Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-31
TIE NEW DUBUQUE.
Secretary of Navy Approves Plans
For Gunboat.
VESSEL FOR UNITED STATES NAVY
Must Be CompIeved in Twenty Months
After Contract is Signed-To Have
Minimum Speed of Twelve Knots
To Garry Crew of 1853.
IBY H. J. MAHIN.l

[BY H. ]. MAHIN.l
Washington, D. c., March 27.-The
: secretary of the navy has approved
the plans and specifications for the
construction of the gunboat authorized
by act of congress, July 1, 1902, which,
when completed, will bear the name
Dubuque. The creation of this 1000
ton child of the sea will be of special
interest to the peiple of Iowa, as it
will be closely related to the state by
the ties of name, and that stands for
a good deal. When it shall float at
its masthead the stars and stripes and
report for service in defense of the
same, there will be a trinity of war
vessels in commission to represent the
Hawkeye state, the flagship Iowa, the
cruiser Des Moines and the gunboat
Dubuque. Some facts in regard to
size, construction, etc, are appended.
The Dubuque must re completed
within twenty months after contract
Is signed, and a failure on this point
will involve the following penalties:
$25 per day for the first month of fail
ure; $50 per day for the second and
third months. and 500 per day there
after until the vessel is completed and
delivered.
The maximum speed of the Dubuque
must be twelve knots an hour in order
to it's acceptance by the department at
contract price, and this speed must
be maintained for four consecutive
hours. Should the speed be less than
twelve knots and more than eleven, a
reduction of $4,000 will be made in
contract price. Should the speed be
less than eleven knots an hour the
vessel may be rejected by the secre-
tary of the navy or accepted at re-
duced price, at his discretion. The
final trials of the vessels for speed
will not take place until four months
after preliminary acceptance.
The outside plating, outside plank
ing, inner bottom plating and bulk
heads and decks. where required, will
be made water tight and tested by
water pressure. All interior finishing
the arrangement of all fittings and the
painting of the vessel inside and out
must be satisfactory in all particulars.
The general dimensions of the Du-
buque are as follows:
Length on load water line. liza feet
Breadth, extreme, at load water
line ................ 80 1eet
Displacement on trial, about ,0S5 tons
Mean draft to bottom of keel at
trial displacement .12 feet inches
Mean draft, full load. about. -.
................. .13 feet 51sinches
Total coal bunker capacity.
about Observation-Disclosures. 200 tons
Coal carried on trial. 100 tons
Feed water carried on trial. -. a tons
The hull is to be composite built to
a point about two feet three inches
above the load water line amidships
above which line it will be entirely of
steel. There will be double bottom
extending throughout the boiler space
and reserve feed tanks. the latter ca
pable of carrying seventeen tons of
water. The outside planking will be
of yellow pine of uniform thickness
of four and one-half inches amidships,
reduced at the ends to three inches
and will be worked in lengths of from
thirty to forty feet. Planking will De
sheathed with cold rolled copper, vary
in weight from twenty-four to twenty
eight ounces per square foot. The
stem, stern post stern tube and strut
castings will be of manganese bronze
The armament will be: Six inch rap
Id fire guns, six FOUNDER rapid fire
guns. two one FOUNDER rapid fire guns,
two Colt automatic guns.
This battery will be mounted as fol-
lows: Four 4 inch guns on the main
deck at the side, two forward and two
aft, arranged to secure fore and aft
fire. and the maximum train; two four
inch guns on gun deck, in broadside,
arranged to secure about so degrees