Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1900-12-08
FIVE BATTLESH,PS
AND SIX CRUISERS
Bids We're Opened For Their
Construction.
LARGEST CONTRACT MADE

Displacement Aggregates 154, 700
Tons i The Most Formidable War
ships Ever BuiIt-Win Have Speed
of 10 and % Knots Respectively.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7. - Bids were
opened at the navy department for the
construction of five new battleships and
six armored cruisers aggregating total
displacement of 154, 900 tons, and COM
prising the largest consignment of ma
terial for the navy ever contracted for
at a single bidding. The three battle
ships authorized by the act of March,
1899, were never contracted for, owing
to the delays in the procurement of ar
NOR bids.
The five new battleships, namely, the
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia,
Virginia and Rhode Island, are divided
into two classes to compromise upon the
controversy as to their turret systems.
Three are to be sheathed and cOppered
and will carry superimposed turrets;
the other two are to be unsheathed YES
sells, having the ''quadrilateral arrange
ment" of s inch turrets. To meet the
contingency with bids made in excess of
the authorized cost the bidders were,
however, invited to submit plans i'll each
case for both sheathed and unsheathed
ships.
The sheathed vessels are to be of 49,,
900 tons displacement, with a length of
435 feet, breadth of rs feet 10 inches,
and greatest draught of % feet The
unsheathed ships are slightly smaller
and on the same length, are ~ inches
narrower and 400 tons less displacement.
Both classes of battleships will compare
with any in the world, not only afOat, but
projected, for they will have a speed of
at least 10 knots, which is expected to
run up to 1919, great pace for battle
ship, which will be maintained by twin
screw engines of $4,000 horse power,
supplied by "a water tube boilers.
Armament of the Ships.
The radical difference in the battle
ships to the outward appearance will lie
in the turrets. Each ship will carry
four l2-inch guns. These are of the ex-
traordinary length of 40 calibers or 20
feet i'll the bore, Of the new type just
turned out by the ordnance bureau and
superior in efficiency to any 12-inch gun
in the world, and at least equal to the
13-inch guns, which have marked the
maximum caliber in the American navy.
In the three sheathed vessels a pair of
9-inch guns will be mounted on the top
of each of the 12-inch turrets. Four
other 8-inch guns will be distributed in
two turrets amidships on these two YES
sells.
The unsheathed vessels will have all
Of AoI iV,f
dependent turrets, one placed at each
corner of the oblong structure. Both
classes of vessels, sheathed and nm
sheathed, will have a broadside of 10
6-inch rapid fire guns on the main deck,
besides 10 14-pounders and - 2-pound-
ers, and a number Of automatic guns,
making the battery more formidable
than any afoat as far as ability to con-
centrate fire and throw weight of metal
is concerned.
In the matter of defensive power, the
battleships of both classes are unsur-
passed, carrying an S-foot wide water
line belt of armor, II inches thick, over
the vitals of the ship, tapering to 4
inches at the ends. The 6-inch guns
will be behind 6 inches of hardened
steel and the turrets will vary from 10
to IL inches in thickness, A curve tur-
tie back protective deck, and a Golfer
dam belt all around the water line
stuffed with celluloise, will afford fur
ther protection. Electricity will be
used in the battleships to much greater
extent than in any other ships afoat
and the use of wood will be restricted to
the minimum.
Designs For the Cruisers.
The six armored cruisers represent the
highest development of the naval con-
structors' art, for Constructor Hichborn
has not only managed to design in them
ships as feet as any foreign navy can
boast, but has endowed them with the
qualities of battleships at many points.
Three of these ships are to be sheathed
and six are to be unsheathed OF less
displacement than the battleships, 49,
800 tons in the case of the sheathed and
IS, 400 in the case of the unsheathed
cruisers, these vessels are still consider
ably longer, being SOP feet on the water
line, with breadth Of 70 feet and a
draught of 26 feet inches.
Quadruple twin screws, of $4,000
horsepower supplied by 30 boilers will
propel those great ships at a minimum
speed of % knots per hour, and with ca
pacities for 1900 tons of coal in their
bunkers, their endurance will surpass
that of any similar foreign vessel Each
cruiser will carry four S-inch guns in
Hichborn balanced turrets, four 6-lnch
guns in sponsors at each corner of the
superstructure and ten 6-inch broadside
guns, besides the usual secondary bat
terry. Six inches of hardened steel will
extend in belt around the ships feet
6 inches broad and the guns in tha cita
del and superstructure are proportion
ately protected. A heavy protective deck
and cofferdam belt complete the pro-
lection.
Rni1er Carried 1 600 Eoot