Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-12-15

room six of these formidable engines |
of war
The magazines of the vessel will be |
specially fitted to enable them to carry,
with absolute safety in all climates, the
new smokeless powder, and with this
end in view, provision is being made
for their artificial cooling by pipes led
from the cold storage system of the
vessel, in such cases as may be nee
essary. Provision will be made in the
magazines for the stowage of at least
sixty rounds for each of the 12-inch
guns, representing a weight of about
144 tons; 125 rounds for each of the s.
inch guns, weighing about $50 tons
200 rounds for each of the 6-inch guns,
the weight of which Will be about 1870
tons; 500 rounds for each of the g.
FOUNDER and 1-pounder guns, and an
almost inexhaustible supply of ammu-
milton for the smaller guns.
So much for the vessels offensive
qualities. To make their defensive
qualities proDortonately great, they
are to have a complete waterline belt
of armor eight feet in width amidship,
eleven inches thick AZ the top and eight
inches at the bottom, tapering to a un-
form thickness at the ends of the YES
sci. They will also have an armored
belt extending over 245 feet of their
length, of a uniform thickness of six
inches, rising from the top of the main
belt to the upper or main deck, and
| joined at its after end 10 the barbette
of the 12-inoh turret by a siX-inch ar
mored bulkhead, and having at its for
ward end an inclined armored bulk
| head from side to side six inches thick,
| thus forming citadel or redoubt with
| in which the 6-inch guns will be
! mounted. The barbettes for the tur-
rets of the 12-inoh guns are to be ten
inches in thickness for that portion
| outside of the redoubt or citadel, re-
duced to six inches in thickness within.
The turrets themselves will be pro-
tected by armor ten inches in thick
ness, the port plates, however, being
eleven inches. The 8-inch turrets will
in all cases, whether superposed or in
dependent, be protected by six inches
of armor, with 61a-inch port plates,
and their barbettes will be protected by
similar armor. The coming tower
and its shield will be nine inches in
thickness, and the armored tubes will
be protected by six inches of armor
and will be of sufficient size not only to
receive all the voice pipes, wiring, ecc.,
but also to permit of their being used
as a passageway, if necessary. In ad-
dition to the coming tower there will
be aft second tower known as the
signal tower, which will be protected
by 5-inch armor.
From the bottom of the waterline ar
NOR belt there will rise a curved turtle
backed nickel-steel protective deck one
and one-half inches thick on the slop-
ing sides, to make assurance doubly
| sure that no projectile of the enemy
shall find its way into the vitals of the
ship. AS an additional protection to
stability, coffer-dam belt, three feet
in thickness and packed to a density
eight pounds to the cubic foot, will be
worked, for the entire length of the
vessel.
The material of construction will. of
course, be of the high quality of steel
which has entered into all the vessels
of our navy. y.The main or upper deck
in addition to being built of steel. will
be the only one upon which wood is to
be laid. The lower decks will all be OF
steel, covered with linoleum or some
other like material. The use of wood
in the construction of the vessels will
be limited even more strictly than it
has been in the later battleships, and
all wood except that for the sheathing
of the bottom. will be electric fire.
proofed. Bilge keels and heavy dock
ing keels will be fitted.
1t is proposed to make all of these
vessels dagships, and to do this it is
necessary to make provision for the ac.
comodation of one flag officer, one COM
manding officer, one chief of staff
twenty wardroom officers. twelve jun
ior officers. ten warrant officers and
65S crew and marines, making grand
total of 7O9. Both officers and crew
will have washrooms. bathrooms and
other similar conveniences, such as will
place the comfort and healthfulness of
these. vessels very high in the scale.
The applications of electricity on
board are very much wider than in the
case of any other battleships in exist
ence with the possible exception of
the Kearsarge and Kentucky. All the
turrets have electrical turning gear
and the ammunition hoists. blowers to
the turrets and general ventilation. the
general workshiD and practically all
of the auXiliares outside of the engi-