Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-09
WARsHIP NEW, JERSEY
SWIFT AND powFRFuL VESSEL
WILL BE LAUNCHED TOMORROW.
Represents Class Of Five Battle Ships
That Will Have q Speed Of
&.
Nineteen Knots.

The battle ship New Jersey, built by the
Fore River Ship and Engine Building
Company. at Quincy. Mass. will be
launched at noon tomorrow. The vessel
will be christened by Mrs. William b.
Kinney daughter OF Gov. Franklin Muir
ply of New Jersey.
In March, 1899. Congress appropriated
money for three sea-going coast line bat
tleships, carrying the heaviest armor and
most powerful armament for vessels of
their class, and provided for two more by
the act Of June Z, 1900. The bureau Of
construction and repair fully carried out
the evident purpose of Congress, for the
design Of the New Jersey and her class
represents five most powerful warships
The Five Vessels Provided For.
OF the Ave vessels appropriated for,
three were required to be sheathed and
coppered, and two without sheathing.
Immediately after being contracted for,
however, the Navy Department took this
question under consideration and decided
to omit all outside sheathing and copper
ing, SO that each vessel of the class is
now a counterpart of the other. except
for minor notifications incident to con-
struetion.
The general dimensions and chief char
acter1sttcs of these vessels are: Length
on load water line, 49, feet; breadth, ex-
IRENE, at load water line, 20 feet 2h
inches; trial displacement, about 14.94S
tons; mean draft at trial displacement,
about % feet inches; greatest draft, full
load, about 26 feet.
High-Speed Battle Ships.
In the $4,000 tons represented in each
of these vessels the many antagonistic
qualities essential to perfect fighting
machine have been compromised and in
corporated in proportion which expert
ence seems to have pointed out as the
most desirable and efficient. To begin
with, these battle ships will have a speed
or at least nineteen knots, which COM
pares most favorably with any battle
ships under construction abroad, as well
as with any In the projected stage.
The New Jersey will be propelled at
this high speed by twin-screws driven by
two four-cylinder, triple-expansion en-
gines of about 10000 indicated horse
power, having stroke of four feet, run
ming under conditions of maximum speed
at about 120 revolutions per minute.
The New Jersey will carry four 12-inch
guns, 40 calibers in length, mounted by
pairs In balanced turrets. one turret being
located forward of the superstructure and
the other aft, and each having a total arc
OF train of go degrees. In the New Jersey
there will be broadside battery On the
gun deck of twelve 6-inch rapid fire guns,
80 calibers in length, mounted six on each
side, each with total arc of train of III
degrees. The secondary battery will con-
sist of twelve 3-ineh 50 caliber rapid fire
guns, twelve 3-pounder semi-automatic,
eight 1-pounder heavy automatic, two 30
caliber machine guns and six 30-calber
Colt automatic guns all mounted in COM
mandlng positions and having large arcs
Of fire. The equipment includes submerged
torpedo tubes.
Waterline Belt Of Armor.
To make her defensive qualities proper
tionately great, she will be provided with
a complete waterline belt of armor, eight
feet in width amidships. II inches thick
at the top and inches at the bottom, tap
ering to a uniform thickness of inches
at the ends of the vessel.
She will also have a easement armored
belt extending over about 2f5 feet of her
length. of uniform thickness of six inches,
rising from the top of the main belt to the
upper or main deck, and Joined at it's after
end to the barbette of the f2-inch turret by
a 6-inch armored bulkhead. and having at
its forward end an armored bulkhead of six
inches thickness extending from side to
side, thus forming a citadel or redoubt
within which the 6-inch guns will be mount
ed. $500
The coming tower and it's shield will be
nine inches in thickness and the armored
tube, five inches thick, will be of sufficient
size to receive all voice pipes, wiring etc.
In addition to the coming tower, there will
be aft, second tower known as the signal
tower, WHICH Will Dc constructed uVe-
inch armor.
The material Of construction is the high
quality of steel which has entered into all
the vessels of our navy. The main or up
per deck, in addition to being built of steel.
will be the only one upon which wood is
to be laid. The lower decks will all be OF
steel. covered with hnoleum.
Applications of Electricity.
The applications of electricity on board
are very much wider than in the case of
any other battle ships in existence, with the
possible exception Of the Kearsarge and
Kentucky. All Of the turrets have electri-
cal turning gear, and the ammunition
hoists, blowers to the turrets and general
ventilation, the general workshop, and
practically all of the auxiliaries, outside
of the engineers department and excepting
capstan and steering gear are to be cleo
trically driven.
To provide for the power required for
these purposes there will be installed eight
engines and dynamos mounted on combi-
nation bed-plates. two having a rated out
put of 1,2JO amperes at 125 volts, and six
with 625 amperes at lbs volts.
Take it all in all, the designs of the New
Jersey class embody the latest develop
ments in naval architecture. and these yes
sells will prove most formidable additions
to the fighting strength of the navy