The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-01
THREE NEW CRUISERS.
Bids For Their Construction Opsned
at Navy Department.

at Az AVX 0cDtAI b14cuG
Washington, Feb. Bids were
opened al the navy department this
afternoon for the construction of three
protected cruisers designed to be the
most formidable vessels in the world or
their class. They will resemble closely
the type Of second class armored cruis-
ers and might be easily mistaken for
such The act of congress authorizing
this class Of cruisers stated that the yes
sells should carry the most powerful
ordnance for vessels OF their type and.
have the highest speed compatible with
good cruising qualities and great radius
of action"
Admiral Hichborn. chief constructor
Of the navy who has been foremost in
the preparation Of plans for the build
ing of the new navy" says that in an
engagement the new cruisers would be
able TO cope with and prove more than
a match for some of the armored cruis-
ers of foreign navies.
The new vessels are to be named the
ST. Louis. milwaukee, and Charleston.
the last to continue the name OF the
ship wrecked November 2, 1898, in the
Philippines. Their trial displacement
viii be about 8, 200 tons each, they viii
be equipped with p, 900 horsepower twin
screw engines. and will have a speed
of p knots per hour. The vessels Will be
424 feet in length and IS feet in extreme
breadth Their bunkers will have a ca
pacity Of J, 500 tons.
The main side armor will be four
inches in thickness all round, as viii
also the upper and lower casemate
a.rmor. Two and one-half inches OF
steel plate viii encase their protective
decks. The main decks OF the cruisers
viii be supplanted amidship with COW
cred superstructures, within each OF
which viii be located four 6-inch rapid
fire guns and six 14-poundersof the same
tpye; outside the superstructures will
be two more 6-inch guns, located on the
center line, one forward and one att.
On the gun decks the greater batteries
4
pound and four 1-pound rapid fire guns.
Sixteen rapid fire guns are to be placed
on the Superstructure deck and bridges
The remainder of the batteries will be
located in the fighting tops Of the mill
tary masts.
Electric ammunition hoists win supply
the guns with the greatest rapidity,
making is possible to hurl against an
enemy a. broadside of about twelve tons
Of solid metal a minute. The vessels each
will have four lofty smOkestacks rs feet
above the load water line providing
draft for the Is straight water tube
compartments. These boilers, together
with the engines, will be protected by
the side armor, sloping deck armor and
a twelve-foOt coal bunker The inner
bottom of the vessels will extend to the
under sides Of the protective decks above
while a cellulose cofferdam 30 inches
wide extends the length of the cruisers.
All the latest and best improvements
be provided for the accommodation and
comfort of officers and crew. In COM
mission the number OF officers will be So
and the crew viii number $40 men, for
which are provided sixteen boats, rang
ing from a 36-foot steam cutter to a
16-foot dingy, besides two pupts and two
life RATS.
It has been believed in some quarters
that the three cruisers could not be
built within the limit Of cost named by
congress However. a calculation based
on the price to be paid for the IN
sheathed armored cruisers would tend
to disprove this theory. The average
cost of the three unsheathed armored
cruisers Of 13. 400 tons trial displacement
and % knots speed is to be IS, 76S, 1873
each, or S2S122 per ton. At this rate a
cruiser of $500 tons displacement would
cost $2.727. 1874, or 2.166 less than the
amount appropriated, namely 81. 500, 000
AS about 100000 will be required for
arTnor out of the sum appropriated, it
has been necessary to eliminate certain
items from the specifications. as in the
case of the sheathed battieships-
Cramps contract price for the Maine,
an 1S-knot battleship Of Il. 800 tons trial
displacement was $2,sS5.00o. or $3.50 per
ton.