The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-05-12
TsPEclAl MONTHLY NEARLY RATES minimum charge
BIGGEST WARSHIPS EVER BUILT HERE
SOON TO JOIN RANKS OF THE NAVY
cornissions-Feat-
uresT hatM AXE Eeoa e.


20 tts fact that bullhead doors could
zot be closed by hand in time to save
he ship. The naval authorities are
taking 10 chances with vessels that
cost rnilicns and which may some day
stand between the victory or defeat OF
American SEA forces.
a coGt-a-.oIs protective deck from
one to tt.ete inches thick tenlncb
amor !o- r:,., main barbettes, Pinch
toc th.> main turrets and eight
inch ara fcr the four S-inch gun
tur-st$ completes the protective feat
;zras Of these ships
Have Great Gun Power
O@snsive:1 as wei as defensive1y-
the Connecticut and louisiana will be
s2Iendldiy equipped. ever for this day
Of ever heavier guns. They will car
~ 72Irch gums in two turrets fore and
aft and eight S-inch guns in turrets-
two on each broadside. The emplace-
!nant OF these guns is such that the
no forward turrets have an arc of
ire fror1 dead ahead TO a point well
ut Of tho beam, while from the aft
2ai-- Of tu--.>ts gun fire may be direct
- fcrwslrs, OF beam TO dead aStern-
| Firing through classmates on the gun
.lea;s is \ powerful battery OF twelve
7-iocI E,Gn& The finch pieces are
Something new in ordnance. having
esptonaHy nigh velocity and per-
>: ::,:altior
Tc this formidable array of heavz-
CONS is added twelve 3-inch rapid
=5re1s Sae same number of three
Dcunder&, ard fourteen machine guns
distributed on the superstructure-
ri. 1.es and fighting tops. It was not
.cten,'ets originally that the Connecti-
cti;. lnc' Louisiana should carry any
to-ps!c t.IE,ss, but afterwards it was
aecidcG to add four such, tubes to
-szzr<lis cc:s;i2r.ent.
Protection for Officers
4aatnGrIzs the many other lessons Of the
.;:7l1ssoJapanes.c sea fights. it was
81 Swg that better protection was need
81 20" o-:,s.>rs directing a warship
II: action. Tbs Connecticut and Louis
:a3aa vii; tc a; safe in this respect as
5, .man-of-war can be made. The for
T=G.-d coming tower is protected by
zine lnche& CT Krupp steel. and the
at cOnntnE signal tower. located be-
5oT the aft bridge, has fve-inch armor-
Hasr interest has from the first sur
-'o1tniIeCi the Louisiana and Connect
-1r or account of the unusual condi-
Sons uade>- which they were built
75,,-4 ,aD.Fone5 into . SbinbuilSinr
-acs began WREN the government de-
ciIea tc construct the Connecticut at
lbs Brooklyn Navy Yard. giving the
contract for the Louisiana at the same
ri-ua to the Newport News Company
Records Broken in Shipbuiiding Race
The Louisiana was launched a
Month ahead OF the Connecticut. but
he scors between them lately narrow
sd do-n to two or three per cent. The
-eason why the race cannot be def
2it.ly decided one way or the other is
;;aat allowance must be made for q
-umba1 Of factors that do not appear
IN the Official progress figures The
Louisiana. Is undoubtedly in the lead.
but ttt.> builders of the Connecticut
nave explanations for this. one being
taat Congress has not provided men
and material as rapidly as the build
ezs could have used them.
But one thing is certain-both gov
s1meat AID private yards have made
splendid records on the Connecticut
and Louisiana It IS equally certain
nat the normal time for the building
Of a batueship would no. have been
reduced from II to so months If there
had been no contest This was a
wosld-beadnS performance until Great
3atain launched the Dreadnausht IN
-Four months with every prospect OF
completing this new sea monster In
a year and half.