Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-17
1T WILL SOON BE THE MOST FORM
lDABLE IN THE PACIFIC.
THIRD OR FOURTH IN WORLD.
CRUISER KAsAGI TO BE LAUNCHED
AT TPHILADELPHIA THURSDAY.
Most Important Ship Ever Built In
America for Foreign Account
Latest and Most Improved
Type in Her CIass-lts
Armament.

Philadelphia, Jan. 16.-The launching OF
the Japanese warship KasaSi. which was
built at Cramps shipyard. will take place
on Thursday at noon. The kasagi Is the
most important ship ever built in the Unit
ed States for foreign account. and is the
first foreign warship launched IN this coun-
try since the Zobiaca, in 1sis.
In compliance with requests for infor-
nation that are coming TO him from all
over the country. Charles II. Cramp. the
builder of the ship. to-day gave the follow
ing interview to the Associated Press:
The Kasagi is a protected, twin-screW
cruiser or commerce destroyer of the lat
est and most improved type and design IN
her class She is built throughout OF mild
steel OF the United States navy standard.
Her model is calculated primarily for high
speed, the contract guarantee peihS -:
knots as the mean of six runs baek ana
forth over u measured course or ten naut-
| ical miles. She is powered with tive four
| cylinder, vertical inverted. direct-actins.
triple-expansion engines. driving twin
screws. Steam is supplied by twelve SIN
gle-ended cylindrical boilers, provided with
| a st. John crate and bearer-bar, anu the
| machinery calculations contemplate max
! imum collective indicated horse power or
| about 1000.
| The Kasagi is among the large number
! CT ships Of various types and classes en-
| braced in the new naval programme OF
! Japan. A sister ship to her is building
| Oh the Pacific coast, and others of vari-
| Gus classes, up to 1850 ton battleships,
| either in England. France, Germany or in
| Japan's own dockyard at Iokosuka- IL
| is worth while to call attention to the
| fact that she is representative or the
| most marvellous and formidable naval de-
| velopment of this age; development that
/ is rapidly bringing into front rank among
| civilized naval powers nation the ports
| of which were first opened TO commerce
| through the instrumentality of an Amert-
can naval expedition clearly within the
| memory of men not yet past middle age.
| From this point Of view, her launching is
| an event worth remembering In the his
| tory of American ship building.
when the fleet of which the kasagi Is
| an important factor shall be completed.
| an event not more than two years OF at
the farthest. Japan will rank as the fore
most naval power in the Pacific ocean.
and. generally speaking. nearly IL not quite
third in rank among the naval powers
of the world. She will certainly outrank.
| In the all around sense all but England,
France and Russia; and. so far as the
| Pacific ocean is concerned, will be far su-
perior to all except England, perhaps. and
il Is doubtful IL even England could, with
due regard to her requirements In her
own waters or in the Mediterranean and
the defense Of her commerce. spare naval
force enough for concentration on the "a
cific to equal in that ocean the new Jap
anese navy, of which the Kasagi is a
factor. This superiority is due not so
much to the mere number OF the vessels
Japan Is building as to the fact that they
are-sf -sareS.aily selected types, perfectly
elaborated designs and wisely distributed
| classes. all Of the most approved con-
struction and highest attainable eff
| cheney.
"The men who operate the material Of
| this force have demonstrated by their De-
hayior in the late war, and as evinced by
! the professional skill and ability they dis
| played in the work of supervising vessels
under construction. that they have no odds
| to ask in that respect of the naval officers
| of any power.
I'm short. the whole naval policy Of
| Japan, as represented to Americans by the
object lesson of the Kasagi. is one which
nations far older in the arts Of Western
ure to emulate or keep up with it may:
in the not distant future. bring some of
them to humiliation and defeat"
The principal dimensions, qualities and
Length on water line, 374 feet 6 inches:
breadth, As feet 9 inches; depth. 90 feet 9
| inches; draft, IS feet 0 inches; diSplace-
ment. 4,90O tons: speed. 22ts knots. Arma-
rifles, ten a. inch rapid fire guns. twelve q
pounder rapid fire guns. six Hotchkiss
rapid fire guns.
The ceremonial attendant upon the
launching OF the ship will be exclusively in
the hands of the Japanese minister. and
, the affair will be conducted In accordance
with the customs of the Japanese in such
matters. On the part Of the Cramp Com
pany there will be no special provision for
| guests. but the ship yard will be open to
i ha a no inns nj he