The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

18 MARINE REVIEW. [November 1, ESSEX CLASS OF CRUISERS. At present considerable interest obtains in the construction of cruisers--four nations having under construction or in contemplation a type of vessel which may be regarded as of the same class. These are the Essex class of the British navy, the Bayan class of the Russian navy, of which the Variag is one; the Prince Heinrich class of the German navy, and the three protected cruisers provided for in the last naval bill of congress. The four armored cruisers of the Essex class--Essex, Kent, Bedford and Monmouth--although a great deal heavier than the Bayan and Prince Heinrich, are essentially of the same type. The principal particulars of the type are as follows: Wigniaceient 606.0.) 5 aoe os. 9,800 tons WC OUN fo5 oe ee a es ee ees eee coe Te Beam =.) Be ss i es 66. ft. Wet CAT eos sce ee es eee ie reece, DAY. It, Armament--Fourteen 6-in., 45. calibre: ten 12-pounders, three 8-pounders, and an indefinite number of Maxims, probably eight Morpedo tubes ........,..........:.:..... 1 wo 18-in. submerged The Essex has the high forecastle common to all cruisers of the British navy nowadays and her 12-pounder battery is amidships. The high forecastle is absolutely indispensible to a swift cruiser--otherwise they take in too much sea forward. The 6-in. guns are thus disposed: Two in a turret forward, two in a turret aft, six on the main deck amid- i ill be Belleville of the latest pattern fitted ae the Essex with the Bayan and Prince f offense and defense the following is found: with 22,000 H.P. T with economizers. Heinrich as regards powers 0 Essex. Bayan. Prince Heinrich. Soe ee i 9,800 7,800 8,868 See ey a0 17000 15 Mas : recent ee Nil Two 8in. Two 9.4in, Gatoudary armamiont..cc/ssecsess- Fourteen 6in. Hight 6in. Ten 6-in. . ectaty (protected) Nil. aa om Nil Tortiary * (unprotected) Ten 3in. Twe ve ae ie Nil Small pieces...........:00ceeeeeensrees Three 3-pdrs. and | Seven 3-pounders. en 1-pdrs., four se teas T pee se wo wo ree eae Cees ae Nil Three (2 protected) One Armor belt (amidship). 4in. ae le pre Fel toe eae re ae ain, ower-deck Armor....,.. .---ee--- . o ; : in. i in ai ' ach turret; 6in. Protection to main armament.. jm one bier in i - | Four 6in. in turrets Bee s SO wath 5in. armor. | 3in.on 3redoubts. | 6in.on turrets and Ce ee Ten 6in. in casem'ts redoubt. with 4in. armor. | : ; Protection to tertiary armam't. Nil 3in. oneightof them Nil The Essex may therefore be regarded as first in speed and defense with the Prince Heinrich first in offense. The Bayan is second in speed, e THE BRITISH ORUISER ESSEX. ships and four on the upper deck above the forward and after main deck guns. All these pieces are in armored casements. Six 12-pounders are on the upper deck amidships, two under the forecastle forward, two on the main deck aft. This is the armament of the Essex in the original de- sign, though there are rumors about installing a 734-in. quick-firer. All fourteen 6-in. guns are protected. The armor of the Essex is thin and extensive. There is a belt about 250 ft. long amidships of 4-in. Krupp cemented armor and this belt extends right up to the main deck. It is continued to the bow at a thickness of 2-in, Aft it is terminated by a 5-in. bulkhead. A curved protective deck runs throughout the length of the ship and reinforces the water line protection. The space above and below is filled as usual with coal bunkers. The casements are 4 in. thick, the turrets 5 in., but for these nickel armor, not Krupp, is employed. It has less resisting power, but is more easily worked. These turrets have short armored bases of 5 in. thickness with armored hoists going down the main deck. These turrets are distinctive and, so far, peculiar to the Essex class. To begin with the guns in each can be trained together and fired as one piece or else used independently. These guns and their mountings are to be furnished by Vickers, Sons & Maxim., Ltd., who have brought out the design. There is a single hoist to a pair of guns worked by an electric motor. It serves with very great rapidity and when in full working order delivers every alternate charge to the port gun, which has a special small motor to catch it as it comes up the end- less chain. This arrangement can be easily disconnected--the hoist is then made to serve one gun only. The Essex will have the usual rig for modern British cruisers, a search light platform on each top, but no fighting tops for guns. There will be three funnels. The engines are designed to give 23 knots speed though whether this advantage will be maintained in actual service is questionable, as the Russians are not strong in their engineering depart- ment. The American contribution to the B Vari h ayan type, the Variag, 1s however, the fastest cruiser afloat. 7 ' See LANSDOWNE HELD SOLELY TO BLAME. of ee aoe in the last issue of the Review, the libel cases growing out in 3 Ban of the steamer W. B. Morley and the car ferry Lansdowne brought ; roe en on Aug. 6, 1899, involving $74,438 in damages, were Seale Tee ee in the United States district court at Detroit last ae libel Fil a wan deciding against the Lansdowne, dismissing the holding the fe. y ne Grand Trunk against the Wabash railroad, and whieh ae e te solely to blame for the loss. The finding of the court, nde & weaie given out when a mere announcement of the decision was ainount OF ae ago, instructs Commissioner Davison to examine into the panies, to di eae and by stipulation 'of the attorneys of the two com- and Wabash A the amount equally between the Grand Trunk: railway others! Gute 6 ce prise. The libel filed by Charles T. Morley and salvage and los " - e Morley, was for $43,556.50, damages to steamer, demurrage on . " oe The Wabash filed a cross claim of $1,000 for $29 889.56 Askige i clayed by the accident and the Grand Trunk claimed to levy the oaHEe thas court, in case damages were found against the boat, unde conta eg oe the Wabash company, which used the ferry while the ste y which it agreed to assume any damage sustained. amer was used by the Wabash. The 'decision was base upon the fail : only onoeee to show that the port light of the Lansdowne was prop-