadth. extreme,
al load water line. Is feet 10 inches;
trial displacement about 10000 tons;
mean draueht at trial displacement.
about - feet: greatest draught, full
load. about % feet.
The general dimensions of the I'M
sheathed vessels are: Length on load
water line. 435 feet: breadth. extreme,
M load water line. 76 feet = 10 inches;
trial displacement. about 1900 tons;
mean draught at trial displacement.
about - feet: greatest draught, full
Ioad. about 90 feet.
In the Low tons represented IN
each OF these vessels the many antago-
nistic qualities essential to a perfect
fighting machine have been compro-
missed and incorporated in proportions
which experience seems TO have point T,
ed oft as the most desirable and ef- I
fCieut To begin with. they will have ]
n speed Of at least 10 knots, which I
conapares most fayorably with any bat
tleships under construction abroad. as |
we'll as any in the projected stage. As |
all the vessels previously designed ny /
the bureau have shown excess of speed 4
over that called Tor. il may be expect /
Cd shat this figure will he exceeded 4
by from a quarter 10 half knot.
The vessels will be propelled at this 1
high speed by twin screws driven by (
two i-cyhnder, triple expansion en-
cines OF about 10000 indicated horse 4
power. having stroke OF four feet.
running under conditions OF maximum
speed ~ about 100 revolutions per min
ute The steam necessary TO this
power viii be supplied al a pressure
Of ESQ pounds a square inch by twenty
tube boilers. placed four in each six
water tight eompart-
ments.
Each shin viii carry four 12-inch
guns. 40 calibres in length mounted in
pairs in Hichhorn balanced turrets.
having an arc OF train OF 2T0 degrees,
one forward and one aft in each YES
sci. OF the S-inch guns - calibres in
length. which will be carried on each
~ the three sheathed vessels, four will
be mounted in turrets OF the Hichborn
we. superimposed upon the i2-ineh
.urrets. and four in two tuTrets amid
ships. having an arc OF train OF $50
degrees: and in the two unsheathed
5essels all S-inch guns Will be mounted
n their independent tprrets. having
an arc OF train of las degrees. placed
wo on each side az the ends OF the
tnus forming a quad
lateral. In each vessel there will
le a broadside OF twelve 6-inch rapid
ire guns fifty cslihres in length.
mounted Six on each side on the main
ieck. each with an arc OF train OF
10 degrees. and each viii also have
welye i4-pouniers and twelve 3
Founders mounted in commanding po<
,itions and having very large arcs of
ire. In the two lower tops there viii
,e four automatic l-pounders and IN
he upper tops four singie-shot ipound-
RS
Experience having shown that above
water torpedo tubes are not only In
,fiicient weapons. hut also menace 70
heir possessors. the vessels are fitted
,nly with submarine torpedo tubes
Two OF these are located in one COM
,artment. one on each side. fitted for
he discharge OF the large lSinch
Whitehead torpedo. and provision is
made for carrying stored in the tor
,edo room six OF these formidable en-
zines OF war.
The magazines OF the vessels win
" specially fitted 10 enable them 70
AIRY. with absolute safety in all eli Ii
mates. the new smokeiess powder. and
via. this end in view provision is be-
ng made for their artificial cooling by
ipes led from the cold storage system
4 the vessel. in such cases as may be