The Washington times., 1905-07-03
BONAP PARTE To FIX
LAUNCHING DATES
Two New Battleships Are
Nearly Completed.
MIS- SIS SiPPI AND IDAHO
Have Least Displacement of Big Fight
ing Ships, But Heavy Work Is
Expected of Them.

One Of Secretary Bonaparte's first acts
in connection with the upbuildi,:g Of the
American navy will be to name g. date
for the launching of the new battle
ships Mississippi and Idaho. Both these
rew war vessels are in an advanced
stage of construction at the Cramp
shipyards al Philadelphia. and plans are
now in process of formulation for sliding
them down the ways.
No definite dates have yet been set.
but it is expected that the Mississippi
viii be the first to leave the ways, as
the work of building has been pushed a
little faster en- this ship than on the
Idaho According to custom. Senator's
of the States for which the battleships
are named will choose some fortunate
daughters of the States to do the chris
tening honors.
Smallest Displacement.
Special interest attaches to these en-
bryo battleships, since they carry the
smallest displacement of any United
States battleship now being built. Their
displacement is but 1900 tons each,
while all the later battleships, including
the Vermont. Kansas. and Minnesota,
now building in other shipyards, have a
displacement of $1,000 tons.
An appropriation for five battleships
was made by Congress in March, 1908
and. although the House favored max
ing an appropriation Tor hve snips OF
Zoo tons displacement each, Congress
voted for three of the large battieships
and two of the smaller ones-the Mis-
sissippi and the Idaho. Senator Hale,
ter. favored the building of smaller
ships for the navy, contendinS that the
smaller ships in rye numbers Wouid
do greater aus..t.nL OF service tnaIl
stand very nearly as much action in
time of war as the larger SHIPS
Warlike Equipment.
Indisputably these two vessels, wher
finished, will be equal to many battle
ships of $1,000 tons displacement. and M
vessel of the same displacement in any
navy of the nations carries equally
heavy batteries Their main batterie.
win consist OF four I2-inch breech-ioad
ing rifles, mounted In two turrets; eigh
S-inch breech-ioadfng rifles. in four rztur
rets. eight finch breech-loaders, behine
basement armor, and two 21-inch sub
merged torpedo tubes; also these sec
ondary batteries: Twelve 3-inch: six 3
Founders, two 1-rounder automatacs, I'VE
field pieces, two macnine guns aiu So
automatics.
Alike in every measurement ard de
taii, the Mississippi and Idaho will b'
315 feet in length IN the water line ant
the length over all will be 282 feet, witt
extreme beam sof u feet. The speed
they are required to have is seventeen
knots. The ships viii be equipped witt
triple expansion twin screws OF 10oe0 in
dicated horsepower. fitted with eigh
Babcock & SVilco7. water-tube boilers
set In water-tight compartments. Ex
cept for the windlass and steering gear
practically all the other machinery vii
be run by electricity. Wireless teleg
raphy apparatus Will be installed, ane
the Mississippi and Idaho viii be 81
equipped as to equal In every way TIT
highest standard CT requirement fo
modern warships. There will be com
modious quarters provided for the crav
OF 7o0 officers and men. fitted In the mos
up-to-date manner, with special atten
tion paid to sanitary needs. The sta
bility of the two vessels will be Well in
sured by the heavy armor-plate belts
calculated TO withstand the impact o
the heaviest ,projectiles.