Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-10
The DR[ADN0U(HI
LAUNCHED TODAY
Greatest Battleship Ever
Floated Given to the Waters
at Portsmouth
II COST SEVEN MILLIONS
! COST SEVEN MILLIONS
eaid to Be the Greatest Engine OF
Destruction Ever Devised and Is tho
Result of Observation and Lessons
Learned in the Russo Japanese War
Something About the Ship.

Portsmouth England, Feb. 10.-The
battIeship Dreadnought, which when
finished will have cost seven and one-
half million dollars, was successfully
launched here today by King Edward.
The ceremony was the most simple one
possible, the king having vetoed all
decorations and pageantry, on account
of the death of his father law. King
christian.
{ There was a moment of suspense af-
ter the king touched the electric but
ton removing the last block, as the
ship hesitated and appeared reluctant
to take water But, ultimately, she
glided down the ways in safety. Among
American naval attache, Lieutenant
Commander John II. Gibbons.
Worlds Greatest Warship.
The launch of the Dreadnought,
the largest and most powerful battle
ship Of the worlds navies, marks the
first stage in what the British admir-
atty claim as the greatest achievement
In naval construction. On October 2,
1905, only few days over four
months ago, work was commenced at
Portsmouth on the vessel, the first Of
what is to be known as the Dread
nought class. The promise was made
then that she would be launched with
In 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 battleship building
by six months. There are two reasons
why work is being rushed on uhe
Dreadnought. One is the great saving
In cost, but the chief reason is that
the ship is to some extent an expert
ment and it is desired to give her a
good trial before starting construction
on any more of her class. Great Brit
ain 1t will be remembered was the on
ly power having attaches or observers
on Japanese ships during the Russo
Japanese war. while expert British
constructors were given every oppor-
tunity Of learning wherein the ships
Of Japan proved weak or strong as
the case might be. These men We're
busy from start to finish of the war
and Immediately after the battle Of the
Sea OF Japan came home with their
data, which was submitted with sug-
gestions, to e. special committee on
which sat not only the most ex-
perienced naval experts, but the di-
rector of naval construction, Lord
Kelvin, and a number of the leading
private ship builders. The Dread
nought is the outcome of their de-
liberations. an embodiment of the les
sons of the late war in the Far East,
ship apparently invincible capable
at one discharge of her guns of throw
ing with unparalleled force twice as
war now af1oat, while her armor will
render her immune from attacks by
any enemy's guns, and, some claim,
even against torpedoes, fired at the US
ual battle range. The details of the
construction remain
secret so well has the admiralty guard
ed the plans.
Usually when ships are building
board is placed at the head of the slip
giving her name, displacement, princi-
pal dimensions, horse power and speed.
In the case of the Dreadnought, not an
item in the design is revealed, the
board containing the simple sentence
His Majesty's Ship Dreadnought,
October End, 1905" When
ready for sea. the ship will displace
1S,500 tons, but this is the least re-
markable thirg about her for besides
the ideas introduced as result of the
far eastern war Britain is placing on
her new fighting machine the heaviest
ever carried by a ship. In
the past British vessels have carried
four Pinch guns, throwing $50
pound shells; the Dreadnought will
have ten Of these weapons of a new
type with muzzle energy of 1865,
as compared with the 1892 of the guns
carried in as recent battleships as the
Majestic; an increase in power
of so per cent. In great sea fight the
will be able to discharge
every minute ten projectiles weighing
$500 pounds with sufficient velocity
to send them twenty-five miles or to
penetrate about 16 inches, of the hard
est armor at range of about two
miles. Unlike all British and foreign
built in the past thirty
years, the new addition to the fleet
will carry no weapon smaller than the
great 12-inch piece except eighteen
3-inch quickfirers for repelling attacks
by torpedo craft. She will mount
neither 9.2-inch, 7.5-inch nor 6-inch
guns, she will be the biggest warship
afloat and she will have only the big
gest and most powerful guns. The Sc
crets which will be Incorporated in the
huge hull are still hidden but it is
known that they tend to economy as
well as efficiency. The Dreadnought
will cost 10 per cent per ton less than
recent battleshfps British built, altho
she will represent the last word in all
details of her construction. In other
respect the E'readnought will be unique
Dhs will be the first battleship in the