New-York tribune., 1903-04-05
A GERMAN WARSHIP IN PEACEFUL GUISE.
KAISER UILHELM II SAID TO HAVE 4 COMPLETE
SET or Arm 4uENT AU1AITING HER HERE.

The new steamer Of the North German Lloyd
Line which will arrive here on her maiden Yoy-
age from Bremen on April 30 the Kaiser Will
helm H. according TO an article written by a
man said to have access to special sources Of
information and published in The American
Syren and Shipping" yesterday. is primarily
intended to be an armored cruiser or the Ger
man navy in time of war The leading idea IN
her construction, according TO the writer has
been that of her a war vessel In the
construction of her hull, her machinery, her
superstructure the first consideration was her
possible use as a cruiser She is supposed to be
the embodiment of naval science, as understood
by the German Emperor and his staff Of naval
experts In all that relates TO the use of the
vessel as an armored cruiser. Emperor Wlillam
has passed upon her plans and equipment. FROM
time to time he heard of improvements ne
has ordered changes in the original plans OF the
ship. "As lately six years ago, says the
writer when the ships engines were completed
in accordance with the original speclhcatohS'
the Emperor gave personal orders for radical
changes in them in order to make an important
feature therein conform to ideas set forth IN
an ESSAY written bv Admiral George w. Mel
VILE. u s N concerning the vibration OF en-
cines" The change was made. The construc-
ton Of the double bottom OF the Kaiser Wilhelm
IL is on lines suggested bv distinguished offl-
Ger OF the British navy for protection against
submarine torpedo boats of the Holland type.
Emperor William saw this idea set forth in
The Broad Arrow" and had it adopted. From
a study of blue prints of the ship in the Navy
Department at Washington the writer says that
the engines of the steamer are taxed 30 horse
power for the double bottom alone.
All in ALL he declares ''it is evident TO the
trained naval eye. that the Kaiser Wilhelm IL
Chi of war
ton TO commercial purposes is secondary mat
ter.
Two sets Of armor and armament are SAID
TO be ready for implacement-one in this coun-
try and one in Germany. The Sideways and en-
bracement gearing for the implacement of armor
for the engines and propellers are the same
form as that designed for use in certain Amer
ican steamships now under construction, ana
which in good time will be rated in the naval
reserve list as armored cruisers. The most re-
markable feature of the Kaiser Wilhelm II. to
the engineering mind. is her enormous coal
runkers. which were planned upon computa-
tion made by the engineers of the German navy
for the consumption of coal from kiei TO Para,
Brazil, and return without replenishing In
commercial service only One-third the space de-
voted TO coal storage will be filled with fuel
The twin propellers. 30 feet 10 inches in dl-
ameter are driven by independent engines or
10000 horsepower each. and asSre6athS foooo
borsanower Under normal conditions these
nronellers will revolve eighty times minute,
and push the ship across the Atlantic at the
rate of 231, knots an hour. The steam pressure
in the nineteen boilers will be kept at 213 pounds
10 the square inch The whole steam power
plant being designed with reference to use as a
cruiser, both boilers and engines, will bear an
overload considerably in excess of the figures
mentioned A very important feature of the