Features Of New Cruisers

FEATURES OF NEW CRUISERS

Officials Believe They Will Surpass Any Vessels of Their Class.

Now that the controversy over plans for the new armored cruisers Tennessee and Washington has been settled it is generally conceded that they will be the finest vessels of their class in the world, says the Washington correspondent of the New York Herald. The board of construction recently completed the specifications. The vessels will have a trial displacement of 14,500 tons and a speed of twenty-five knots, with 23,000 horsepower. If they fall below 21.5 knots per hour on the trial, they may be rejected, and the builders must forfeit for failure at the rate of $50,000 for the first quarter of a knot below twenty-two and $100,000 for the second quarter knot below that.

Their length on the water line will be 502 feet, breadth 72 feet 10 1/2 inches, draft when loaded 27 feet plus.

The hulls will be of steel throughout. The main batteries will consist of four 10 inch guns, sixteen 6 inch guns and twenty-two 3 inch rapid fire guns. The secondary batteries will comprise twelve 3 pounder rapid fire guns, two 1 pounder automatic guns, two .30 caliber Gatling guns, six .30 caliber Colt automatic and 3 inch field guns. The guns will be so arranged that they can be fired either right ahead or right astern. The masts are to be fitted for wireless telegraphy.