The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-09-02
The Battleship
South Dakota

J. Mayne, Baltimore, in the Am
erican Inventor: At $40 O'Clock
Thursday, July 2l, the great armor-
ed cruiser "South Dakota" was
launched at the shipyards Of the
United Iron, Works, San Francisco,
Cal.
This important and interesting
event took place amidst the Shrek.
ing of hundreds Of whistles, boom
ing of guns, strains of martial
music, waving of flags and in the
presence of many thousands of en-
thusiastic spectators.
Christened by fair daughter of
the state the namo of which the
giant vessel bears, and in the pres
ence of that states governor, his
staff and distinguished delegation
which accompanied him, the South
Dakota" began her career under
very bright circumstances. In every
possible way the launching of this
huge craft was successful. The in
itial ceremonies, though brief, were
very interesting. With barred heads
the christening party listened to a
very brief invocation by Bishop "
F. Nichols; then at a given signal,
Miss Grace Mae Herried, the 49,
year-old daughter OF Governor Chas.
N. Herried, pressed a little button
at the end Of an electric wire. The
button set the complex launching
machinery in motion. The electric
current permitted sharp guillotine
like blade to descend on cord, the
severing of which released pair of
heavy weights, which rushed down
an incline, struck two spars with
great force, knocking out the "dog
shores" which held the vessel back.
Thus suddenly released. the gigan-
tic hull started down the WAYS. A
moment later she had made her in
itial plunge in San Francisco bay.
The giant craft scarcely made a
splash as she plowed into the water
Her clean, graceful lines cut easily
through the waves, and, checked at
first by series of massive chain
cables and rope lashings, acting as
brakes, the vessel quickly lost head
way and came to stop not over
200 yards from the ways upon which
she was built.
The launching was witnessed by
number of prominent naval and
army officers. The ''South Dakota
bears the distinction of being the
largest vessel with the single eX-
ception OF the "California ever
launched on the Pacific coast. The
launching of the ''Sout1 Dakota &C.
Cured almost three months after
the launching Of her sister ship, the
magnificent cruiser California. -
The latter vessel took her initial
plunge on April % OF the present
year. Both war vessels are much
alike in design and construction.
Each vessel represents the very lat
est type of efficiency, power and
speed.
The armament of the 'South Da-
kota" is surpassed in power and
weight of metal by no other vessel
now in commission in the United
States navy. The powerful engines
larger than even those Of the bat,
tleship "Ohio''-are the greatest in
dimensions ever built on the coast,
and will give high speed and great
facility in maneuvering at sea. The
coal capacity Of the bunkers admits
of radius of operations con slider.
ably larger thar that of any other
vessel now in our navy.
The "South Dakota" is type O.
six vessels ordered by the govern
1nent at the same time. In addition
to the California there are nov
being constructed in eastern ship
yards the ''West Virginia, Penn
sylvania" and maryland" Tht
Colorado" Of the same class, ha.
already been completed and will
soon go into active commission. O
her class the ''South Dakota" is one
Of the longest war vessels in tht
world.
She is much longer than the
famous Oregon" the Ohio" tho
HIowa" and other great battleships
In length she exceeds even the great
armored cruiser "New York" by
nearly one-third. Her dimensions
are: Length at water line, 504 feet
breadth. 20 feet; draught, "a feet
displacement, 23,40O tons; coal capa
city Of bunkers, 1000 tons: Her
guaranteed speed is % knots pei
hour. "A main armor belt extends
around the entire hull and six
inches thick in the center, gradually