Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-04-05
BattIeship Virginia Will Go
Overheard at Newport News.
One of Five Naval Vessels of Similar
Construction.
Design Embodies All Latest Improve
ments-15,0oo Tons.

tie CITY VIII be the center of one OF
| the most notable launchingS ever wit
messed in this country on the occasion
| OF putting overheard the first class bat
t!eship Virginia by the Newport News
Shlpbuilding and Drydock Co. Tues
| day, the 9Th. That the event may be
| made historical as well as memorable
| the legislature of Virginia passed an
act making the day a legal holiday.
Almost everyone connected with the
state government is expected to be
present, a large number of prominent
| officials from Washington and emf
nent citizens from the nearby cities
making it an occasion long to be re-
| membered
| There is no limit to the room for
, large assemblage at the Newport News
Chlpbuilding Co.'S works or in the
| ability of Pres. Ocutt and his staff
| to care for them, rs has been so often
proven in the past.
The most recently designed American
battleship, embodying the highest in
genuity and mature experience of the
| naval experts. is typified in the Nir-
| ginia. Congress, in March, 1899. ap-
propriated money for three cOastline
battleships carrying the heaviest ar
| NOR and most powerful armament for
vessels i'm their class, and increased
| this number by two of like character
| in June, 1900. These FIVE vessels are
| intended to whip anything hitherto
proposed at home or abroad, and naval
officers familiar with their chara cter-
iSticS believe that the construction
bureau of the navy department and
the contractors have fully met the evil
dent purpose of Congress in this re-
gard.
OF the five vessels appropriated for
three were required to be sheathed and
coppered. and three We're without
sheathine. Immediately after award
ing the contracts, however. the navy
department took his question under
consideration and decided to omit all
outside sheathing and cOppering, SO
tha' each vessel of the class is now 4
counterpart of the other. except for
minor notifications incident to con-
structiOn.
The general Dimensions and chief
characteristics of these vessels are:
Length on load watcrlinc. 435 feet.
Trial displacement, about 14.94S tons.
Mean draught at trial displacement,
about 23 feet . inches.
Greatest drauSht, full load, about 26
feet.
In the $1,000 tons represented in each
of these vessels. the many antagonistic
qualities essential to a perfect fighting
machine have been compromised and
incorporated in the proportion which
| n< nnrianra IN hay mint pI
as the most desirable and efficient To
begin with. these battleShips will have
a speed of ut least 10 knots which com
parcs most favoraDly with any battle
ships under construction abroad. as
we'll as with any in the projected stage.
The Virginia will be propelled at this
high speed by twin screws driven by
two four-Cylinder triple expansion en-
gines of about $4,000 indicated horse
power having IL stroke of four feet,
running under conditions of maximum
speed at about 20 revolutions a min
ute. The steam necessary to this pow
cr will be supplied at a pressure of 80
pounds squae inch. by "a Niclausse
water-tube boilers. placed four in each
six Independent watertight compart-
ments.
The Nirginian will carry four 12-inch
guns. 40 calibres in length, mounted by
pairs in balanced turrets. one turret be-
ing forward of the Superstructure and
teh other aft. and each having a total
arc of train of 30 degrees. OF the eight
S-inch guns, .45 Calibres in length.
which will be carried on this vessel, four
will be mounted by pairs in turrcts.
superposed on tie Finch turrets above
mentioned, and four in two broadSidc
turrets slightly forward of amidShps.
teh amidship turets having a total arc
of train of $50 degrees. In the Nir-
Einia there will be Il brOadside battery
on the gun deck of l. 6-inch rapid-fire
guns, 80 cilibres in length, mounted SIX
on each side, each with IL total are train
of 121 degrees. The secondary battery
will consist of II 3-inch 80 calibre rap
id-fre guns. L -pounder semi-automat.
ir, eight 1-pounder heavy automatic.
two 80 calinre machine guns and six
30 calibre Colt automatic guns. all
mounted in commanding positions and
having large arcs of fire. The Virginia
will also he fitted with submerged tor
pedO tubes.
The magazines will he specially fit
ttt w tl'tDlt IltI ~ tdtlN, WIFI aDSO-
lutte safety, in all climates. the new
smokeless powder. Provision will he
made in the magazines for the storage
of at least 60 rounds for each of the T.
inch guns. 10 rounds for each of the
S-inch guns. 200 rounds for each of the
6-inch guns, 800 rounds for each of the
3-inch guns. and a plentyful supply of
ammunition for the smaller guns.
So much for the yes s offensive quail
tiles. To make her defensive qualities
proporti"natcly great. she will be pro-
Nided with Il couple> of waterlnc belt of
armor. eight feet in width amidships II
inches thick at the top. and eight inches
ut the bottom. tapcring to a uniform
thich les rf four inches at the ends of
the vessc, She will also have a cascmate
arinored belt. extending over about 2iJ
i"et OF her length, nf Il uniform thick
ness OF SIX inches. rising from the top of
N" mann belt to the upper main deck
ara joined in its after end to the bar
bette of the Finch turret by a 6-inch ar
mored bulkhoad, and having at its for
ward end an armored bukhead of six
inches thickness. extending from side to
side, thus forming a citidel or redoubt
within which the 6-inch guns will he
mounted. Within this citadel or redoub..
and extending from the forward turrct
liuh