Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-17

ships, 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 or
Congress- for the design of the Rhode Is
land and class represents five most power
full battle ships
Of the five 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 out
side sheathing and coppering. so that each
vessel of the class is now counterpart OF
the other, except for minor modlhcations
incident to construction.
The general dimensions and chief charac-
| teristics of these vessels are: Length on
! load water line, ABS feet; breadth, extreme,
| at load water line, 76 feet 21a inches; trial
displacement, about 14,94S tons; mean
| draft at trial displacement, about % feet y
| inches; greatest draft, full load, about 70
| feet.
Antagonistic Qualities Compromised.
In the 1900 tons represented in each OF
| these vessels the many antagonistic quail
| ties essential to a perfect fighting machine
have been compromised and incorporated in
| proportion which experience seems to have
| pointed out as the most desirable and eff
| will have speed of at least nineteen knots
which compares most favorably with any
| battle ships under construction abroad, as
well as with any in the projected stage.
| The Rhode Island will be propelled at
| this high speed by twin screws, driven by
| two four-cylinder, triple-expansion en-
| gines of about 900 indicated horse power,
| having a stroke of four feet running. UNI
! der conditions of maximum speed, at about
100 revolutions per minute. The steam nee
| essary to this power will be supplied at
| pressure of $50 pounds per square inch, by
twenty-four Niclausse water-tube boilers,
| placed four in each of six Independent
| water-tight compartments.
Powerful Armament.
The Rhode Island will carry four Pinch
| guns, forty calibers in length, mounted by
pairs in balanced turrets, one turret being
| located forward of the superstructure and
the other aft, and each having total arc
of train of 27O degrees. Of the eight s-inch
| guns, As calibers in length, which will be
| carried on this vessel, four will be mounted
by pairs in turrets, superposed upon the Il
inch turrets above mentioned. and four IN
| two broadside turrets slightly forward OF
| amidships, the amidship turrets having a
| total arc of train of 100 degrees.
In the Rhode Island there will be a
| broadside battery on the gun deck OF twelve
| length mounted six each SIDE each
with total arc of train of 121 degrees.
| The secondary battery will consist OF
| twelve 3-inch 50-caliber rapid-ire guns,
| twelve 3-pounders, semi-automatic; eight
| 1-pounder heavy automatic, two 30-caliber
machine guns and six 30-caliber Colt auto
matte guns, all mounted in commanding
| positions and having large arcs of fire.
| The Rhode Island will also be fitted with
submerged torpedo tubes.
Magazines Adapted to All Climates.
The magazines will be specially fitted to
| vytth al nfalv cot 70 "
in all climates, the new smokeless powder.
Provision will be made In the magazines
for the stowage of at least sixty rounds
for each of the twelye-inch guns, 125
rounds for each of the eight-inch guns 20U
rounds for each of the six-inch guns, sou
rounds for each of the three-inch guns, and
plentiful supply of ammunition for the
smaller guns
So much for the vessels offensive quail
ties. To make her defensive qualities pro-
portionately great she will be provided
with a complete waterline belt of armor
eight feet in width amidships, eleven inches
thick at the top and six inches at the bot
tom, tapering to uniform thickness OF
four inches at the ends of the vessel.
She will also have a casemate armored
belt extending over about 245 feet of her
length, of a uniform thickness of six inches
rising from the top of the main belt to the
upper main deck and Joined at its after
end to the barbette of the twelve-inch tur-
having at its forward end an armored bulk
head of six inches thickness, extending
from side to side, thus forming citadel or
redoubt. within which the six-ineh guns
will be mounted
Within this citadel or redoubt, and ex-
tending from the forward turret to the
after turret light armor one and one-half
inches and two and one-half inches in
thickness, will form subdivisions of the
gun Enclosures. thoroughly protecting the
guns crews from flying splinters and
fragments of bursting shells. The barbettes
for the turrets of the twelve-inch guns are
to be ten inches in thickness for that por-
ton outside OF the redoubt or citadkl, re-
duced to seven and one-half inches in
thickness within.
II The furrets themselves will be protected
by armor twelve inches in thickness. The
eight-inch turrets will. in all cases. whether
superposed or independent. be protected by
six inches of armor. with six and one-half-
inch port plates. and their barbettes will be
protected by similar armor.
VIII Have Extra Tower for Signals.
The coming tower and Its shield win be