Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-11
SECRETARY APPROVES
PLANS FOR NEW 13,ooo-ToN BAT.
TILE SHIPS.
Report Of the Naval Board Of CONSTRUCT
tion-Views Of Read Admiral
Melville.

| Secretary Moody has approved the plans
I prepared by the board of construction for
| the two 13.O00-ton battle ships authorised
| by the last naval appropriation act. The
| ships are to be called the Idaho and Mise
sissippi. and will be of a type unlike any
| other vessels now in the United States
| navy. The board subordinated speed ana
| steaming radius to offensive and defensive
qualities. making the vessels more power.
| full in armor and armament, although not
SO fast able to steam so far without rec
coaling as other recently projected armors
| clads The required speed is seventeen
knots, as against eighteen knots for the
18.OO0-ton battle ships Of the Vermont class
| and the steaming radius $500 knots, 40
| against $500 for the Vermont class.
| In regard to armor and armament the 49,
| OOO-ton vessels will be as powerful as any
| ships ever built for the navy. They VIII
| carry four 12-inch guns, mounted In two
| turrets one forward and one aft. and e
| large broadside battery of finch guns.
Their secondary batteries will also be very
powerful
Report Of tho Board
| The correspondence on the subject Of the
| plans for these battle ships was made puo>
| lie at the Navy Department today. Tho
| board of construction in its report says:
| 1.-THE board has had under consideration
a number of sketch plans Of types Of vesr
| sells Of 1900 tons displacement and ha&
| concluded that the intent Of the act woulq
| be best complied with, and the interests %
the navy furthered under the act or Mafcn
g. 1903 by retaining for the vessels in ques-
| ton as nearly possible the offensive
and defensive features OF the hr3t-ciass
battle ships, and reducing the speed ana
| power and the coal to be carried on trial 70
/ the amount necessary. In order that the
| trial displacement OF $4,000 tons may nos
be exceeded
."The board has agreed upon sketch plana
| with the following characteristics. LENGTH
S75 feet; breadth, "a feet; mean draft, e
| feet inches; trial displacement, L3,OW
| tons: horsepower, 10000; trial speed, l6is 70
"Battery-Four Pinch B. L. r.; s-inch
B. l.. R.; 10 finch B. L. r. F.; II 3-incR
B. L. R. F.; 6 3-pounders, 1-pounder
! S-inch field, 2 machine, automatic.
| "Armor protection: Water-line belt, "
! inches tapered to inches at bottom 10
way Of machinery space. reduced at enof
| to inches, inches and inches; casemat4
| and athwartship, inches; main turrets, n
| inches and inches; main barbettes, ~
| inches, TX inches and 6 inches; lesser turA
rets 6k inches and 6 inches; lesser barA
| bettes. & inches and 4 inches; subbarbette4
81 inches; ammunition tubes, inches3
| coming tower, inches; coming tower
| cube. inches; full coal capacity 1, 80 tonas,
"It is seen that the vessel which the boarQ
| has agreed upon. as compared with thN
Connecticut, will have, as regards armaA
ment. the same main battery excepting only
|
| guns from IL to 10. Owing to the reductioh
| in length from $50 feet to $40 feet the SEGA
ondary battery is somewhat less than TIA
Connecticut's, the principal differences b<A
| ing in the reduction from 70 to II three-incH
! and IL to three-pounder guns.
Not Intended for Flagships.
| part of the reduction in secondary bat,
| terry is due to tho fact that in ots
! der to secure the heavy main bata
terry and corresponding protection OF 4
frst-class battle ship it is necessary ID
| omit the after military mast. and to res
duce the freeboard aft. as on the MainA
| class. 1t is accordingly not intended to NJ
| these vessels as fiagships.
1.-THE weight given to armor protection
| will be 1877 tons, or $50 per cent of tho
| trial displacement. as against 1892 tona
| and A.9 per cent for the Connecticut.
| THE horsepower of the main engines viii
| be 10000. against 1880. The board is OF the
opinion that in working out the final des
| signs this power will provide a maximum
| trial speed Of seventeen knots
Although the full coal capacity will be
| about 1,750 TONS against 200 in tho
| case of the Connecticut, it's endurance at
| ten knots is estimated at about $3.50 knots,
| as against about $500 for the Connecticut
at ten knots under ordinary conditions.
| 1.-The board recommends that the bureaus
| be directed to proceed with the detail plans
| of the vessels outlined above. to be used
by the board in preparing the circular de-
L
! This report was signed by Admiral
| O'Neil, chief of the bureau of ordnancea
| and Rear Admiral Bowles. chief of the buS
I reau of construction and repair.
| Admiral Melville's Dissent.
| In an independent report Rear Admira2i
| Melville, chief of the bureau of steam enS
! cheering, said: Ill
| while these vessels will undoubtedly
be quite efficient, they would, in my opire
| ion, be very much more so If given mora
| speed since / do not consider that a ver4
heavy battery. comparatively low speed
| and small coal capacity with only nine
| inches of side armor makes the best poA
sible combination. The displacement bee
| ing limited to 1900 tons makes II dffue
| cult, II not impossible. to produce a thoH
| oughly satisfactory and up-to-date batco
1 Ship
| Secretary Moody approved the genera3
| sketch plans agreed upon by the boarR
with the characteristics thereof as set fortH
1 49,