Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-02-15
Monster British
WARSH|P LAUNCHED
WORLDS BIGGEST MAN-O'-WAE
TAKES DIP AT PORTS
MOUTH, ENG.
ADMIRALTY MAKES
PLANS A. SECRET
Dreadnought Which Will: Cost ST.
100000 When Finished Has
Great Power of Destruction -
Marks Important Epoch. ...,

Portsmouth, England, Feb. 1.-THE
monster battleship Dreadnought, which
which, when finished, will have cost
$7,500,000, was launched here by King
Edward. The ceremony was the most
simple possible, the king having vetoed
all decorations and pageantry on &C.
count of the death of his father-in-
law, King Christian There was a
moment of suspense after. the: king
touched the electric button removing
the last block, as the huge ship hest
tated and appeared reluctant to take
the water. But, ultimately, she
glided down the ways in safety. Among
the occupants OF the royal stand were
the American naval attache, Lieuten-
ant Commander John H. Gibbons, and
the other attaches, the: admiralty Off
Gals and a few privileged persons.
Launching Marks an Epoch.
The launching of the Dreadnought,
ship of the worlds navies, marks the
first stage in what the British ad-
miralty claim as the greatest achieve
ment in naval construction On Oc-
tober 2, 1905, only few days over
four months ago, work was COM
menced at Portsmouth on the vessel,
the first of wha. is to be known as the
Dreadnought class The promise was
made then that she would be launched
within six months. The admiralty
has more than made good the boast
and Britishers have another cause for
pride in their navy. Another IL
months, all going we'll, the Dread
nOught will be commissioned and Join
the Atlantic fleet; thus beating all pre-
vious records in battleship building
by six months.
To Displace Is, 500 Tons.
When ready for sea the ship will
displace 1880 tons, but this is the
least remarkable thing about her, for,
besides the ideas introduced as a re-
suit of the far eastern war, Britain is
placing on her new fighting machine
the heaviest armament ever carried
by ship. In the past British vessels
Z have carried four Finch guns, throw
ing 850-pound shells; the Dreadnought
will have ten of these weapons of a
new type with muzzle energy of 49,
568, as compared with the 1892 of
the guns carried in as recent battle
ships as the Majestic class, an in
crease in power of so per cent In a
great sea fight the Dreadnought will
be able to discharge every minute ten
projectiles weighing $500 pounds with
sufficient velocity to send them %
miles. or to penetrate about Is inches
of the hardest armor at a range of
about two miles.
All Guns Are Large.
Unlike all British and foreign bat
tlesnips built in the past 80 years, the
new addition to the fleet will carry no
weapon smaller than the great 12-inch
piece except Is three-inch quick-firers
for repel]ing attacks by torpedo craft.
She will mount neither 9.2-inch, rs
inch nor 6-inch guns; she will be the
biggest warship af1oat, and she will
have only the biggest and most power
full guns. The secrets which will be
incorporated in the huge hull are still
hidden. The Dreadnought will cost
ten per cent. per ton less than recent
battleships, British built, although she
will represent the last word in all
details of her construction. In an
other respect the Dreadnought will be
unique, she viii! be the first battle
ship in the world to be driven by
turbines. These engines will supply
the power for four propellers, two
more than any previously built Brit
ish battleship, which should make her
the fastest ship of her class afoat