The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-09
MONARCHS OF THE SEA.
Three Formulating BaftIesbiDs Will
Have Highess-Type Armament.

Three Formulating BnftIesbiDs Will
Have Highess-Tspe Armament.
The Secretary OF The Navy has issued
statement Of the characteristics OF the
three sea-going coast line battleships au-
thorized by act OF Congress, approved
March 8. 1899. The new ships are inter
esting from the fact that any one of them
is more formidable than any single ship in
the English or the Russian Navy. Each is
one fourth more formidable than the Ore
gon and two times as formidable as the
Iowa or the Indiana
The armament will be as follows: Main
battery. 12-inch breech-load.ng rifles of
40 ealibres in length; s-inch yreech-load-
irg rifles Of s. calibres in length; u s.
inch breech-loading rapid-fre rifles of so
calibres in length Secondary battery-12
3-inch breech- loading rifles C14-pounders);
II 3-pounders; 4 i-pOunders. automatic;
1-pOunders single shot; 2 3-inch field
guns, Calling guns. 80 calibre. auto
matte guns The main battery will be
mounted as follows: Four l2-inch guns In
pairs. in electrically controlled, balanced.
elliptical turrets, having inclined port
plates; such turrets being on the line OF
the keel, 1 forward and l aft, having an
arc Of fire Of 270 degrees; 8 S-inch guns
in pairs in electrically controlled, bal
anced turrets. 1 on each beam near the
forward end Of the superstructure and
on each beam near the after end OF the
superstructure. having an are Of fire from
right ahead and astern 10 not less than
50 degrees forward and abaft she beam;
on the main or gun deck u 6-inch guns
will be mounted in broadside. on each
side. having an sarc OF fire Of 10 degrees.
that is. 80 degrees forward Of and 50 de-
grees abaft. the benin
The department will reserve the right
TO change. within a period Of six months
after date Of the contract. the number and
calibre of the guns, the arrangement of
the battery and turrets. including the
adoption OF the superposed turrets. and
the thickness and distribution of the ar
NOR
The armored protection viii be as fol-
lows: complete water line belt feet
in width. This belt viii be Of maximum
thickness for a distance OF about 100 feet
abreast the engines and boilers: that is. IL
inches thick at its upper edge and main
tanning this thickness downward for dis
tanee OF feet. frcm which point II viii
taper 10 inches at its lower edge This
belt viii be completed to the bow and
stern. as follows. For distance of about
a feet forward and abaft the heavy belt
above described the plates will be inches
in thickness at the upper edge, taoering
uniformly TO inches in thickness at the
lower edge. The next course OF plates.
forward and aft for a distance OF about p
feet, will be inches in thickness at the
upper edge. tapering uniformly 10 AZ inch
es IN thickness at the lower edge. The
next course of plates forward and aft for
a distance OF about % feet will Oe inches
in thickness at the upper edge tapering
uniformly to inches at the lower edge.
The belt viii be completed to the bow and
stern with plates OF uniform thickness of
inches.
Above the main belt. and covering the
central portion OF the hull for a distance
of about 245 feet, the ships sides viii be
protected by arnnor Of a uniform thickness
OF inches, extending up 20 the upper
deck: this upper and lower casemate side
armor being joined 10 the barbette Of the
after l2-ineh tuFret by athwartship armOr
OF inches IN thickness. and connected
forward by inclined armor 8 inches 10
thickness, thus forming d central cssemats
or redoubt. which will contain tweVe g.
inch guns.
All I4-pounder guns will be protected
by pinch plates OF a sufficient area TO form
efficient shields TO the crews working
them.
The barbettes for the tUTTets for the T.
inch guns will be 70 inches in thickness,
except where they are enclosed IN the case
mate. where the thickness win be reduced
TO s inches The turre,s for the I2Inch
guns Will be 10 inches in thickness except
the pOrtplates. which viii be II inches IN
I thickness The tops Of the I2-inch tur-
retS viii be inches in thickness The ar
NOR for the S-inch turrets viii be inches
thick except the pOrtplates. which will
be 6 IL inches in thickness. The tarbettes
for the S-inch turrsts will be 8 inches in
thickness. The tops OF the S-inch tur-
rets will be 1-2 inches thick. The en-
ming tower viii be 9 inches thick. also is
shield: its tute will be inches In thick
ness and its floor inches thick. The sig
ual tower will be inches in thickness.
The vessel viii have twin screws. The
engines will be Of the vertical twin-screw.
touT-cylinder triple-eXpansiOn type OF a
combined Indicated horsepower OF 70 COO.
The steam pressure will be $50 pounds.
There VIII be q boilers Of the straight
water-tube type. placed in water-tight
compartments.
General dimensions. etc. Of the vessels
Length on lead water line 455 feet:
breadth. extreme. al lead water line 10
feet; trial displacement about Il. $50 tons.
mean draft at trial displacement. about 81
feet; greatest draft. full load about %
feet: total coal bunker capacity 900 tons
coal carried on trial. 500 tons: feed water
than 10 knots