New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-30
UNMATCHED IN THE WORLD
THREE NEW CRUISERS TO BE THE
GREATEST OF FIGHTING SHIPS.
by TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE. ]

GBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSEl
Washington, March 29-No warships of such
fighting power have ever before been planned
abroad or at home as the three cruisers whose
details have Just been practically completed by
the Admirals OF the Naval Construction Board
They are really most formidable battleshipe
with the speed and staying powers of an ocean
liner. Never has such tremendous battery
been mounted afioat the California the Ne
braska and the West Virginia will carry Sixty
six fixed guns constitute their armament and
their magazines are to hold over 400 tons of
ammunition.
The Board has given these ships 1900 tons
displacement % knots speed. and, with coal
bunker capacity OF 2,000 tons a steaming radius
of 1000 miles They will be the only ships in
the Navy literally armored all over, their pro-
lection extending from below the waterlne
above the entire superstructure In appearance
they will mark 6. notable departure from exist
ing cruisers and battleships of their class, in
that they will stand much higher out of the
water, giving better distribution of batteries
and quarters and making them most impressive.
Until Congress gives the Navy Department au-
thOrity to contract for the best possible armor
for these vessels. the final drawings cannot be
made, nor shipbuilders secure all the in
formation required by them 70 enable the prep
aration of alternative plans. The general char
acteristics of the ships settled beyond
material modification except that triple screw
machinery may be substituted for twin screws.
The machinery is to develop over $4,000 horse
power TO drive the ships % knots and this, with
the standard naval water tube boilers, must
not exceed 1000 tons in weight.
ARMOR AND BATTERIES
The armored protection is TO include a water
line belt of Kruppized steel 6 inches thick
abreast the engines and boilers. tapering to 315
inches at the bow and stern Above this belt
there will be a 5-inch casemate extending half
the ships length. to protect ten 6-inch guns
The S-inch turrets will be inches thick the
coming tower inches, and the signal tower 3
inches The total weight of armor including
the 4-nch protective deck, will be 1427 tons
Among the novelties. the tower decks will be
covered with lnoleum, all woodwork reduced
TO a minimum and freproofed the magazines
covered with non-conductors Of heat, and cooled
by refrfgerating apparatus: coal bunkers ar
ranged for extremely rapid filling and enptying,
automatic water tight doors between all com
partnents operated from several stations fire
main laid below the protective deck, laundry
for seventy-fve men. and machine shop. Space
is provided for six months provisions, tanks for
eight thousand gallons OF drinking water and |
an ice machine to make three tons a day, and
a dlstilltng plant for ten thousand gallons a
day Electricity will operate the turret-turning
gear, blowers for ventilation, mechanical bread |
mixer, laundry, ammunition hosts, gun ram
mers and air compressors for torpedoes
The armament will consist of sixty-six guns
distributed follows: Main battery four S-nch |
breech loading rifles OF 40 calbres length; four
teen 6-tnch rapid fire rifles of so caIbres length /
Secondary battery, all rapid fre-Eighteen IA
Founders, twelve S-pounders. four 1-pounder
four 1-pounder single shot two g. |
inch field guns and two Gatlings In addition /
the hand battery will include three hundred |
magazine rifles and two hundred revolvers. The !
S-lnch rifles will be mounted in pairs in ellipti-
cal balanced turrets having inclined pouts To- |
Gated on the keel line of the ship fore and aft !
On the upper deck the tremendous torpedo boat |
destroying 14-pounders will be located and at
each corner OF the superstructure 6-inch gun |
with an OF fire Of 145 degrees will be pro-
tected in a SPONSOR
On the main deck in the casernate will be
placed the battery OF six inch rapid fires in
oroadsides, five each side, with not less than
I1o degrees arc Of fire, except the forward pair
which are 10 be sponsored so as TO permit them
to aim directly ahead. The automatic one
FOUNDERS will go in the lower military tops, and
he single shot Of the same calibre in the upper
ops There will be two submerged torpedo
uDes in one compartment forward. and six
Whitehead torpedoes will be carried. The ag-
sregate weight OF this armament exceeds four
hundred tons
AS indicating the rapidity Of destructive fire
% be attained with this great battery. provision
s MADE Tor the ammunition hoists TO deliver
;harges TO each gun at the following rates:
'-lnch. one every fifty seconds; 6-inch three
ounds a minute; 14-pounders, six rounds a min !
tie; and Founders, ten rounds q minute |
rhe rounds and weights of the ammunition to
De carried on each ship as follows: Five
lundred rounds, S-inch complete. 916 tons; 2 500
ounds, 6-inch complete, 2275 tons, 500
ounds 14-pounders complete, 517 tons; 5000
ounds, 3-pounders complete, 1873 tons; all
'ther, 20 tons; total, 1896 tons
The Construction Board has also practically
competed the designs for the battleships
0enhsylVania, Georgia and New Jersey no
maternal modification having been made since
nese ships were described in The Tribune sew
raj months ago. They will represent as dis
lnct an advance in their class as the cruisers
10 over the New-York and the Brooklyn The
armament OF the batteships is not to be Dos-
iVeIy decided until the double turrets of the
8earsarge are tested.