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VOL. X/X. NO. 28. CLEVELAND~—JULY Q, 1896—CHICAGO. $2 PER YEAR. 100. SINGLE COP THE NEW BATTLESHIPS. The Navy Department has issued the official circular containing the requirements for the proposed battle- ships, each of about 11,000 tons displacement; length on load water line, normal displacement, 368 feet; moulded breadth at load water line, 72 feet; mean draft, 23% feet. They are to have freeboards between the 11 feet of the Indiana class and the 19 feet of the Iowa class, about 16 feet. This freeboard was recommended by the Walker Board, which reported as its opinion that the Indiana was too low in the water for the operation of her guns in all kinds of weather, a criticism refuted by Capt. Evans, commanding the vessel, who says that he passed through a gale some months ago, one of the worst he has ever seen, and yet the guns of the battleship could have been operated without difficulty. An appropria- tion of $3,750,000 is made for the construction of each vessel, The armament is to be paid for out of a sepa- rate appropriation. Bids are invited on plans prepared by the department, and on those submitted by the bidder. The department’s design contemplates driving . the vessel by twin screws. The engines to be of the vertical triple-expansion type, two in number—one on each shaft —and in twocompartments. ‘The boilers to be single- ended, eight in number, and placed in four compart- ments. ‘The speed to be maintained at sea for four con- secutive hours is to,be not less than an average of 16 knots an hour. ‘The hull is to be of steel, not sheathed, with double bottom and close watertight subdivision. The arrangements of decks above water are to provide ample freeboard and berthing accommodations. It is - contemplated to fit two military masts with fighting tops, tocarry no sail. Hach ship is to have two smoke- pipes, which are to be in line athwartships, a position much affected by the British in their vessels. The two turrets for the 13-inch guns, which are to be mounted in pairs, will be located on the central line forward and aft, and the fourteen 6-inch guns will be mounted behind a superstructure on the main deck and on an upper deck. The secondary battery of sixteen 6-pounders, four 1-pounders, four machine guns, and one field gun will be distributed about the ship where they will be of the most service. The protection of the hull against injury to the water-line region is to be afforded by means of a side armor belt of a mean depth of 7 feet 6 inches and a ‘maximum thickness throughout the engine and boiler spaces of 16% inches. From thence forward it may be tapered gradually to a uniform thickness of four inches, The transverse armor atthe after end of the belt and just forward of the boiler will not be less than 12 inches in thickness. Barbettes for13-inch guns will have ar- mor 15 inches thick, except inthe rear, where it will be reduced to 10 inches. The turret armor is to be17 inches thick in front, and 15 inches elsewhere. Theship’s side, from the armor belt to the main deck, will be protected by not less than 5% inches of steelarmor, from barbette to barbette. Coal is to be carried back of a portion of this 5%-inch casement armor. A protective deck, rang- ing from 2% to 5 inches in thickness is to extend throughout the length of the vessel. A cellulose belt is to be fitted along the sides of the whole length of the ship. A conning tower of not less than 10 inches in thickness, having an armored communication tube not less than 7 inches in thickness will be carried in a suit- able commanding position forward. An additional ar- mored station will be fitted aft, having armor not less than 6inchesin thickness. The fourteen 6-inch guns on the main and upper deck will be protected by 5%- inch armor, with 14g inch splinter bulkheads between guns. Protection is to be afforded the sixteen 6- pounder and four 1-pounder guns by shields and extra side plating. The supply of ammunition will consist of 200 rounds for the four 13-inch guns; 2,800 rounds for the 6-inch; 10,000 rounds for the 6-pounder; and 2,400 rounds for the 1-pounder. The torpedo outfit is to con- sist of four broadside tubes, eight torpedoes, and suit- able allowance of gun cotton for mines and miscella- neous purposes. ‘The torpedo tubes will be placed two on each broadside. ‘The total coal bunker capacity is to be such that at least 1,200 tons can be carried with loose stowage without trimming by hand. Quarters are to be provided for 600 men. A table is included in the circular, giving the princi- pal weights to be carried. For the armament of the ship 550 tons is allowed; for ammunition, 437 tons; and for machinery, 1.133 tons. ‘The other weights are dis- tributed among torpedo outfit equipment, etc. The complement of officers and men is to be 490. If the speed falls below 16 knots and exceeds 15 knots per hour, the vessel will be accepted at a reduction at the rate of $25,000 per % knot to 15% knots, and $50,000 from 15% knots to15 knots. If the speed falls below 15 knots per hour, the vessel will, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Na¥y, be rejected, or accepted at a re- duced price. The contractors will be required to complete the ves- sels within three years from the date of the execution of the contracts. In case of delay a penalty will be im- posed ranging from $75 to $200 per day for the first three and after the first six months respectively, beyond the date of contract completion. The machinery to be supplied to the ships will weigh 1,050 tons, and