Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-11
.DREADNOUGHT Is LAUNCHED
Most Powerful Bsttlsship Known Takes to
Water at Portsmouth
DETAILS OF VESSEL GOVERNMENT SECRET
Lessons of Russo-Jspsnese war In
corporated In wnrship which
Leaves ways This Morning
with simple Ceremony.

monster battleship Dreadnought which,
when finished. will have cost 81 10000 was
launched here today by King Edward.
The ceremony was the most simple posi-
bic, the king having vetoed all decorations
and psgeantry on account OF the death
VI his father-n-law. King Christian. There
was moment of suspense after the king
touched the electric button, removing the
last block. as the ship hesitated and az
Deared reluctant to take the water. But.
ultimately. it glided down the ways In
safety. Among the occupants OF the royal
stand were the American naval attache,
lieutenant Commander John II. Gibbons,
and the other ATTACHES. the admiralty offi-
Gals and few privileged persons.
Description of Vessel.
The launch of the Dreadnought the
largest and most powerful battieship Of
The worlds nsvies. marks the irst stage
In what the British admiralty claim as the
greatest achievement in naval eonstruc-
tion. On October 2, 1905, only few days
over four months ago, work was COM
nenced at Portsmouth on the vessel, the
hist OF what il TO be known as the Dread
notght class. The promise was made then
that It would be launched within six
months. Tho admiralty has more than
made good their boast and Britishers have
another cause for pride in their navy.
Another twelve months. all going well.
The Dreadnought will be commissioned and
Join the Atlantic fleet. thus beating all
previous records in battleship building by
six months. There are two reasons why
work is being rushed on the Dreadnought.
One is the great saving in cost hut the
chief reason is that the ship is to some
extent an experiment. and IL is desired TO
give Il good trial before commencing
construction on any more OF it's class.
Great Britain, II will be remembered. was
the only power having attaches or OBJ
servers on the Japanese ships during the
Russo-Japanese war, while expert British
constructors were given every opportunity
pf learning where in the ships of Japan
proved weak or strong, as the case might
be. These men were busy from start to
finish Of the war. and Immediately after
tho battle of the Sea of Japan came home
with their data, which was submitted with
suggestions. to special committee, on
which sat not only the most experienced
naval experts, but the director of naval
construction, Lord Kelvin. and a number
of the leading private ship builders The
nresdnought is the outcome of their de-
VIBRATIONS an embodiment of the lessons
of the late war In the far east. a ship
apparently invincible, capable at one dis
charge of its guns Of throwing with un-
paralleled force twice as much metal as
any foreign man-of-war now afioat, while
Its armor will render II immune from at
Jacks by any enemy's guns, and some
claim even against torpedoes. fired at the
usual battle range
Details n secret.
The details OF the Dreadnoughts con-
.struction remains a secret, we'll has the
admiralty guarded the plans. Efforts Of
naval attaches to gather information for
their governments have been fruitless. No
Information Is Forthcoming, the answer TO
all inquiries being the candid one that
:tireat Britain Intends to maintain secrecy
as TO what its experts learned as result
IT Japans experiences for one year. and
ny rushing to completion the Dreadnought
will gain a year, II not more I'm naval
construction over all other powers except
It's ally. Usually when ships are building
. board IL placed at the head OF the slip
giving its name, displacement. principal
dimensions, horse power and speed. II
the case OF the Dreadnought not an item
In the design is revealed. the board eon
taining the simple sentence, His Majesty,
Ship Dreadnought, commenced October ?
1905 When ready for sea the ship will
,displace 1880 tons, but this is the leas
remarkable thing about II. for besides tn,
Ideas introduced as result of the fal
eastern war. Britain is placing on its new
lighting machine the heaviest armamen
ever carried by a ship
In the past British vessels have carrie,
-four tweive-ineh guns throwing sO-poun
shells; the Dreadnought will have ten o
these weapons of new type, with a muz
ele energy Of is.5ss. as compared with tn
i5,622 Of the guns carried in as recent bat
tleships as the Majestic class an increas
In power of 90 per cent. In a great Sc
night the Dreadnought viii be able TO dis
charge every minute ten properties weigh
Ing $50 pounds each, with sufficient We
locity 90 send them twenty-five miles or {
penetrate about sixteen inches of the hard
est armor at range OF about two miles.
Heavy Guns Only.
Unlike all British and foreign battleship
built IN the lsst thirty years, the new al
ditlon to the feet will carry no weapo
smaller than the great twelve-lnch piec
except eighteen three-inch quick firers fo
Iepellng attacks OF torpedo craft. 1t wi
mount neither 9.e-ineh. 7.5-ineh nor e-inc
guns. 1t Will be the biggest warshi
afioat and II will have only the biggest an
most powerful guns. The secrets whic
win be incorporated in the huge hull al
still hidden but Il is known that they ten
to economy well as efficiency n
Dreadnought will cost 10 per cent per 10
less thsn recent British built battleshlD
although II will represent the last word
all details of its construction.
In another respect the nraadnought wi
be unique; II will be the first battlesh
in the world TO be driven by turbine
These engines will supply the power {,
four propellers. two more than any pr
vlously built British battleship. whic
should make It the fastest ship OF its clai
shost. Another advantage of the turbine
as shown by the performance of the Ca
mania, Is that the gunners will have
steadier deck from which TO handle Il
guns.
'fhe guns. armor, machinery, boilers. et'
are ready to be placed I'm the Drea
nought, 80 there should be no dificulty
having Il ready for sea in Twelve month
when II will join the Atlantic fleet bas'
ON Gibraltar. thus being placed midw'
between the Channel and Mediterranes
fleets. As trouble threatens on the o.
side or the other the ships of the Atlani
fleet are moved. making them OF the eTes
est use in the time OF war, no matter W
The enemy might he.
Prediction of Atlantic Fleet.
Writing OF this feet as II will be VIII
the DFeadnought joins, naval exps
- Al