The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-17
THE KASAGI LAUNCHING
Will Occur at the Cramps Ship
yard Next Thursday.
A FORMIDABLE MACHINE
Japan Will Soon Be the Strongest
Naval Power in the Pacific.
An Object Lesson to the
Older Powers.

Philadelphia, Jan. 16-The launching
of the japanese warship Kasagi, which
was built AT Cramps shipyard, Fvill take
place on Thursday at noon. The kasagi
Is the most important ship ever built in
the United States for foreign account
and the first foreign warship launched
in this country since the Zobiaca in 1878.
In compliance with a request for in
formation from all over the country.
Charles II. Cramp to-day gave the fol-
lowing interview TO the associated press:
''The Kasagi is a protected. twin
screw cruiser or commerce destroyer of
the latest and most improved type and
design in her class. She is built
throughout of steel of the United States
navy standard. Her model is calculated
primarily for high speed, the contract
guarantees being 22l2 knots as the mean
of six runs back and forth over meas
ured course of 10 nautical miles. She is
powered with two four-cylinder vertical
inverted direct acting triple expansion
engines, driving twin screws. Steam Is
supplied by a IL single-ended cylinder
boiler provided with st. Johns CRATE
and bear bar and the machinery calcu-
lations contemplate a maximum col
lective indicated horse power of about
1900.
1.-THE Kasagi is among the large num-
>
embraced in the new naval programme
of Japan. A sister ship to her is build
ing on the Pacific coast and others of
various classes up to 1iS00-ton battle
ships are either in England, France.
Germany or in Japan's own dockyard at
Yoke Suka. 1t is worth while to call
attention to the fact that she is rep
resentative of the most marvellous and
formidable naval development of this
age; development that is rapidly
bringing into front rank among civil
lied naval powers nation, the ports of
which Were first opened to commerce
through the instrumentality of an
American naval expedition clearly with
in the memory of men not yet past
middle age. From this point of view
alone her launching is an event worth
remembering in history of American
shipbuiiding.
when the fleet of which the Kasagi
is an important factor shall be complet-
ed, an event not more than two years
off at the farthest, Japan will rank as
the foremost naval power in the Pacific
ocean and. generally speaking. nearly.
if 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 Rus
STA and so far as the Pacific ocean is
concerned, and II is doubtful If 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 Pacific
TO equal in that ocean the new japan
csc navy of which the kasagl is a fac
tor. This superiority is due not so much
TO the mere number of the vessels Japan
Is building as to the fact they are of
carefully selected types. perfectly elab-
crate In designs and wisely distributed
classes, all of the most approved con-
Etruction and highest attainable eflicien-
cy.
1.-THE men who operate the material of
this force have demonstrated by their
behavior in the late war and as evnced
by their professional skill and ability
they displayed in the work of supervis-
ing 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 civilization would do well To
emulate. Failure to emulate or keep
up with il may in the not distant future
bring some of them to humiliation and
defeat.
THE principal dimensions, qualities
and armament Of the kasagi are as fol-
lows Length on water line, ga feet 6
inches: breadth, As feeet inches: depth,
30 feet inches: draft. Is feet 9 inches:
displacement. 4,900 tons: speed. 22la
knots. Armament Two eight-inch
breech-loading rifles. four seventeen
rapid-fire guns. IL 12-pounder rapid-fire
guns. six Hotchkiss rapid-fire guns"
The ceremonial attendant upon the
launching of the ship will he exclusively
in the hands of the japanese minister
and the affair will be conducted in ac-
cordance with the customs of the Japan.
ese in such matters. On the part of the
Cramp company there will be no special
provision for guests but the shipyard
will be open to the public at the time
Of the launching.