NEW WAR VESSEL. CALIFORNIANS GET A BIG CONTRACT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 373, 1 June 1889, Page 4

NEW WAR VESSEL. CALIFORNIANS GET A BIG CONTRACT.

Secretary Tracy has awarded the contract for constructing the pioposed great armuuied coast defence vessel to the Onion Iron Works of San Francisco, the cost to be tf1, 628,000, with a guarantee of 4,500 hor&c- power in the engines, to bo developed in part by a system of coil boilers, which are lighter and take up less room on a ship than those of the ordinary pattern. The bids were opened on April 3rd. Three firms responded. Cramp and Sons, of Philadelphia, bid §1,614,000 ; the Union Iron Works of San Francisco $1,628,950 ; and N. F. Palmer and Co., of New Yoik, $1,690,000. The plans for the new vessel were drawn by Chief Constructor Wilson in accordance with an Act of Congress approved March 3rd, 1887, which appropriated $2,000,0C0 for the increase of the navy, of which ft 1.700,000. 700,000 was to be devoted to the con-* struction of an armoured coast - defence vessel, and the balance to the construction of a marine torpedo boat. The new yes-el is to have a length of 250 feet, a width of 59 teet, 4,000 tons displacement, and 5,400 horsepower. The Union Iron Works guaranteed to develop this amount of horse-power, while Cramp and Sons, the lowest bidders, avoided the conditions. The vessel will be provided with every m dern war appliance, and will be protected by a belt of steel bixteen inches thick over the engines, boilers and maga zincs. The parts forward and aft will be covered by steel eight inches thick. There will be two ordinary tubular marine boilers of 1,500 horse-power, and the remaining 3,900 horse-power required will be supplied by coil boilers. These are considered by the French Government as beiner absolutely perfect, although their use in naval vessels may be regarded as largely experimental. There will be constructed an armoured covering tower ten inches in thickness, in which is fitted the stoering gear, telegraphs, speaking tubes, etc., and the baitery will consist of one 110-ton 6-inch breech loader, one 46-ton 12-inch breech loader, one 15inch pneumatic dynamiteg mi, six 33-pounder , rapid-tiro guns, three 9-pounder rapid-fire guns, two 6-pounder rapid-fire guns, and four 3-pounder rapid-fire guns. The base of the smokestack will be protected by sixinch steel armour. Dynamos and electric search lights will be p ovided, and accommodations have been made for the captain, ten ward otiiceis aud 160 men. When the vessel goes into action, by taking on water bulla^t, she sink* until her deck is eighteen inches above the water level, thus diminishing the size of the target exposed to its opponent. The barbettes or gun receptacles are to be of six-inch steel and the deck will be composed of solid steel, two inches thick. The draught, will bo fourteen and a half feet, and the vessel will have a speed of sixteen knots an hour. The ordinary cruising speed is about nine knots an hour, but notwithstanding this, the vessel will be able to travel 2,722 miles without renewing her coal supply. The Union Iron Works will begin work on the vessel immediately. It is expected that tho construction will consume three j ears and six months' time. In design, the new vessel will be a departure from any vessel in the navy, and competent naval officials who have studied the specifications are of the opinion that it will be the most formidable vessel for her displacement of any in the world, and able to cope with anything that sails the seas.