The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-19
Secretary of the Navy Long Re-
cciveS theRep0rt andRecOmmend-
atiOnS of Board of Construction

Washington. July is-Battleshlps that
VIII be TO foreign squadrons what the Or
egon was TO the Spanish fleet are pro-
Jected by the board on construction the
majority OF which submitted its report TO
Secretary Long today. While minority
report is TO be submitted, the difference
In the board arises only with respect 10
the composition OF the main battery OF
each vessel
IL Is settled that each ship will have
length OF 450 feet. beam OF 70 feet and a
mean draught OF "a feet s inches. These
dimensions will give normal displace-
ment OF 1850 tons and a deep load dis
placement OF l6,eOO tons.
The vessels will thus be the largest
ships of the American navy. They will
also be the fastest OF their type flying the
STAYS and Stripes.
The required speed OF each will be 10
knots, secured by horse power OF at
least 10000 That the ships may be able
10 steam long distance without recoal-
ing, each will be designed to carry about
1000 tons OF coal.
Batteries of the ships are TO be heavier
In offensive fire than those of any vessel
of their class The battery recommended
by the majority consists OF four l2-inch
guns In two turrets. fore and aft. 20 Z
inch guns in casemates and 20 3-inch
guns.
The minority OF the board has recon-
mended a battery for each ship of four
l2-inch guns IN turrets fore and aft ~
s-inch guns installed in pairs I'm two tur-
rets and in four single turrots and placed
In broadsde forming IN tho designs the
corners of great qusdrilateral.
AGAINST sUPERPosED TURRETs.
The majority report Is signed by Rear
admiral Charles o'Neil, chief of ornance.
Rear Admiral G. W. Melville, engineer
ia chief, and Rear Admiral Bowles. chief
constructor. 1t holds that the use OF SUI
perposed turrets favored by the minority
exposes four guns TO dlss element by a
single large shell charged with high ex-
guns In single casemate renders them
all liable TO bo placed out OF action by a
single large sheell charged with high ex-
plosive.
such a disaster Is not possible with its
plan. the majority asserts as eight OF the
1-inch guns are inclosed I'm individual ar
NOR four on the upper deck and four on
the gun deck, firing ahead and astern
and the remaining ~ are located on the
sun deck I'm a central casemate battery.
very important advantage asserted
for the majority plan arises out of its
provision for 20 3-lnch guns, as against
eight OF that calibre provided for by the
minority
Compe rison Of the results Of the fire OF
ships that participated I'm the battle or
Manila Is submitted 10 snow that guns
not mounted In turrets gave a greater ra-
pidty of fire than the turret guns OF the |
Olympia. II is also declared that In the |
battle OF Santiago there were only ~ hits |
made by the $40 projectiles fred from the |
sinch guns.
long argument is submitted 10 show |
that the proposed 7-inch guns far exceed |
the s-inch guns in range and In the fat |
ness OF their trajectory.
I'm providing for uniformity OF char |
actcr, simplicity OF mounting and separa- |
ton OF guns" the majority says, I'VE |
believe we have presented vessel more |
powerful than any yet built or projected
by any Power"
Comparing the battery II proposes and |
that recommended by the minority, the
majority states that the 70 7-iuch guns
OF Its plan Will throw 4i25 pounds OF met
al a minute from each broadside. The |
II s-inch and 12 s-inch guns provided for |
by the minority. while capable of throw
Ing 4500 pounds of metal n minute from
one broadside. can throw only 1900 pounds
from the other broadside Excluding the
f2-inch guns, the main battery OF the ma
toritys ship will throw $3.50 pounds OF |
metal In minute. while the main bat
terry guns. exclusive OF the Pinch guns
OF the vessel proposed bv the minority |
will throw only $500 pounds.
VIEWS OF THE MINORITY.
Rear Admiral r. H. Bradford. chief OF
the bureau OF equipment. and Capt. G.. n.
Sigsbee comprising the minority OF the
board. are now writing their report. They
will argue not only the superiority OF the
s-inch over the 7-inch gun. but will call
attention 20 the fact that the T-inch
gun has never been fired. and its possibil-
tiles are only theoretically determined.
The value OF having homogeneous feet
viii be pointed out. II will be shown that
the adoption OF the T-inch gun means the