The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-24
THE ALABAMA IN DRY DOCK.
Preparations BcinE Made for the
Battleship's Trial Trip.

NEW YORK, Aug. 23.--The first class
battleship Alabama was foated into Tim
Der Drydocl No. 3 at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard this morning, where work will begin
at once in putting her in trim for her
trial trip. which will take place next Tues
day. AS soon as the drydock was pumped
out the crew went right to work scraping
and painting her bottom. When this is
over the Naval Board of Survey. who will
superintend her trial trip. will make a
careful inspection of her hull.
The Alabama is in splendid condition
and when she is put in shape for her trip
tie members of the board have nc doubt
but what she will make the required six
teen knots with something TO spare.
The Alabama is the first OF the type of
tirst-class battleships approved in 1896 to
be finished. She is 4 sister ship to the
Illinois, now on the ways ct Newport
News, and the Wisconsin, which is being
constructed at the Union Iron Works, San
Francisco. The Alabama, though practi-
caliy Of the same tonnage and size as the
Kentucky and Kearsarge, differs from
those two battleships in several particu-
lars. In the Alabama the superposed
turrets which characterize the Kentucky
and Kearsarge type, and which were so
strongly objected to By naval experts, are
done away with, and the disposition of
her secondary battery is unique to her
type. The Alabama represents the i'd
vance which has taken place in battleship
design since 1890. when the Indiana class
was originated, and has embodied in her
those features OF high freeboard, widely
separated main battery and roadside sec
on1ary battery of rapid-fre guns. which
are likely TO remain permanent in the
nsyies of the world.
The leading features of the Kentucky
and Alabama types are as follows, the
figures in the first instance being for the
Kentucky and in the latter for the Ala
bama
waterline length. 2es feet; ses feet Beam. .
feet IL inches y feet 2iz inches. Draught,
% feet inches; p feet inches. Freeboard for
ward, II feet inches; 20 feet. Freeboard aft.
I3 feet inches; 10 feet inches. Displacement,
LES tens; $50 tons. Speed, 10 knots; 10
knots. Coal supply, 40 tors; sd tons. Horse
power, l0,oCO; 1900
ATmoF. nickel steel
waterline belt. 1917 inches; l61z inches. Side
arrno= above belt. & inches; jts inches Turfet
armor, Il and Is inches; Il and Is inches Bar
bette amor, Is inches; 10 and 10 INCHES. Goa
ming tower, 10 inches; 10 inches Protective deck.
2ss inches; "a TO inches.
Armament
Subnain battery (kentCcky only. inch guns.
Secondary battery, II ) inch rapid fire guns: 20
) FOUNDER rapid fire guns; II inch rlpio fire
guns; Il ) Founder rapid FIRE guns; l FOUNDER
rapid FIRE guns.
In building the Alabama an improvement
on the Kentucky was sought for in her sea-
going qualities. and her freeboard was in
creased fran thirteen feet in the Kentucky
to twenty feet This was done by aiding
another deck for the first three-quarters
OF the ships legth. The main battery ia
the same IS in the Kentucky, and consists
OF four 13-inch guns. which fire an l. 100
pound shell with 4 muZZlc energy Of 50. 267
fcot tons. equal 10 the perforatiOn OF "a IL
inches of wrought iron. The forward
pair are carried above the upper deck to
en- elevation of % IL feet above the water
line. This great height viii enable the big
guns to be fought in any kind of weathe'.
even when the snip is going ahead in a
heavy sea- which is great advantage over
Ne Kentucky and Kearsarge, which have
freeboards seven feet lower.
Another novel feature Of the big battle
ship hitherto not used. in our navy. is the
placing of the smokestacks abreast OF each
other instead of On the axis OF the ship.
The board Of survey which will superinteni
the trial trip OF the Ala bama consists OF
Rear Admiral Rodgers, Naval Constructor
" l. Caps Commander Charles r. Roei-
ker. Lieutenant Commander Charles f.
Vreeland and Lieutenant Commander
Richard Henderson. Ii was said at the
navy yard this morning that Captain
Brcwnson was the prospective captain OF
the Alabama.