792 



UNITED STATES NAVY. 



ties ; a complete armored deck three inches thick over 

 the magazines, boilers, and all machinery, and two 

 inches at the extremities ; armor on barbettes, sixteen 

 and fourteen inches, and on conning-tower ten inches. 

 The shields over the barbettes are three inches thick. 

 The engines are of the most approved triple-expansion 

 type. The designs were made in the Navy Depart- 

 ment, in conformity with conditions prescribed by 

 Secretary Whitney. 



The designs for the armored cruiser of 7,500 tons 

 displacement are in preparation in the Navy Depart- 

 ment. The vessel will be an important and formi- 

 dable addition to the fleet. 



Coast-Defense Vessel No. 2 is a vessel of novel 

 type, capable of being submerged on going into ac- 

 tion, by means of water-ballast admitted, three feet 

 beyond the ordinary cruising-line of flotation, for the 

 purpose of diminishing the target exposed and in- 

 creasing the protection to vital parts. Two 12-inch 

 breech-loading guns are mounted in a turret, at a 

 height of eleven feet above the fighting water-line, 

 one 6-inch breech-loader on the deck near the stern, 

 one 15-inch dynamite-gun hi the bow. Two tor- 

 pedo-tubes in the bow. The armor on the turret is 

 ten inches thick, and on the curved upper deck three 

 inches on the crown and five inches on the sides, 

 which extend four feet below the fighting water-line. 

 On top of this armored deck, and between the turret 

 and the stern gun. is a light superstructure, which 

 affords quarters and a convenient working- deck. 



The "Dolphin" is a single-screw dispatch-vessel, 

 carrying but a light battery. The engine is of the 

 compound vertical type. The design of the " Dol- 

 phin" affords no protection to boilers and machinery. 



The " Boston" and the " Atlanta" are central su- 

 perstructure, single-deck, partially protected cruisers. 

 They are unquestionably very efficient. The design 

 is a modification of the !t Esmeralda" type, of which 

 examples are found in several navies. The steel pro- 

 tective deck, over engines and boilers only, is li inch 

 thick. The main battery is mounted as follows: The 

 8-inch guns, in barbettes on main deck, are placed 

 en echelon, forward and abaft the superstructure ; 

 the 6-inch guns and rapid-fire and heavier machine 

 guns are mounted within the central superstructure. 

 The engines are three-cylinder, compound, horizontal, 

 back-acting, driving a single screw. The " Atlanta" 

 during a six-hour trial developed a mean speed of 

 15-43 knots and an indicated bone-power of 3,356. 

 The maximum speed was 16'33 knots. The " Boston " 

 during a six-hour trial developed a mean speed of 

 13-8 knots with a mean indicated horse-power of 

 3,780 ; but at this time the bottom was verv foul, and 

 under favorable conditions her speed should, be greater 

 than that of the "Atlanta." 



The " Chicago" is a double-deck, partially protect- 

 ed cruiser. The protective deck is of the same thick- 

 ness ana extent as in the " Boston " and the "Atlanta." 

 The main battery is thus distributed : Four 8-inch 

 guns are mounted in sponsons on the spar-deck, twen- 

 ty-four feet above the water-line ; the eight 6-inch and 

 two 5-inch guns are mounted on the gun-deck. There 

 are two sets of two-cylinder, compound, overhead- 

 beam engines, and fourteen horizontal return-tubular 

 boilers, fitted with exterior furnaces lined with fire- 

 brick. These boilers and engines are altogether unique 

 in war-ships. During a continuous six-hour trial the 

 ship developed a mean speed of 15'3 knots and a mean 

 indicated horse-power of 5.083. The maximum speed 

 for one hour was 16 - 3 knots. The bottom was foul, 

 and the fire-rooms were not closed for forcing the 

 draught. 



The " Charleston " is a protected cruiser of an im- 

 proved Esmeralda type. The protective deck extends 

 the entire length of the vessel, two inches thick on 

 flat, and three inches on inclined parts. The battery 

 is distributed as in the " Atlanta," except that the 

 8-inch guns are on the middle line of the ship. The 

 engines are of the two-cylinder compound horizontal 

 type. 



