The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-30
CRUISER BIRMINGHAM
 LAUNCHED AT QUINCY, MASS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE NI)

10 knots an hour, 6250 knots; steamins radius at full speed, 1875 knots; maximum
 indicated horse power, engines, l6,O0o; ln- dicated horse power, auxiliary engines, 4O0.
 The freeboard of the vessel is greater than that of any other vessel in the navy, being at the normal draft 19 feet SI2
 inches amidships, 24 feet at the stem and 21 feet 6 inches at the stern. This high freeboard insures good ea-going quail ties, gives great range of stability ana
 provides d safe and dry vessel under ali conditions of weather. On account or this high freeboard it has been possible to provide commodious quarters for the officers and crew, well above the water line forecastle has been provided above the main deck for about one quar- ter of the length and deck houses nave been arranged abaft the forecastle. Ample
 subdivision has been made to insure the vessel keeping atloat with no resulting
 serious change of trim or loss of stapil- ity if several of the compartments are pierced.
 In planning the structural details the greatest care has been exercised to pro l vide a hull which shall combine With ] lightness, the strength and stiffness nee- I essary to successfully withstand the severe shocks which the vessel may De
 called upon to undergo and particular at
  strength of the vessel and to the strength
 of the water-tight bulkheads, that they | may be able to withstand the pressure 1 due to the flooding of any compartment l and thus avoid endangering the vessel as
 a whole.
 | The hull of the Birmingham is built of steel throughout Two longitudinal bulk
 heads are worked continuously through out the engine and boiler spaces. one on
 each side, extending from the bottom of l the vessel to the main deck, and inclined ] slightly inboard at the top. In order to {, avoid any break in the continuity Of the l strength of the vessel, the upper and | lower strakes of these bulkheads will eX- l tend well beyond the limits of the ma | cninery spaces, forming large brackets ! gradually tapered off. Between the longi- ! tudinal bullxheads and extending through l ont the boiler and engine room an inner
 bottom will be worked so that the vessel will be protected from injury in case Of ! grounding.
 Five decks, designed as forecastle, main, | berth. orlop and platform decks respect | ively will be worked; the main and berth 1 decks being continuous from stem to
 stern Nickel steel protection of 80 pounds | per square inch is worked the shell l plating for the length of the machinery ] space including the dynamo room. ex- l tending from about feet inches below | the waterine to about feet inches
 above. abreast the engine room and also ] the dynamo room, and then feet 6 l inches above abreast the boiler rooms. l At the forward end of the machinery | space and the after end of the dynamo l room partial athwarship buildheads of 4o l pounds nickel steel will be fitted. of the l same depth as the adjoining side protec- l tion Nickel steel protection will also l be fitted in wake of the steering engine. ! The battery will consist of two pinch i and six 3-nch rapid fire guns and two l 21-inch submerger torpedo tubes. The
 torpedo tubes, of the sde-loadlng type l with all necessary accessories, including ;, air compressors and accumulators. Will 1 be installed in the torpedo room forward, i one on each side. Four torpedoes for l each tube will be carried The magazines l have been so arranged that about half !, the total supply of ammunition Will be carried at each end of the vessel, and l four ammunition hoists, driven by constant l speed electric motor. will deliver ammuni-
 ton to the guns.
 T,he engines will be of the vertical.