. 27.6 ft.; displacement, 14,150 tons;

Vol. LXVIII, No. 2.]

AND RAILROAD JOURNAL. 233

The length of the cylinders are made to suit the hoist which
is required, but the larger size in the driving wheel shop are
made 36 in. long, which gives a stroke of 33 in. In a future
issue we trust to be able to publish a full and complete account
of a pneumatic plant as applied to a large shop, showing all
of the various apparatus that has been designed therefore.
The valves which are used on the New Haven Road are
globe valves, admitting the air beneath the piston and
exhausting into the atmosphere of the shops by the same
means. The packing is tight enough, so that the weight can
be held suspended safely without any danger of settling for
an almost indefinite time. The uses‘ of compressed air, as we
have already said in describing the Norwalk air compressor
in another column, is meeting with wider and wider applica-

   
    
    

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LARGE PNEUMATIC HOIST, N. Y., N. H. & H. R.R.

tion.for shop _uses and hoisting purposes, and_is well worthy
the investigation of those who are interested in the economi-
cal production of machine work.

‘oz
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A
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THE FIRST-CLASSV BATTLESHIP “ ROYAL OAK.”

 

Tnia Royal Oak, built by Messrs. Laird Brothers, of Birken-
head, is one of the largest battleships constructed for the Brit-
is_h Navy, and was built under the Naval Defense Act. Her
dimensions are: Length, 380 ft.; breadth. 75 ft.; mean draft,
freeboard forward, 19.6
ft.; aft, 18 ft.; indicated H.P. natural draft, 9,000; forced
draft, 11_,000; speed, natural, 16 knots: forced, 17-} knots;
coal carried at the designed load draft, 900 tons ; coal endur-
ance at 10 knots, 5,000 knots; total weight of armament,
1,910 tons; height of heavy guns above water-line, 23 ft.;
length of the belt or side armor, 250 ft.; greatest thickness,
18 in.; protective deck, 3 in.; total weight of armor, backing.
and protective deck, about 4,500 tons. As befits her enormous
bulk and weight, the construction of the ship has been made
exceptionally strong. The hull alone absorbs over 9,500 tons
of the total displacement. She is built entirely of mild steel,
the stem and stern-posts and shaft brackets being formed of
steel castings. The hull from end to end is largely sub-
d1V1ded» for the purpose (if minimizing to the fullest possible

’ stowed aniidships.

extent the danger arising from damage to the bottom plating
from rocks or torpedoes, and that this form of construction is
effectual was exemplified when H.M S. Home went ashore at
Ferrel. The framework has been specially designed with ref-

erence to the great weight to be carried, and additional stiff- .

ness is secured by double longitudinal bulkheads, which form
a passage for easy communication below the water line from
end to end, and within these are placed the auxiliary maga-
zines. A protective steel deck, 2-} in. in thickness, extends
under water from the bow for about 76 ft., and from the stern
for a distance of about '72 ft. From this deck, and resting
upon an armor shelf, is built a belt of steel-faced armor, with
a backing of teak.- The lower edge of the belt extends 5 ft.
6 in. below the load draft-line, while the upper edge is carried
3 ft. above the line. The greatest thickness is 18 in., the belt
itself extending over a length of 250 ft., out of a total length
of 380 ft., and terminating in armored bulkheads. At the fore
and after ends of the belt, and rising directly from the protec-
tive deck, are the barbctte_s, strongly framed in mild steel, pro-
tected by teak backing and armor 1'7 in. thick. Superimposed
upon the thick belt is placed another belt of light armor, 4 in.
thick at the sides and 3 in. on the screens, running across the
ship, and behind this side armor coal bunkers are arranged,
whereby additional protection is secured. On the level of
upper edge of the armor belt there is also a 3 in. steel deck,
worked so that horizontal deck protection extends from end to
end. The guns are protected by 6 in. screens, and the gun
crews by armored emplacements, and in order to procure a
safe passage for the ammunition from the several magazines
to the guns of the secondary armament, armored tubes have
been specially fitted. It is also to be noted that, with a view
of preventing water from finding its way below the protective
deck, means‘ are provided for closing the several openings by
water. tight covers, while in the case of those which must
necessarily remain open, cofferdams have been fitted with the
same object. She is lighted throughout with an installation
of over 620 electric lights, and equipped with four search
lights of 25,000-candle power, each of which will be worked
by dynamos under protection. The ship in action will be
fought from either of two conning towers, of which the for-
ward one is armored to the extent of ‘14 in., and the after one
to 3 in. The port and starboard engine and boiler-rooms are
separated by middle-line longitudinal bulkheads extending the
whole length, and there are also longitudinal bulkheads at the
sides extending throughout the machinery space, forming coal
bunkers and Wing spaces. On the platform, débris, and lower
decks is placed the auxiliary machinery for the working of
the ship, including steering engines, electric engines. and
hydraulic pumping engines, as well as a fully-equipped work-
shop and numerous store-rooms. The officers and crew are
placed on the main and belt decks. The officers’ accommo-
dation consists of very completely fitted cabins situated aft,
the superior ofiicers being located on the main deck. The
admiral’s suite of rooms, which are especially handsomely

' fitted, are at the extreme aft end of the main deck, and com-

municate with a handsome stern walk. The upper deck ex-
tends from stem to stern without a break, and above it is a
continuous bridge-deck extending the whole length between
the barbettes, and on this deck are the conning towers sur-
mounted by-the navigating bridge and chart house. The
boats, of which there are 21, including two torpedo-boats, are
A strong steel derrick is fitted to the
mainmast for lifting them, and the foremast is also fitted with
a derrick for working those of a lighter description. The masts,
which are built of steel, are fitted with military and signaling
tops, and there are two funnels on the same athwartship lines.
The armament of the Royal Oak will comprise four 13.5-in.
67-ton guns, mounted an barbette in pairs, and firing a projec-
tile weighing 1,250 lbs., with a powder charge of 680 lbs.;
ten 6—in. 100-pdr. quick-firing guns, the four on the main deck
being mounted in caseinatcs protected by 6-in. armor,_while
the six on the upper deck are mounted on sponsons ; sixteen
6-pdr., and nine 3-pdr. quick-firers; eight small machine
guns; and two 9-pdr. field guns. The auxiliary armament is

distributed all over the ship, and extends from bow to stern, .

the top, sides, and bridges having a considerable number dis-
posed upon them. The main armament is worked by hydraulic
machinery, supplied by Sir W. Armstrong. _Mitchell & Co.
The other guns are all worked by hand, the 6m. by one man,
the others being employed for feeding purposes. The ship is
also fitted with seven torpedo tubes, of which two are sub-
merged. The number of torpedoes carried is 18. The main
propelling machinery consists of two sets of engines of the
triple-expansion inverted type. Each set is placed in a sepa-
rate engine-room. ‘ .
in diameter respectively, with a stroke of 5l_1I1.; they are

entirely independent castings, and are bolted together by

The cylinders are 40 in., 59 in., and 88 in.,