The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
GOOD BY, OLD BALTIMORE
FAMOUS CRUISERS FIGHTING
DAYS ARE OVER.

OtneT American -Vitu Do"eg'
The protected cruiser Baltimore, which
was one OF Uncle Sans most formidable
fighting machines when launched in 1855
and has probably seen more real service
and bean Ii more tickllsh places thar any
other warship OF the United States Navy,
has seen her last servioe az q man-of-war.
For the third time she has gone out OF
commission at the Brooklyn navy yard
and has beer Invested Of her armament.
When the last Of her gum were removed
on Tuesday she was stripped Of her epsign
and turned over to the Bureau Of Construc-
ton and Repairs. Then the last Of her crow
turned his back upon her, and for the
time being nothing will remain Of the Balti-
more but an empty ship, a choice roosting
place for birds.
While the Baltimore has q history which
gives her a place in the American Nays
Hall Of Fame, her deeds are OF the past,
when the modern battleship wasn't dreamed
Of. Beside the new Maine. the Kentucky,
and others OF that class, she is scarcely
more than a plaything, and her future
usefulness In Unole Sans navy must be
found In some other role than as a man-oi-
war.
Whether she will be turned into a feet
repair ship or will end her days In laying
submarine mines hasn't been determined.
II Ia certain that her active career as a
fighter is over.
The Baltimore was one OF the first ships
OF what WAS known in the 'e0s as the now
navy. She was one OF four authorized
In 1879 after the ships OF the Atlanta, Boston
and Chicago type ID been built.
Although she Ia built Of steel throughout
she IL unarmored. and relies for protection
on a heavy protective deck and the arrange
ment OF her coal bunkers. Her general
dimensions are: length. 327 feet Q inches;
extreme breadth. 4s feet z inches; draught.
10 feet Q inches; displacement. 4.41S tons;
gross tonnage. 3,ol9. and net tonnage 2,1o2
tons.
She carries two military masts and has
twin screw horizontal engines Of the triple
expansion type. On her trial trip her
engines developed 1o,O6i indicated horse
power. driving the chip at an average speed
for the four hour trial Of more than twenty
knots. While her normal coal supply Is only
400 tons. she oan carry LA tons.
The cruiser was built at the Cramp ship
yards, Philadelphia. She has a double
bottom running the entire length Of the
machinery space. The inner and outer
shells are spaced apart 3 feet and 5 inches
by the longitudinal girders and transverse
frames.
The girders and frames are riveted at
their intersections and their fianges are
riveted at the outer and inner shells, form
ing a series Of watertight compartments
which serve as a protection against collision
or even the blow of a torpedo. The ma
chlnery, magazines, shell rooms. torpedo
rooms and steering gear are all placed below
an armored deck. which is four inches thick
on It's sloping sides and two and a half inches
thick on the fiat part amidship.
All openings In the deciAAto machinery
spaces. magazines. shell rooms, de-, are
projected by coferdams. Above the pro-
tected deck. running clear up to the berth
deck. coal is stored along, the sides OF the
ship for the length Of the machinery space.
Il forms a belt is feet o inches wide above
the machinery.
Below the protective deck a belt OF coal
0 feet thick also runs the length OF the ma
chipery. The protective deck is carried
down to strengthen the ram shaped bow.
which Is thoroughly stiffened and strength
ened by ~bulkheads and breasthooks for
ramming purposes. Longitudinal and
athwartship bulkheads divide the hull into
$50 watertight compartments.
The Baltimore has an open gun deck.
with poop and forecastle decks. She has
mounted In her main battery four's inch
breechloading rifles and six o inch breeoh-
leaders. In her secondary battery she
carried four Q FOUNDER, two s FOUNDER and
two / ? FOUNDER rapid fire guns. four 81 mill
limetre Hotchkiss rifles and W Colts. She
also carried a field gun.
Two Of the 8 inch rifles were mounted
under the forecastle and two under the
poop. The @ inch rifles were mounted
under the main bridges and on the broad
sides.
-Four guns could concentrate within 400
feet OF the bow or stern. Either broadside
Of six guns could concentrate within 100
feet Of the ships side, The ship carried
Bix above water torpedo launching tubes,
one in the bow and one in the stern and
two movable ones on zach broadside. She
ls fitted with electric ~searchlights and APP
paratus for lighting the ship.
The Baltimore had been in commission
scarcely two years when she was very
nearly the cause Of war beween the United
States and Chile. The warship was an
chored in the harbor Of Valparaiso on
October 10. 1891, during a revolution in
Chile and two weeks after the city Of VAL
paraiso had been surrendered to the Con-
g~reesionalist leaders.
Other foreign crews in the harbor had
had shore leave, 30 the same privilege was
extended the sailors from the Baltimore.
Four hours after a party Of the seamen
went ashore one Of the Baltimore's sailors
knocked down a Chilean who had spat In
HE face. An angry crowd then set upon
the sailor and his companion and they
took refuge on a passing street car.
They we're dragged from the car by the
crowd and one OF the men, Charles Riggn,
q petty officer. was stabbed and left to
die In the street. A companion. an ap-
prentice. escaped. but was afterward
captured and was struck again and again
by the police taking him to prison with
oAtgut nippers on his wrists.
Another petty officer. johnson. came up,
and seSing Riggin lying helpless In the
street started to carry him to q drug store.
Just then a. squad Of Chilean police. with
fixed bayonets. hurried up the street and
when at close quarters they fired at John
n. - .w.I DI--t-t. 1911 -