New-York tribune., 1906-04-01
Il GREAT B4TTLESHIP.
The Mighty Connecticut Practically
Completed an BrOOklyn.

The temporary queen of the United States
Navy, the Connecticut, the most up to date and
powerful battleship yet brought to completion
this continent is practically finished,
and is scheduled to go into commission in few
weeks. She will be the flagship of the North
Atlantic Squadron. under Rear Admiral Evans,
with Captain William Swift in command. Spe-
cial interest surrounds this giant fighting ma
chine owing to the fact that she was built in
navy yard plant-the Brooklyn navy yard
under government supervision and represents
the highest type of American naval design in
architecture that has yet been reached. though
five other ships of the same tonnage under
way, and her proud pre-eminence Will last only
a short time.
AS the newest largest and most formidable
engine of destruction in our navy ana. save one,
the heaviest armed vessel in tbs world much
interest will attach to The Tribunes serias Of
photographs of her and to a description of SOM
of her leading features.
Her keel was laid on March 10. 1903. and she
was launched September %, 1894 she is
80 feet long 10y 7G feet and 10 inches i'm extreme
width. About 200 tons of coal can be carried
IN her bunkers. Her speed Will he eighteen
knots, it is confidently expected. and sh draws
2412 feet of water. Nearly 300 tons of steel
plates have been used in the construction of the
hull Her total cost viii reach nearly $S,op0010
She adds materially to the defensive resources
of the navy outclassing in heavy long range
gunfre all other battleships now in rvicc.
being able to fight enemy with smashing cf-
feet from a distance of from six to eight miles
1t is said by ore of the chief naval constructors
that at the time the Connecticut was laid down
she admitted by European naval experts to
be the best designed and most powerful warship
OF her class in existence, and she is only eX-
ceeded at present by the recently launched Eng
lish Dreadnought, of $4,000 tons whose gunfire
range is somewhat greater.
The dominant feature and supreme Importance
of the Connecticut a destructive engine of
war is centred in her terrific battery of long
range guns Four huge Pinch breechloading
rifles, the navy's latest model, ~ feet long. are
mounted in the two turrets, one forward and
one aft. These guns are capable of hurting
S50-pound projectiles with sufficient force to
penetrate arrnor and sink ship six to eight
miles away. Besides these, eight S-inch and
twelve 7-inch guns complete the main battery,
while twenty 3-inch and 12-pounders are III
stalled, intended principally to ward off torpedo
boat attacks.
The hull of the Connecticut is protected At the
waterline by a complete belt of armor 9 feet ,
inches in width and II inches thick which runs
200 feet amidships, while the front and back
of this, embracing the magazine spaces, is 9
inches until 1t gradually decreases to / inches in
thickness at the stem and stern. The casemate
armor from the top of the waterline to the edge
of the 7-inch gun ports and upper casemate is
6 inches thick throughout
The work of placing in the turrets the four
12-inch guns weighing 125000 pounds each
delicate engineering feat. The powerful
electric crane Hercules, however, with it's strong
coils of wire rope, slowly lifted these monster
weapons and lowered them safely into their
proper positions. To sustain the shock of fire
a large 13-ton recoil jacket is slipped over the
breech end of each gun. The rebound is about
five six feet.
front projecting plate of the rotating turrets of