The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-29
THE CONNECTICUT
TAKES TO THE SEA
Big War Vessel Slides Down the
i Ways While $4,000
Cheer.


sensational rumors Of threatened van
dalism, the battleship Connecticut was
successfully launched at the New. York
maynard today. The huge red hull
slid into the water at lilo to the ae-
s sRpieehing sirens, booming cannon,
screeching whistles and playing bands.
AS the great hull began to slide down
the ways Miss Alice B. Welles, grand
daughter of Gideon Welles of Connect
civil war, and who had been selected
to christen the Connecticut, seized the
cord attached to the bottle of cham
payne and attempted to dash it against
the bow of the battleship. She was not
successful, however, and second at
miral Rodgers, who stood by her side,
also failed.
Just before the big ship took the
water, however, workman who had
watched the scene from the deck OF the
craft reached down over the bow, drew
I'D the bottle and with a strong blow
smashed it on the iron sides.
Louisiana's Sister Ship.
The Connecticut is a sister ship of
the Louisiana, and both vessels were
gt TSe By an act OF s eenS SH in
government yard and under govern
ment supervision, while the Louisiana
was built by private shipbuilding firm
at Newport News, Va. The construc,,
tion Of both ships has been fol lowed
nized that it was a test Of the govern
ment s ability to cope with private en-
terprise. Much depended on this com
petition Of construction, for if the Con
necticut is completed before the Louisl-
ana, then most of the government ship
building will be done by the govern
ment, and it is expected the New York
navy yard will be the shipbulldlng cen
ter for government work. 49,,
The Connecticut, when finished, will
be the finest and most P 0G VII r n0at
with the most powerful battleshlps OF
the navies of other nations. Notwlth-
standing the fact that new plant had
to be created for the construction OF
the Connecticut, this vessel is but 8
per cent behind the Louisiana, altho
laid down two months later.
The last vessel of any size construct
ed at the New York navy yard was
the ill-fated battleship Maine.
The keel of the Connecticut was
laid down on March 10, 1908, the stem
was erected on July 2S,, the first armor
placed aboard April "a, and the first
boilers shipped on July 27.
Description of Vessel.
The Connecticut is of steel, with a
trial displacement of 10000 tons and
maximum displacement OF 1870
load water line, 1864 feet over ALL
76.1 feet beam and 24.6 feet draft.
The engines will be of the twin screw,
vertical, four-cylinder triple expansion
type, with combined horsepower of
1880, and these will accumulate a
speed Of eighteen knots.
The Connecticut will carry three fun:
nels, two military masts, two main and
four secondary turrets and main-deck
central battery.
The armor has a total weight OF
1902 tons. On each side amidship;
feet 3 inches wide and II inches thick
Forward and aft of this belt is another
9 inches thick, covering the magazines
This is ended by 6-inch bulkheads. Oh
the lower deck for 284 feet the armo
is 6 inches thick and on the main decl
for 236 feet, where the central battery
is, the armor is inches thick. Thu
protected deck is *, inches thick OF
the fiat and 213 inches on the slopes.
The main turrets are 8 inches thlcl
with 12h-inch faces. There are tw
With Is inches Of ns So
ondarv turrets with 6 inches of armo
with 612 finch faces. The coming tOwe
is protected with steel armor 9 inche
thick, and the signal tower with
1nCn6S Oh SCeel.
Armament Of Ship.
Her armament will consist of fou
12-inch breech-loading guns, one PAL
in the forward turret and another af
and eight S-inch guns mounted in pain
in four turrets on the superstructurt
In the main deck battery there wi
be twelve finch rapld-fire gun
mounted six to a broadside. In add
ton there will be twelve 14-pou0der
twelve 3-pounders, six 1pound auto
matte guns, two 1-pound semlautOmt
tic and eight 8 inch machine guns.
In the magazines she will ca1Ey slxt
rounds for each 12-inch gun, 100 roune
each Inch gun, 800 rounds for eac
3-inch gun, 600 rounds for each
FOUNDER, and 96O rounds for each
FOUNDER
The coal-bunker capacity of the Co
necticut is 900 tons normally, but in a
emergency this can be increased
1920 tons Ordinarily she will carr
sufficient coal to steam 1000 miles {
II knots or $500 miles at Is knots.
The Connecticut is to be fitted f
mission will carry AZ officers and Y
men. She is not to exceed $4,212, OF
in cost.
This will be the third vessel to be-
the name of Connecticut in the Unite
States navy. The first was built i
Middletown, Conn, in 1898. The Sc
ond was wooden sidewheeler, pu
war; This vessel cost 100000 and3w
sold at auction in 1865 for 1871, 900.
$32.9O-C al1forn1a-S32.9
That is the Rock Island rate for &C
Il.