The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-18
She RAN in
TO MUD BANK X
--G----------
The Battlcship Rhode Island,
Launchcd at Quincy, Is
Stuck in the Mud.
SISTER SHIP Of VIRGINIA
Big Fighting Machine Floatcd
at Last Of Flood Tide
Uninjurcd.
SISTER SHIP OF VIRGINIA Ii|
rnv Associated press.)

!
ship Rhode Island was launched to-day
1t tho Yards OF the Fore River Ship and
Engine Company.
After the vessel had loft the ways, the
launching crew experienced an unexpect-
I'd disaster.
Tho great craft had attained such head
way that she could not be stopped In
Keep water. and her anchor falllng to
4 hold her stern was forced into q mud
bank Three Tugs made fast to her as soon
MS possible, but the tide fell rapidly and
they were unable to move her. A naval
Inspector, who was on the scene. cx-
pressed the opinion that as the bottom
was soft, the ship would not be dam
nged In the least.
She Is Floated. s
The battleshlp Rhode Island was float
ia at the last OF tho food-tide at mid
night. She Is apparently uninjured.
The Rhode Island.
Congress, IN March 1899. aplpr,oiprilae e. (,
t!eships. CARRYING the heaviest arinor and
mos. powerful to for roy yesse rs h 81
the act etao Of june june H!o is iof m
The Bureau, i't Of Construction and Repair
FULLY carried out the, evident PURPOSE (, OF
u
land and her class represents Ave Of the
most powerful battIeships. including tho
recently lily lau l bis1E XiEE1!S;
The general dimensions and chief char
acteristlcs of these vessels, are: 49,
Length on load-water line. 435 feet;
breadth extreme, at oad-water line.
s5aqt 14:els tons; mean draasht as VIII al
displacement, about % feet; greatest
draught, full load. about rs feet.
Will Make Nineteen Knots.
TO begin. with, these battlcships will
which compares most favorably with any
battIeship under construction abroad, as
vel b as RS we 1ns na w H BE- pfopssd az
by two ur,,cylndsr. triple-,sxpansion en-.
power, having q stroke OF four feet. run
ming. under conditions OF maximum speed.
at about 100 revolutions minute. !, the
square inch by twenty-four Niciausse
hgle PLACED feSr in snsa e
ments.
Armament.
tweive-inch guns. forty caiibres in length,
and mounted by pairs In balanced tur.
the superstructurc and the other att. and
degrees. OF the eight eight-inch guns:
be carried on this vessel. four will be
mounted by pairs In turrets. superposed
upon the tweye-inch turrets a 10 men
slightly forward OF amidshlps, the amid
ship turrets having total arc OF tram
will be a broadsde battery on the gun
deck OF twelve slx-Inch rapid fire guns.
nifty calibr res in length thu and mounted a,s1 SIX
train OF 12l degrees. The secondary bat
terry Will consist of twelve ihree,inch
6nSsr raPa 6s ssk ese
FOUNDER, heavy automatic: two thirty
calbre machine guns and six thirty-ca! J..
Commanding positions and having. large
arcs of FIRE, The Rhode leland will also
be fitted with submerged torpedo tubes
Her Armor Plate.
She will be. provided with a complete
width amldship. eleven inches thick at tho
top and eight inches at the bottom. taper
: Ing to uniform thickness of four inches
al the ends of the vessel. She will also
have easement armored belt extending
oyer about ~ feet OF her length Of
from the TOD Of the main belt to the
upper or main deck. and Joined at Ito
after end 70 the barbeite OF the twelve
: head, and having at its forward end an
armored bulkhead of six inches thickness,
extending from side to side. thus forming s
siX-inch guns will be mounted. f
Within this citadel or redoubt, and eT-
tending from the forward turret to the
after turret, light arnor one and half
and two and a half inches In thickness.
ures, thoroughly protecting the. gums
crews from flying splinters and frag-
gnents Of bursting shells.
The harhettes for the turrets OF the
twelve-inch guns are to be ten inches II, IN
thickness for that portion outside OF the
half inches In thickness within:
The turlets themselves Will be pro-
tected by armor twelve inches IN thick,
ness. The eight-inch turrets Will. IN al
emit be protected by six inches Of armor;
with six and a half inch mort plates, and
their barbettes will he protected by SIM
liar nrmor The coming tower, and its
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 10,
the coming tower there will be-, art a
second tower. known as the signal tower.
which Will be constructed of hve-'nch ar
NOR,
From the bottom of the water,line ar
NOR belt there Will rise curved turtle
backed, nickel-steel protective deck, one
and a half inches thick on the nat ana ,l