Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-10-07
THE ILLINOIS AFLOAT|
MOST POWERFUL BATTLESHIP
IN THE AMERICAN NAVY.
IL Larger Than the Iowa and Heavier
Than the Oregon-Forty Thousand
People Witness the Launching.

Newport News, Va, Oct. Son
more powerful battIeship was added T.
the American navy when the battle
ship Illinois slid into the water at thi
place. The launch was brilliant sue
cess in every particular, fully 10000
enthusiastic people being in attend
ance. The sponsor OF the vessel, Mis-,
Daisy Letter Of Chicago, was accom-
panied by Governor Tanner OF 1llinoi,
and his staff, in full uniform. and .
crowd Of prominent Chicagoans.
Notable among the vessels in the
harbor was the United States dispatch
boat Dolphin, having on board Assist
ant Secretary Of the Navy Allen and a
party OF Neutrality-suspicious..
Among the distinguished spectators
were; Governor John K. Tanner of III
inois Governor Taylor of Virginia;
Mayor Carter Harrison Of Chicago.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Allen,
Mrs. John A. Logan, Naval Construc-
tor IIichborn, designer of the vessel;
Assistant Secretary of War Meiklejohn
Captain Paget, British naval attache;
General Mestrago, Russian naval at
tache; Mr.. Kennedy, Italian naval at
tache, and NJ. Bonfire, French naval
attache.
The Illinois will be the biggest, most
powerful and probably the most gener-
ally effective battleship in the United
States navy, Larger than the Iowa
and HEAVIER than the Oregon, the Illi-
nois Is still so designed that she will
be able 20 enter any harbor open to
the smaller battleships, while in the
matter of speed she will rank with any
of them. The most striking difference
between the Illinois and the battleships
now In service is the high freeboard of
the former, enabling her to fire her
guns from their great elevation above
the water in seas SO heavy that the
guns Of the lower vessel would be sub
merged and useless. Splendid seagoing
powers are also expected to result from
meant the height of the hull above the
water line.
The dimensions of the Illinois are as
follows: Length on load water line,
367 feet; beam, extreme, 72 feet ~
inches; draft or normal displacement
of ii,525 tons, 23 feet inches; maxi
mum displacement, all ammunition and
stores on board, ~, 324 tons; maximum
indicated horse power (estimated), TO-
900; probable speed, 1913 knots; normal
coal supply, 500 tons; coal supply,
loose storage, 1900 tons, full bunker
capacity, 1,400 to 1880 tons; compile
ment, of officers, 40; seamen, marines,
etc, 449.
The main battery will consist of four
l3-inch breech-loading rifles in HIGH
born balanced turrets, oval in shape,
and placed in the center line of the
vessel, and IA six-inch rapid-fre guns
The secondary battery will consist of
10 six-pounder rapid-fre guns, four
rapid-tire guns, two Colt
guns and two field guns She will
carry four torpedo tubes.
There will be two sets OF triple ex-
pansion, twin-screw engines, each in
It's own separate water-tight compart-
ment. The collective indicated horse
power will be about 10000, with 100
revolutions per minute, stroke four
feet
The first keel plate of this vessel was
laid February 10, 1897, not quite twenty
past, and the percentage of
work completed to this date, based on
he vessel fitted out and ready for sea,
5 now reported between tiftythree
md fifty-four per cent. The con tract
'rice was 81, 5a5, 900, and the date of
completion is stated to be October 5,
500