The pneumatic-gun cruiser is to be armed with three of Zalinski’s pneumatic dynamite guns of 10½-inch calibre, each of which is to throw a shell containing 200 pounds of high explosives for a distance of one mile, and to be capable of being discharged at least once in two minutes. The guaranteed speed is twenty knots.
Under the law of August 3, 1881, authorizing the construction of two new ships, it was provided that these should be “sea-going, double-bottomed, armored vessels of about 6000 tons displacement, designed for a speed of at least sixteen knots an hour, with engines having all necessary appliances for working under forced draft, to have a complete torpedo outfit, and be armed in the most effective manner.” According to the circular issued by the Navy Department, one of these was to be an armored cruiser, with a maximum draught of twenty-two feet, and the other a battle-ship, with a draught of twenty-three feet; both were to be built of steel, with double bottoms, to have numerous water-tight compartments fitted with powerful pumping apparatus, and to be supplied throughout with perfect drainage and ventilation. A ram bow, twin screws, electric search-lights, torpedo outfit, and a protected steel-armored deck running the whole length of the ship and covering the boilers, engines, and magazines, were essentials; while high power and economy were so equally demanded that, to a maximum maintained speed of seventeen knots when fully equipped, great coal endurance and small fuel consumption were to be added. In each vessel a space sufficient for two hundred and seventy people, for provisions for three months, and for water for one month, was required. The cruiser was to have two-thirds sail-power on two or three masts, each supplied with a military top fitted to mount one or more machine guns. The armament of this ship was to include ten steel breech-loading rifles—four of 10-inch and six of 6-inch calibre—and a secondary battery of four 6-pounders, four 3-pounders, and two 1-pounders, rapid-fire, and four 47-millimetre and four 37-millimetre revolving cannons, all of the Hotchkiss pattern, together with four Gatling guns. There were to be fitted six torpedo-tubes—one bow, one stern, and two on each side, of which at least one on each side forward was to be under water. The heavy guns were to load in not less than two positions, and were to be protected by at least ten and a half inches of steel armor, properly backed; the 6-inch guns were to be fitted with shields, and all the guns were to be arranged so as to obtain the greatest horizontal and vertical fire consistent with other conditions. Any vertical armored protection at the water-line was to be at least eleven inches thick in the heaviest part, and thicker, if practicable.
The armament of the line-of-battle ship was to consist of two 12-inch and six 6-inch guns, and of a secondary battery which included four 6-inch, six 3-pounder, and two 1-pounder rapid-fire guns; of four 47-millimetre and four 37-millimetre revolving cannons, and of four Gatlings. The torpedo outfit was similar to that of the cruiser.
The plans submitted were opened on April 1st of this year, and notwithstanding the difficulties which the displacement imposed upon the other requirements, no less than thirteen designs were received from ten different competitors. The most important of these were offered by the Thames Iron Ship Building Company and the Barrow Ship Building Company, of Great Britain; by A. H. Grandjean, Esq., of France; and by Chief Constructor Wilson, Naval Constructor Pook, and Lieutenant Chambers, all of the United States navy. The designs were submitted to a board, and this finally recommended the Barrow plan as best suited for the armored battle-ship. So far as the armored cruiser was concerned, the Board reported as follows: “The marked differences in the essential features of the designs of armored cruisers of the Barrow Ship Building Company, Lieutenant W. I. Chambers, A. H. Grandjean, and the Thames Iron-Works and Ship Building Company, prevent their classification in the order of merit. Each exhibits features which strongly commend themselves, but the Board does not consider it advisable for the government to build a vessel upon any one of these plans.”
The battle-ship, though designed by one of the most distinguished marine architects in England, has not in its present form received the general approval of experts, for between it and the plan submitted by the Bureau of Construction there seem to be differences of merits which are strongly in favor of the latter. The dimensions of the new ships are as follows:
Barrow Ship.
Length between perpendiculars, 290 feet; on load water-line, 300 feet; extreme breadth, 64 feet 1 inch; mean draught, 22 feet 6 inches; displacement, 6300 tons.
Navy Department Ship.
Length between perpendiculars, 300 feet; on load water-line, 310 feet; extreme breadth, 58 feet; mean draught, 22 feet; displacement, 6600 tons.
The striking differences between these two ships are found in their relative stability and sea-going qualities. Mr. John, the designer of the Barrow ship, in a paper on “Atlantic Steamers,” read before the Institution of Naval Architects July 29, 1886, made the following statements: