Plans For Battleships

Washington, Dea 5.- Tho work of passing upon tha various plans for battleahips eubmittoi 60 tha navy deparsmenï in anjwer to the advertisoment for proposals ia now engaging tha entire atstention of tha nayal bureau chiefs, and owinc to the number and comploxity of the plans, the taak ia not a lighfc ouo. The chief of ordnance, Captain Sampson, has been added to tho usual board, in view of the importanoe of tiia armor question raised by tha propositioa of the Cramps to eupply thu 8hipa ful)y equipped with arnior, instea of foliowins? tho usual prnctice of having the government furnish tho arnior. Tho plans in some instunces emboJy ceriain ïiovolties in naval consii-uciion that must bo pa.ssed upon with cara The Uramps have one plan for a ship about the size of tho Indiana, but without tui-rot.8. In their place fore and aft are inounted 12-inoh guns on camages thut disappeür in tha huil below the wator lme and under the protective deck after being dischargoJ, thus being complétela shieided fron a return fjre, and also addhig 10 the tability of the ship. Another plan also gubimtted by the Cramps is for a battleship of the samo size, with four separate turrets, two for tha J3-inch guns and two for 8-inch guns, the latter being placed above and closely ín the roar of tho big turrets, thus genor;tlly resembliug the arraugemont proposed originally by the construction bureau. The Union Lron works carry tho navy department's plans to an extreme in ona point whera they contémplate a threegooried turrct. Their original plan is generally similar to tbo departmenc's design, except in a slight detail relating to the placing of a main passageway, and the Bionige 01 ooal above the boilers, and the important detail of supplym aü oC tho steam by the new tubulous boilers, as iued on the Monterey.