The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-09-01
RIG BAT''TLESHIP
IS LAUNCHED
The Louisiana Possibly the
Most Powerful Fighting
Machine Afoat.
RACE BETWEEN BUILDERS
o,iyate Company Has Thus Far De-.
feated the Government Yards in
the Work of Constructing
Sister Vessels.

vcup0rt News, Va. Aug. S0.-At high
,no saturday the lS.OOO-ton battlcship
,ou,siana was launched at the plant Of
,,e Newport News S~hIpbuilding and Dry
D0ck company.
large party from Louisiana. headed
A., Governor William w. Heard, attended
,hc ceremonies incident to the christening
~ +hc big fighter, and the luncheon at the
chamberlain hotel Immediately after the
sbIn was launched. Miss Juniata La Laude
If New Orleans broke the bottle Of wine
and named the vessel.
Tho Louisiana and her sister ship, the
Connecticut, will usher In one important
innovation. Their batteries will contain
Inch guns Instead Of the G-inch rapid
frers Which have prevailed since the YES
eels Of the kearsarge-kentucky type
we're planned.
II is doubtful whether any ship af1Oat
,ruI match the Louisiana in armament.
I, addition to four l2-Iuch guns, In fore
and aft ~turrcts, she will have eight S-inch
rifles. In The main battery these VIII be-
by twelve 7-inCh rifles, each
throwing d projcCtile weighing 1865 pounds.
The l2-inch guns carry a shell weighing
40 mounds at a velocity of $500 feet a sec
ord-a speed o~ne-fourth greater than that
attained by the 13-inch guns on the ships
nj The Indiana class. The 7-inch shells
have a bursting charge of Is pounds OF
bIack powder. The explosive shell may
no replaced by an arnor piercing projec-
tie. which attains a velocity Of 5000 feet a
second driven by a charge OF l0l pounds
OF smokclcss powder.
Hitherto the secondary batteries of tho
hsttIcships have been composed mostly Of
3-pounder and G-pounder rapid fire guns.
On the rev siiip these Will be superseded
nv twenty 2-inch rapid fire rifles, throwing
a 14.pound explosive shell. There also
will be twelve ~3-pounder sent-automatic
guns. eight 1-pounder guns and
two 3-inch field guns and eight machine
guns for the fighting tops.
Her Arnor Alone Cost $500, 0o0.
The urmor for the Louisiana will cost
about $4,000 While the greatest OF her
steel protection VIII be concentrated at
the water llne ~amidshIps, she also Will be
protected the fun length of her hun. and
above the main belt OF arnor plato there
Will De three thinner belts OF platcs-tha
lower casemate. the upper casemate and
the supcrstructure armor.
Electricity viii be employed 70 as large
ar extent on board tho Louisiana as on
any ship In the navy. There Will be cleo
trio ammunition hoists and conveyors, and
1t is more than probable that electrical
devices Tor DGtA aiming ana ulSCldFBlNB
the guns will be Installed, Hheye also Will
lie an automatically controlled motor for
the purpose OF keeping the big guns on a
horizontal line While firing IN Il heavy sea
There IS a widespread interest in the
launching OF he Louisiana. because It
marks another stage In the exciting race
between the Brooklyn navy yard and tho
Newport News Shipbuiiding and Dry Dock
Gompany-a race which Is 10 settle tho
moot"d question as to which can build war
ships most economically and most eXpe-
~ditiously.
The question was thoroughly discussed
when the appropriation for the Louisiana
and Connecticut was under discussion and
the friends OF the navy yards succeeded
IN having a provision inserted In the bill
calling for the construction Of one OF the
ships at a government plant. The Brook
Iyn navy yard was selected to make tho
race with the Newport News yard, which
obtained the other contract. The govern
!nent builders lost a month In the start,
Tne lead Of the private builders gradually
crept up undl ten points ahead had been
reached.
Then for a couple of months the govern
ment builders made a squirt, with the re-
suit that the lead was cut down 10 six
points. TheA the Newport News yard
ooubied It's force on the Louisiana and be-
gan TO work day and night on the big
lighter. It evidently Is the intention to
Win Inc race by a good margin. The Con-
heciicut VIII DO launched at the Brooklyn
yaFos just a month and two days later
fhaA The baptism OF the Louisiana.