The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-28

two and one-half inches extreme BREADTH
and at a mean draught of twenty-three
feet six inches displaceS 1920 tons. The
hull is protected abreast of the boilers and
engines by side armor belt of from seven
and one-half to eleven inches in thickness
and by the casemate armOr, six inches
thick. In the easement are placed ten of
the six-inch guns the vessel carries. Above
this, on the upper deck, four siX-inch guns
are placed in the vicinity of which SiX-inch
armor is worked far enough forward and
aft to afford protection to the crews OF
these guns. Protection is afforded the
Vitals OF the ship below the water line by
a protective deck with armOr from two
and three-quarters TO four inches thick.
The main battery of the ship consists
of four twelve-inch rifles placed IN TWO
balanced turrets and sixteen six-inch
guns. The turrets are turned by electricity
and can revolve through $50 degrees in one
minute. Ten of the six-inch guns are
Two others are on the berth forward in
six-inch armOred Sponsors and four are
on the upper deck Those in the sponsors
forward and two on the upper deck can
fire directly ahead and the other two on
the upper deck directly astern, in addition
TO having a broadside fire. The secondary
battery consists of six three-inch guns,
eight six-pounders, six one-pounders, two
colts and two three-inch field guns
A new feature introduced into the Of
fensive power of this ship is two sub
merged torpedo tubes. While German war
ships have been equipped with these tubes
for a number of years, the Missouri and
navy to be supplied with them.
There are two masts fitted with the usual
signal yards, tops and topmastS, one mast
usual being over the forward coming
tower.
The Missouri carries fourteen boats. of
which is forty-foot steam cutter
and another a thirty-siX foot steam cutter
of the usual navy type. The boats are
handled by four cranes operated by steam
and each of which can lift the heaviest
boat that il has to handle at the rate
M
Bilge keels to reduce rolling are fitted
to the vessel, experiments in recent years
in our own and foreign navies having de-
mOnstrated the great efficiency of these
keels in preventing excessive rolling.
Hydraulic gear is used in steering the
vessel and can put the rudder from hard
aport to hard astarboard in twenty seconds
when the vessel is moving at full speed
Electricity is used for lighting the vessel
and for operating the turrets and hoists
and for communicating between parts of
the ship and for other minor purposes.
Four powerful searchlights will give warn
ing of the APPROACH of hostile vessels. For
night signaling the ship carries two sets
of electric signaling apparatus.
The normal coal supply is 1000 tons and
the capacity of the bunkers is 1900 tons.
The ARRANGEMENT of the bunkers is such
as to afford considerable incidental protec
ton to the machinery.
The Missouri and her class are the first
battleShipS in the United States navy in
which water tube boilers are provided.
Steam for the propelling machinery is sup
piled by water tube boilers of the Thorney-
croft type placed in four water-tight COM
partments There are three smoke pipes
The two propelling engines are OF the
vertical cylinder direct acting. triple ex-
pansion type. having four cylinders. The
collective indicated horsepower is about
5000 when the vessel is making eighteen
knots.