The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-25
: ne Z
BA11LESHl.P
LOUISIANA. ] |. J Y \.
r-l-rt ----.i
To be Launched at the New
port News Shipyard
Saturday.
RACE WITH CONNECTICUT 9 N e; Il';'
RACE WITH coNN !, e ] TlcUIT j
The Advanced Stage Of the Big
Fighter a Triumph for the
4 Newport News Builders.
Especial 10 The Times. u, Bpntch.)

:
NEWPORT NEWS, Va, Aug. 24.----
Next Saturday the attleshlp Louisiana Ian
viii glide down the ways at the ship
yard here and the final stage OF one
OF the most interesting contcstssof the
decade will begin.
1t is a race In battleship construction
and the contestants are the New YORK
Navy Yard and the Immense private en-
tcrprise located here. The twin sisters,
Louisiana and Connecticut, furnish the
material for tho contest and it is expect
ed that upon the result will hinge the pol
Icy or the Navy Department in the award
1 OF future contracts for the building Of
warshlps. VI .5i. VIA
For many years there has been e. de-
termined effort to have at least a por-i
ton or the naval CONSTRUCTION work done.
nj the navy yards. Those who have st God
for that policy have held that ships could
4 be built as cheaply and as exp ditiusly
In the government plants as In the great
private yards. In the Congress. which
authorized the construction OF the Louis
sinna and the Connecticut. that sentiment
was sufficiently strong to dictate q pro-
Vision In the naval bill that ono Of the
&battleships should be bAilt in a govern
mcnt yard, II In order to test the theoriegl
advanced. The other contract went ITO;
the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company. The Brooklyn Navy Yard
was chosen by the Navy Department to
make tho contest for the government
builders. ss 5S9i VA
RACE BETWEEN BUILDERS.
The Brooklyn yard lost nearly month
In getting down the keel for the Connec-
ticut and since then the local yard has
kept from 8 to 10 per cent. ahead OF the;
government yard in the interesting race!
which enters It's last stage Saturda y.sssS
8 Recently the Brooklyn yard has made
slight gains. but It Is apparent ina there
Is no intention to permit the government
builders to win out III Is the race. for a.
week or two ago q double force OF men
i was put to work on the Louis iana and IL
IS Sunderstood that from now on work will
be pushed forward as RAJ idly 81 as possl ble,i
and the local builders expect to win the
race by a good time margin.
American Warships are note
worthy for the powerful batteries they
i carry, there is nothing In the battle
i Louisiana for offensive and defensive.
$operati ons. Il In addition to the four pow
crfui 12-inct guns. IN forward and after.
stnrrets. she viii have eight 8-inch guns
and then twelve "a Inch guns in broad
side This 4 Inch gun Is an innovation
IN the navy. Al the ca rlier vessels OF
the bal tIeship class are fitted with Grinch
rifles. 1T \ Is. of course. expected that
they viii be more ettive$ than the guns
OF smaller calibre They Will carry q pro-
gtectile weighing 165 pounds at a velocity
\ OF q, 900 feet a second Each shell will
have a bursting charge Of thirteen pounds
OF black powder. AnFarmor-p piercing pro-
1ectIle may be substituted The 212.inchs
guns throw projectlle weighing $50
pounds at a velocity OF 2, 500 feet, &trifles
over half a mile p second This is a.
velocity one fourth greater than that OBJ
tanned by the old 13-inch guns on ships
OF the Indiana class. The increased We
5Iocity is cue partly to the use OF smoke
les powder. but mainly to the enlarge
ment Il OF the powder chamber, enabling
TIE gunners to use a larger CHI rye of ex--8
plosive. III sss
IMPRESSIVE GUNS. sssl,s
The secondary battery OF the Lou lsiana;
contains an Impressive array Of effec-S
tive guns. There Will be twenty inch
rapid fire rifles. twelve s-pounde r, semi
automatic guns Z: eight ! -pounder auto
matte guns. two 3.inch field rifles, and
eight Machine guns for the fighting tops.
In the military rnasts Ss.
-. g. - ..kN