Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-31
NEW WAR VESSELS
One to Be Named After an Iowa
City.
PLANS FOR THE GUNBoAl DUBUQUE

PLANS FOR THE GUNB0AI DUBUQUE
Its Heaviest Guns Will Probably Con-
slst of Six Four.inch Rapid Fret
Will Be Constructed After the
Wheeling Type.
Another Iowa city is to be honored
by having one of the new vessels of
sake. In this those in authority have
shown to the people of the state due
recognition Of their place in the af-
fairs of the nation. The first idea as
to the new gunboat Dubuque is to be
found in the provision or the increase
in the navy and it is also to be found
in the naval appropriation act, as fol-
lows:
Provides for Two Gunboats.
Two gunboats of about one thous-
and tons trial displacement, to cost,
when built, exclusive of armament
not exceeding three hundred and eigh-
ty-two thousand dollars each and the
contract for the construction of each
of said vessels shall be awarded by
the secretary of the navy to the lowest
and best responsible bidder having in
view the best results and the most ex-
peditious delivery"
Of the Wheeling Type.
The boat Dubuque will be of the
Wheeling type, which is screw boat
l or lHyin &c
are considered to be the most useful
OF vessels in the navy. The Marietta,
twin sister ship to the Wheeling, ac-
companied the great battleship Ore
gon on its famous 10000 mile run
around Cape Horn, before the battle of
Santiago and has done very valuable
service, having been to the Behring
Sea, to Hawaii and China.
Its Dimensions.
The Dubuque, if built after the
Wheeling style, it's dimensions will be
as follows:
Length of load water line, liza feet;
beam, extreme at load water line, "a
feet; draft, normal, to bottom of keel,
IL feet; displacement normal, about
1000 tons; indicated horsepower.
about 500; speed, an hour, in knots,
liz.
Frame of the VESSEL
The framing of the vessel will be of
steel above the water line and below
the water line it will be of wood. This
part of the hull will be covered with
copper and therein lies one of the most
valuable features of the vessel The
copper bottom prevents to large eX-
tent the accumulation of barnacles and
other refuse matter which ordinarily
Injuries the hull and acts as an OBJ
: stacle to first class speed. 1t has been
found that the barnacles do not reach
a very large growth on the copper, but
drop off as soon as they have increased
their size to any great extent This
, is not the case with the bulls of battle
ships and cruisers which are made OF
steel over which there is a coat OF
paint. When the barnacles come off
after they have enlarged they general
. ly take the paint off with them. leaving
: the hull subject to rust Thus it is
necessary to dock the large armored
vessels about every two or three
months. but with the copper-bottomed
gunboats it is necessary to clean them
only about every six or eight months.
, copper bottom usually lasts four
!, years, when it has to be replaced.
Ships Compliment.
. The ships crew will probably con
sist of eleven officers and 135 men it,
coal capacity will be 200 tons of AZ
cubic feet per ton, and in active ser
. vice 2.13 tons of coal day will be con
Sumed
The Armament.
The plans for the new gunboats
: have not, as yet, been taken up by the
) navy department. The plans for the
cruisers and battleships will first be
completed, but the armament of the
Dubuque will probably consist Of
, six four-inch, four six-pounder and two
: one-pounder guns, all rapid-fire. They
will be disposed of in this order
Four four-inch guns in two batteries
/; port and starboard. on the gurdecl
|, amidship, the other two four-inch
} guns being carried on the main deck
:, one at the bow and the other at the
stern, each having a wide arc of fire
The siX-pounder guns will be carried
J, on the gun deck, two well forward, on,
: on either bow and two amidships be
!. tween the four-inch guns respectively
|, in the port and starboard batteries
J. The one-pounder guns will be disposed
r, where most advantageous on the ham
mock berthing. For the four-incl
= guns there will be 900 rounds of am
l. munition, for the siX-pounders 200
r rounds and for the one-pounder gun
/, 1000 rounds.
) Bids to be Opened.
Until the bids are opened it will no
T be settled as to where the new vessel
r will be constructed. Townsend 4
" Downey, who built the Kaiser's yacht
! Meteor, may bid for one or both O
the boats. Lewis Nixon of Elizabeth
. N. j., may also bid The VIM. Trig
/ company of Richmond, may also b
o bidders.
, FIFTY YERS AGO.
Ill