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MARINE REVIEW. <e ints --------__ --_---- weights and resistance necessary, and the alleged possible inconvenience of having to at all times fire the two sets of guns in a double turret at ob- jects in the same general direction. Many of these arguments the Amer- ican experts did not answer, although they did give a very satisfactory theoretical disproval of the statements anent the danger to the turning apparatus for the turrets, which the United States officers asserted had, in the 15-inch armor stipulated, the very best protection possible. In the matter of rapid-fire armament the designers of the Kearsarge and Kentucky, indeed, seem to have builded better than they knew. The result could hardly be more satisfactory had they had the benefit of the les- sons afforded by the naval engagement at Santiago--that conclusive dem- onstration of the supremacy of the rapid-firer. The battleships will have broadside batteries of fourteen 5-inch rapid-fire guns, seven guns on either broadside and ranged on the main deck between the two turrets. Each of these guns will be enabled to fire through an arc of 90 degrees. They throw projectiles weighing 50 pounds, and it has been estimated that one proadside of these guns on. the Kearsarge or Kentucky would, during every minute of a fight in which she was within range of an enemy's vessel he enabled to throw 56 shots, or a total weight. of 3,000 pounds of steel, at a velocity of 2,300 feet per second, and with a destructive or force effect of 102,704 foot tons--a weight sufficient to lift a modern battleship 9 feet 'n the air. The superiority of this combination of 5-inch rapid-firers and @-inch guns over the greater number of 8-inch and four slow-firing 6-inch of the Indiana, Oregon and Massachusetts will be apparent if a mo- uns L ! . 's thought is given to the subject. Indeed when the whole armament ment with the most intense interest everywhere, for the reason t it will, i successful, establish conclusively the superiority of the sediricdl echaae ism. There is no denying, however, the fact of this feature being an ex- periment, and while the department has confidence that the electrical sys- tem is capable of greater progress and improvement than any other now in use, the utilization of electricity for turning gear will be confined to these two vessels until they shall have been in commission long enough to permit of the compilation of some definite data. The motors for turret turning gear, boat cranes, etc., as well as the electric light plants, are being furnished by the General Electric Co. ; DESCRIPTION AND PARTIOULARS OF HULLS. Principal dimensions and other particulars of the Kearsar n tucky are as follows: Length between perpendiculars, 355 Reet on load water line, 368 feet; length over all, 371 feet; beam molded, 72 feet; extreme beam, 72 feet 2%4 inches; freeboard, forward, 14 feet 3 inches: freeboard, amidships, 11 feet; freeboard, aft, 12 feet 3 inches; nonmal mean draught with 410 tons of coal, 23 feet 6 inches; displacement on this draught, 11,500 tons; speed, 16 knots; area of midship section, 1.623 square feet; area of load water plane, 19,833 square feet; wetted surface, 30,000 square feet; tons per inch of immersion, 47.30; movement to alter trim one inch, 948.5 tons; mean draught with 1,210 tons of coal, all stores, etc., 25 feet; displacement at this draught; 12,350 tons; metacentric height at a draught of 25 feet, 4.5. feet; range of stability at 12,350 tons displacement 57% degrees; maximum righting arm, 2.08 feet; maximum righting move- ee oD leew a Outboard and Deck Plans of the Battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky. of these vessels is considered, there would seem to be ample justification of the claim that they will 'be the most formidable fighting machines afloat. lo demonstrate this but a momentary resumé is necessary. A broadside on either of the battleships would consist of four 13-inch, four 8-inch and Sever 5-inch guns, a total of 15 guns, throwing missiles weighing 1,100, 250 and 50 pounds respectively, and with a total energy at every discharge of 179,390 foot tons. ELECTRICITY FOR TURNING TURRETS. Another feature of these two battleships, which partakes of the experi- mental in character, is the use of electricity as power for turret propulsion. - mei of turret-turning gear is a problem with which all nations, eae nited States included, has been grappling for years. The whole mat- fata? not as yet passed the experimental stage. Steam, hydraulic, pneu- oe electrical power have all been utilized for the work, and' the ay ae of the latter have within the past. couple of years been particu- The ae in the presentation of the claims of their favorite method. eri ectrical gear has been utilized in the English, French, Russian and recente Navies for the turning of small turrets, and in some of the more Ribret y constructed vessels of the Russian and French navies for larger tal a i well, and so, except in the matter of a direct comparison, there fienane ing original in the. installation by the United States of electrical i Rice for two. of the 8-inch turrets on the armored cruiser Brook- firvaae cae was retained as the propelling power of the other two they Bat he results seemed to rather favor the electrical installation, but mtaké 4 oh to such a degree superficial that the. officials determined to Seleriaal orough test. The battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky were eal' Hee or this work, and these vessels have been equipped with electri- this ms ors throughout the turrets for the control of all operations. As superi eans the operation of the heavy mechanism of the 13-inch turrets, a mposed with 8-inch turrets, the test is far and away the most severe as been made by any government at any time, and will be watched ment, 25,688 foot tons; angle of maximum righting arm, 32 degrees. There will be five torpedo tubes. The height of axis of the forward 13-inch guns above the normal load water line will be 20 feet 8 inches; of the after 13- inch guns, 19 feet; of the forward 8-inch guns, 29 feet 3 inches; and of the after 8-inch guns, 27 feet 8 inches. NO SACRIFICE OF ARMOR PROTECTION. It might naturally be supposed that in providing so marvelously effi- cient an armament for these vessels it would have been found necessary to make some sacrifices in the matter of armor strength, but in reality special attention was given to this point and the department of construc- tion devised a plan whereby the gun positions of these vessels have com- plete armor protection from a distance of 4 feet below the water line to the top of the 8-inch turrets. This armor, as well as all other armor used on the vessels, will be of solid nickel steel, Harveyized. The lower part of the protection--the barbette, so-called--will have armor 15 inches in thickness. The armor of the 18-inch turrets will also ibe 15 inches, except immediately in front, where it will be made 17 inches. The armor protecting the 8-inch guns will be 9 inches, but that also will be made 9 inches heavier immediately in front.. The battery of fourteen 5-inch rapid-fire guns, mounted on the main deck between the turrets, will be protected by continuous'armor 6 inches thick, a splinter bulkhead 2 inches thick being worked between each gun station. Protection of the hull against injury to the water line region will be effected by means of a side - armor belt of a maximum thickness of 1614 inches, with a mean depth of 74 feet, so disposed in reference to the load line that the vessel, with 410 tons of coal on board, will have 3% feet of this belt armor above the water, and with 1,210 tons of coal on board will have 2 feet above the load line. The belt will extend from the stem to the after barbette, and will maintain the maximum thickness from the after end of the belt to the forward boiler- room bulkhead, whence it will taper gradually to a thickness of 4 inches at the bow. Protection will be afforded above the main side armor by a