in case of excess of weight in this feature, the contractor will incur a penalty of $500 per ton of such excess, and if the total weight be exceeded by five per cent, a further penalty of $10,000 will be exacted. From information which has reached the Navy De- partment, the belief prevails that there will be at least three bids submitted on the proposed vessels—Cramps, Union Iron Works and Newport News Shipbuilding Co. The latter firm secured the contracts for the construc- tion of the Kearsarge and Kentucky at its bid of $2,250,- 000 each. It is expected that the contracts for the pro- posed battleships will be awarded at about the same fig- ures. From the many replies to the circular letters sent out by the department less than two weeks ago, it is the belief that there may be even more competition. EE BD OO a COAST AND FOREIGN SHIPBUILDING. The new steamyacht which Robert Goelet, of New York, has ordered from J. & G. Thomson, the Scotch builders, is to be a vessel of 1,750 tons, with twin screws and triple-expansion engines to drive her 18 knots. She will be very similar to the yacht now nearly ready for launching at the same yard for Ogden Goelet. Plans have been made by Harlan & Hollingsworth for a new Sound steamboat for the Providence & Stonington Steamship Co. She will be named Ver- mont, and is to surpass the present boats on that line. Her length will be 400 feet and she will be supplied with twin screws and triple-expansion engines. The new steel steamers Mohawk and Mohegan, built at Chester for the Central Vermont railroad, have been put in commission. They are 280 feet long, 60° feet beam and are equipped with triple-expansion engines, electric lights and steam steering gear. Both vessels will ply between New York and New London, Conn., displacing the boats now in service there. The new vessels are guaranteed to make the run between the above ports in 7 hours, as against 10 and 14 hours heretofore. STEEL FORGED SHAFTS AND SPEED. That there isa growing sentiment in fayor of high class steel forgings in preference to wrought iron is no news to anybody. The makers of steel forgings are, however, engaged in an aggressive crusade on the Great Lakes, to place these forginys in vessels in the shape of shafts, connecting-rods, crank-pins, etc , it be-, ing an almost weekly occurrence for one of the last named to break when made of wrought iron. ‘The dis- tinct advantages of steel forged shafts are not to be doubted after the experience of the past few years. ‘The Bethlehem Iron Co. replaced with steel the old shafts in the steamships City of Paris and City of New York, when they were bought by the American Line, after which each of them beat all previous records on their first trip across the ocean. And now the City of St. Louis and City of St. Paul, also equipped with steel forged shafts, hold the’ present records, even when compared with ships of much greater horse: power. Here is a quotatlon from a letter written by Mr. Irwin | M. Scott, general manager of the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, Cal.: “The requirements for the crank and propeller shafts for the U. S. cruiser San Francisco, called for 68,000 pounds tensile strength, and 28 per cent elongation. This was exceeded in every shaft, some of them going as high as 73,000 pounds, and 33 per cent elongation, re- quiring a special request by the Union Iron Works to — the Secretary of the Navy, to permit of their being used ~ on account of having exceeded the limit allowed by the specifications, being at that time better than any shafts known. ‘The shafts for the cruiser Olympia, whose en- gines developed 18,000 horse-power, distributed this horse-power by two shafts tothe propellers, making 140 revolutions every minute. These shafts, for their size and sectional area, have delivered the largest horse- power of any shaft in the American navy. ‘The superi- ority of material and workmanship in shafts furnished by the Bethlehem Iron Co. has undoubtedly been largely conducive to the fact that the Oregon, Baltimore and other vessels recently turned out by Cramp & Sons and the Union Iron Works have developed higher speed than any other vessel of their class in the navy.” rrr oe + HONORS FOR COMMODORE MELVILLE. In recognition of the achievements of Engineer-in- Chief George W. Melville in the science of mechanical engineering, the trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology at the commencement have decided to con- fer upon him the doctor of engineering. Ten years ago Mr. Melville analyzed the conditions which were caus- ing a revolution in naval construction, and almost sin- gle-handed he caused a policy of naval rehabilitation to be pursued which would make speed the cardinal ele- ment of design. ‘This policy has been of greater import. than the construction of successful war ships, for it was followed by the building of swift ocean greyhounds, the foundation step in the restoration of our merchant marine. FOREIGN UNDERWRITERS AGAIN HIT HARD. The St. Louis and New Orleans Anchor Line is the possessor of a fleet of seven boats trading on the river between New Orleans and St. Louis. The boats have been insured by local companies for 13 per cent per annum, one-fourth of the risk being uncovered. A well-known British company came in a few months ago and: took the fleet at 8 per cent., 4% per cent per month laying-up returns, and giving fullinsurance. Three of the boats were total losses in the late tornado at St. Louis.. This confirms the river insurance men in the belief that the tornado was a providental occurrence.