Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-09-30
A BIG BATTLESHIP
SLIPS FROM WAYS
Launching of the Connecticut
at New York.
1T WAS ENTIRELY SUCCESSFUL

| Connecticut Is a Sister Ship of the
Louisiana-VesseI Was Authorized
by Act of Congress In 19o2-Most
Powerful Boat in Our Navy.
New York, Sept 29.-The battleship
| Connecticut was launched today.
| The launching was without a hitch
of any kind and was entirely success
full.
The Connecticut is a sister ship OF
the Louisiana, and both vessels were
authorized by an act of congress in
| 1902. The Connecticut was built in
D government yard and under govern.
ment supervision, while the Louisiana
was built by a private shipbuilding
firm at Newport News, Va. The con.
| struction of both ships has been fol.
| lowed with keen interest, as it was
recognized that it was test of the
| governments ability to cope with pri-
| vate enterprise. Much depended on
| this competition of construction, for
| if the Connecticut is completed before
| the Louisiana then most of the govern.
ment shipbuilding will be done by the
latter, and it is expected the New
York navy yard will be the shipbulid.
ing center for government work
The Connecticut, when finished, will
be the finest and most powerful boat
in the American navy, and will rank
with the most powerful battleships Of
the navies of other nations Notwith.
standing the fact that new plan has
to be created for the construction of
the Connecticut, this vessel is but
per cent behind the Louisiana al.
though laid down two months later.
The last vessel of any size construct.
cd at the New York navy yard was the
Inflated battleship Maine.
The Connecticut is of steel, with a
displacement of 10000 tons and a max.
imum displacement of 1910 tons. The
vessel is $50 feet on the load water
line, 1854 feet over all, 1910 feet
beam and 24.6 feet draught.
The engines will be of the twin
screw, vertical four-cylinder, triple ex.
pansion, with 16,500 horse power, and
these will accumulate a speed of 1S
knots.
The Connecticut will carry three fun.
nels, two military masts, two main
and four secondary turrets, and a !
main deck battery. The armor has
total weight of 1892 tons.
The Connecticut Is to be fitted for
use as a flagship and when in com.
mission will carry AZ officers and 761
men. She is not to exceed $4,212,O0
in cost
Thousands Of people witnessed the
launching of this, the figst battIeship
built in government yard since the
ill-fated Maine, large crowds gathering
at the navy yard and at various points |
on the Manhattan and Brooklyn sides |
OF the East river. More than 10000
invitations were issued and few were
not used. Streamers and bunting were
displayed in profusion everywhere
around the yard, particularly on the
scatfloding surrounding the enormous
hull of the new battleship. The bow
was tastefully draped with a large
American flag. On her bridge just
below the christening stand, Naval
Constructor Baxter, in charge of the
launching, was connected by telephone
with all parts Of the ship and on hear.
Ing that everything was ready he gave
the signal to the workmen, passed the
word to Miss Welles, who broke the
bottle Of wine against the bow and the
great steel hull was on its way to the
water.
The last plate was riveted on the al.
ter turret yesterday and early today AS
sistant Constructor Robinson with a
force of men began work removing the
after blocks and the crib work under
the stern and repairing them by tum.
bling shoes, which furnished support
to the weight, but when the ship
started to move, automatically relieved
$ASAhSSaNO0s 6AAOOhOA gang VI m6u Lu6U
took down the shoes at the forward
and after ends Of the ship.
Others drove in the oak wedges
which took the weight of the ship off
the keel blocks and when the hour for
the launching arrived the ship was
supported on the ways, the cribs and
the keel blocks. At word from Con.
| structor Baxter the dog shoes were
| dropped a warning to the ship keep.
er and the red flag at the top of the
cantilever signalle dto the spectators
that all was ready. A nod to the saw.
yers stadning at the shoe pieces and
the saw began to cut them off and
the ship started slowly down the ways.
gaining momentum as it slipped into
| the water. A chorus of whistles from
the vessels in the harbor drowned the
strains of the warship's bands and the
big steel hull rode safely on the water
Owing to the rumors of the last few
days of an attempt to wreck the new
ship at the launching there was in.
tense feeling of uSpense among the
spectators, and the Officials and EN-.
ployes at the navy yard lest something
mar the impressiyeness of the ceremo
ny, but everything went off well.
|