The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-10
4 MONSTER BAI'ILEsA!P | | | Il. I ] ||'
IS LAUNCHED TO-DAY.
The Dreadnaugt Most Powerful Slip Of Worlds Aavs Slides From
Her Ways at Touch Of The Hand Of King Edward CCeleno
ny Simple ID Character on Acc0nt Of The Death
Of The Kings FauePA4aW
CONSTRUCTED At A COST oF. s7,50Q000
us Completed ersat Assns d Naval consuspnNs Bu ID -Four Months
Tine Under sulst Secrecy sn Ideas sasd Eats During Tho Wsr Between
Russia and Jspn-Ihl Pride d ns British Navy
tr
CONSTRUCTED At A COST o.. s7,5OQQ00.

Russia and Japan-Thl Pride Of The Bill
Portsmouth, Feb. 1o.-The monster
battleship Dreadnought, which when
finished will have cost $500 ,000.s was
launched here today by King Edward.
The ceremony was the most simple
possible, the king having vetoed all
decorations and pageantry on account
of the death of his father-in-law
King Christian. There was moment
of suspense after the king touched
thN electric button removing the last
block, as the huge ship hesitated and
appeared reluctant to take to the
water. But ultimately, she glided
down the ways in safety. Among the
occupants of the royal stand were the
American naval attache, Lieutenant
Commander John HI: Gibbons and
other. attaches. admiralty officials and
few privileged persons.
The launch Of the Dreadnought, the
largest and most powerful. battleship
of the worlds navies, marks the first
'stage in what the British admiralty
claim as the greatest achievement in,
naval construction. On October 2,
1905, only 4 few days over fou- months
ago, work was commenced at Ports
mouth on the$vessel, the first of what
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 their boast and
Britishers have another cause for
pride in their navy. Another twelve
months, all going well, the Dread
'nought will be commissioned and Join
the Atlantic fleet, thus beating all
previous records In battleships build
ing by six months. There are two
reasons why work Is being rushed on
the Dreadnought. One is the great
saving in cost, but the chief reason is
that the ship is to some extent an ex-.
pertinent and 1t is desired to give her
a good trial before commencing con-
struction on any more of her class.
Great Britain, it will be remembered,
was the only power having attaches or
observers on Japanese ships during
the Russo-J Japanese. war, while expert
British constructors were given every
opportunity Of learning wherein 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 imme ediately after the battle of
the Sea of japan came home with
their data, which was submitted with
suggestions, to a special committee on
which sat not only the most ex-
perienced naval experts, hut the dir
ector Of naval construct Lord Kel-
vim, and a number Of the leading pri-1
vate ship builders. The Dreadnought,
is the outcome Of their deliberations,
an embodiment of the lessons of the
late war in the far east, a ship appar-
emily invincible, capable at one dis
charge of her guns Of throwing with
unparalleled force twice as much
metal as any foreign man-of-war now
afloat, while her armor will render her
immune from attacks by any enemy's.
guns. and, some claim, even against
t0rpedoes, fred at the usual battle
range. The details Of the Dread
ynought's construction remain q secret
so well has the admiralty guarded the
plans. Efforts Of naval attaches to I
gather information for their govern
ments have been frultless. No in !
Formation is forthc coming, the answer
to all enquiries being the candid one
that Great Britain intends to, maintain
secrecy as to what her. experts learned
aa n rnHn1t6Of In m n n oynortau COS \ fr,r i