DECK PLANS OF THE U. S. FRIGATE “CHICAGO,” SHOWING BATTERY.
The deck plans show the arrangement of the main battery, in addition to which she carries a powerful secondary battery of Hotchkiss rapid-firing single-shot, and revolving cannons and Gatling guns.
The bow of the vessel is strengthened for using the ram with which she is fitted. The rudder and steering-gear are under water. She has two screws—a subdivision of power which is given to all ships-of-war of over 3000 tons displacement—from which a great advantage is derived if one engine is broken down, as three-fourths of the speed can be maintained with the other. The advantage of this in a naval action is obvious.
U. S. SLOOP-OF-WAR “ATLANTA” (STEEL).
The Atlanta, of which the Boston is a counterpart, presents another type of a steel unarmored cruiser. She is a steam-corvette, or sloop-of-war, a single-decked ship. Her length is 276 feet, beam 42 feet, draught of water 16 feet 10 inches. She has a displacement of 3000 tons, and has attained a speed of 15.5 knots per hour with a maximum horse-power of 3482. The capacity of her coal-bunkers is 580 tons, and her battery consists of two 8-inch steel breech-loading guns and six 6-inch, besides a secondary battery of Hotchkiss and Gatling guns.
DECK PLAN OF THE U. S. SLOOP-OF-WAR “ATLANTA,” SHOWING BATTERY.
In vessels of this class it is usual to have an open-deck battery, with a poop-deck and top-gallant forecastle at the extremities, but the effort has been made in this type to increase the effectiveness of the battery by giving the guns a more extended lateral train than is possible when a ship is arranged with a forecastle and poop-deck. These, with the accommodations which they provide, have been removed from the ends of the ship, and a superstructure has been erected amidships. This arrangement gives a clear sweep forward and aft for the powerful 8-inch guns, enabling the forward gun to cover an all-around fire of from 40° abaft the beam on the port side to 30° abaft the beam on the starboard side, the after 8-inch gun having a corresponding lateral sweep aft. Within the superstructure are mounted the six 6-inch guns, two on each side on the broadside, with a train of 60° before and abaft the beam, the other two being mounted at diagonally opposite corners in such a way as to admit of their use either on the broadside or for fire ahead or astern. This object is achieved by mounting the two 8-inch guns en échelon, the forward gun being on the port side of the centre line of the ship, and the after 8-inch gun on the starboard side of the same line. This is shown on the deck plan.[50]