The "Newark" is a protected cruiser, designed in 

 the Navy Department to meet the requirements of 

 the Naval Board. The protective deck is complete, 

 two to two and a half inches thick on flat, and three 

 inches on inclined parts. The conning-tower is three 

 inches thick. The battery is mounted on the spar- 

 deck. The engines are of horizontal triple-expansion 

 type, designed by Cramp & Sons. 



The " Yorktown," " Concord," and " Bennington," 

 are poop-and-forecastle, partially protected cruisers; 

 designs from same source as those of the " New- 

 ark." The protective deck is complete, but only 

 three eighths inch thick. The conning-tower is two 

 inches thick. Two 6-inch guns are mounted on the 

 forecastle, two on the poop, and two amidships on 

 the main deck. The engines are of the horizontal 

 triple-expansion type. 



The " Petrel " is a single-screw, poop-and-fore- 

 castle, partially protected cruiser or gun-vessel ; de- 

 signs of hull and machinery made in the Navy De- 

 partment. The protective deck extends over the 

 boilers and machinery only, and is but three eighths 

 to five sixteenths inch thick. There are two guns 

 on each side, mounted in sponsons about four feet 

 above the main deck and ten feet above the water- 

 line, just abaft the forecastle and forward of the poop. 



The " Baltimore " is a poop-and-forecastle pro- 

 tected cruiser. The protective deck is complete, two 

 and a halt' inches thick on flat, and four inches on in- 

 clined sides. The 8-inch guns are mounted on fore- 

 castle and poop, and the 6-inch guns or the spar-deck. 

 The designs for the " Baltimore" and " Charleston" 

 and their machinery were purchased of Sir William 

 Armstrong & Co., of England. 



The " San Francisco" is like the "Newark," with 

 the following modifications : Rig, fore and aft, three 

 masts ; the 6-inch guns nearest the extremities are 

 mounted on forecastle and poop* the engines are 

 horizontal triple-expansion, designed in the Navy 

 Department. 



The "Philadelphia" is like the "Baltimore," 

 modified as follows : Rig and distribution of battery 

 same as in the " San Francisco " ; the engines of the 

 same type, but designed by Cramp & Sons. 



The " Vesuvius" is a vessel of altogether novel 

 type, of high speed, armed with three 15-inch pneu- 

 matic dynamite-guns placed abreast at a fixed angle 

 of 16, the muzzles projecting through the deck about 

 thirty -seven feet from the bow. Thirty full-caliber 

 projectiles are carried. The engines are of the four- 

 cylinder triple-expansion type. On trial, in January, 

 1889, she ran twice over a measured course of 2'54 

 knots at a mean speed of 21 '64 knots, developing 

 4,366 indicated horse-power. (For remarks concern- 

 ing guns, sec the following sections. ) 



For the Cruisers No. 6. 7, 8, 9.10, 11. 13, 14, the 

 designs are not yet completed. The table indicates 

 the general character for each class. 



Guns and Armor. In 1885 the armament of 

 United States war-ships consisted of smooth- 

 bore guns, principally of 9-inch caliber, supple- 

 mented by a few converted 8-inch inuzzle- 

 loading rifles and converted 80 and 60 pounder 

 breech-loading rifles. The 8-inch converted 

 muzzle-loading rifles were 11-inch cast-iron, 

 smooth-bore Dahlgrens, converted into rifles 

 by the introduction of a wrought-iron tube 

 (which was afterward rifled) into the cast-iron 

 body, the latter being expanded by heat suffi- 

 ciently to permit the tough wrought-iron tube 

 to be pushed into place. On cooling, the cast- 

 iron body held the tube securely in place. 

 The 100-pounder and 60-pounder Parrotts were 

 converted into 80 and 60-pounder breech-load- 

 ers in a similar manner by the introduction 

 into the bore of a steel tube extending from 



