The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-13
UNITED STATES
NAVAL MODELS

The remarkable activity being display
ed by the various powers in the line of
making extensive additions to their ma
vies is one of the most ominous signs of
the times.
At the present time Great Britain is
building four first-class battleships, three
first-class armored cruisers and two
! of last year she has launched thirteen
new vessels and is now contemplating
| building a number of submarine boats.
and about twenty-five other vessels of
war. Russia is building, no less than
twenty-one new ships, of which two are
first-class battleships and four armored
cruisers. She has also ten >orpedo boat
destroyers ordered. Russia has launched
during the past year no less than three
| first-class battIeships, two of which, tie
Retvizan and yariag, were built in this
country.
Five frst-class battleshipS are being
built by Germany, two cruisers. an ar
| mored cruiser and a number OF torpedo
boat destroyers. France has laid down a
| II, O0O-tons armored cruiser, after having
launched three already during the year.
as well as a number of torpedo boat de-
StrOyerS and submarine DOdtS.
| While these remarkable additions have
been made to the navies of Europe it Is
satisfactory to know that the United
States has at the present time no less
than fifty new ships in course of con-
lstruction which when completed will. 1t
| is estimated, give US one of the most eff
| ficient navies in the world. Five of these
new vessels are to be first-class battle
ships. the Maine, Missouri and Illinois
being built respectively by Cramps, the
| Newport News Shipbuilding Company
and the Union Iron works.
Six armored cruisers are included in
| the program. Three of these twin-screw
cruisers are to be sheathed, and will con-
stitute a most formidable part of our
Navy. The cruisers win be named re-
spectively the Nebraska, California,
Maryland, Colorado, West Virginia and
South Dakota. The displacement of the
sheathed vessels will be 1890 tons and
that of the unsheathed cruisers 10 400.
In speaking these new battleships and
cruisers, ex-Chief Naval Constructor,
4 Rear Admiral Philip Hichborn, says; 1T
can be stated with complete assurance
that the designs embody in an unusually
well developed degree all the elements of
seaworthiness, offensive and defensive
power, speed and coal endurance and that
in all essentials they are superior to all
previous designs OF similar character pro-
duced in this any other country.
The battery carried by these vessels is
unquestionably the heaviest battery
ahoat. The arrangement of it is such as
to give powerful bow, stern and broad
side fire. For the Pinch and S-inch guns
the American system of mounting in
turrets has been adhered to-
Special provision will be made for in
sulating magazines by air spaces, and
also for cooling them by direct connec-
tons with Inc refrigerating plant.
The battery will consist of 1our 12-inch
Il. l.. r., 40 calibres in length, eight g.
inch b. l.. r., % calibres in length, and
twelve 6-inch B. l.. r., 60 calibres in
length. The secondary battery will con-
sist of twelve 3-inch B. Il. X. Q4-pound-
ers), twelve 3-pounders, four 1-pounders
(automatic), four 1-pounders (single
shot. two S-inch field guns. two machine
guns, six 0.30 calibre automatic guns. and
two submerged torpedo tubes.
The four Pinch guns are mounted In
pairs, on the middle line of the vessel. in
electrically controlled, balanced, elliptic:,l
| turrets, having arc of fire of 30 de-
grees OF the S-inch guns Of the Penn
sylvania class, four will be mounted in
pairs in two elliptical turrets superposed
on, and rigidly connected to the Pinch
turrets, and four In pairs in two cleo
trically controlled elliptical, balanced
turrets, with inclined port plates. one or
each beam and with an arc of fire of 1a
degrees. The eight S-inch guns OF the
Virginia class will be mounted In pairs In
four electrically controlled ellipticaI hal.
anced turrets, with inclined port n,a taa