Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-20
The New Battleship Louisiana
Said to Be Able to Whip
Any Opponent
AMERICA LEADS IN WAR CRAFT
Six Vessels Now Building Expected to
Form the Most Powerful Fleet in
the World - Japan Strong Rival
How She is Taking the Lead in
Naval Construction.

ISQllUS AlilCitillc SNSl SohStA uSNSS' A'uS
returned to her dock at the Newport
News shipyard after her speed trial
and is now receiving her armament ana
being fitted out for sea, says William
e. Curtis, the Chicago Record-Heralds
Washington correspondent. In several
particulars the Louisiana exceeds all
other ships of all other nations, and
properly differed and manned she
ought to whip anything that floats. In
speed, armament and coal carrying ca
pacity, which are the three essentials
for a man-of-war. she SURPRISES the
best and the latest and the strongest
battleships in the European navies.
She is $50 feet long. 1910 feet beam
and 24.6 feet draft, with displacement
of 10000 tons. Her speed on her trial
trip averaged 1873 knots per hour. She
can carry 1900 tons of coal, which will
enable her to steam 1000 miles at
speed of twelve knots, and her arma-
ment is four twelve-inch guns, eight
eight-inch guns and twelve seventeen
guns. She will have forty live officers
and crew of $40 men.
The strongest ship in the British ma
Wy is the Edward VII. of the same ton
mage 10000. a speed of 1876, or two
tenths of knot less than the Louisi-
ana; coal capacity of 1000 tons and
an armament of four twelve-inch, four
nine-inch and ten six-inch guns. The
strongest ship in the French navy is the
Republique, $4,000 tons, eighteen knots
speed, capacity for 1,SO0 tons Of coal
and an armament of four twelve-inch
and eighteen six and one-half inch guns.
The best ship in the German navy is
the Elsass. 1920 tons, eighteen knots
speed, 1000 tons coal capacity and an
armament Of four eleven-inch and four
teen six and one-half inch guns.
The Louisiana will cost about $5,-
100000 and is being built by contract
by company in Newport News which
was the lowest bidder. The Connecti-
cut, an exact duplicate, is being built
ut the New York navy yard by the
government and by day labor. There
is a good deal OF rivalry between the
two The New Hampshire and the
Kansas, also duplicates Of the Louisi-
ana, are now under construction at
Camden, n. j.; the Minnesota at New
port News and the Vermont at the
Fore River yard, Quincy, Mass. When
they are finished these six ships will
form the finest fleet of fighting ma
chimes that were ever built in the world
and will be more formidable than any
thing that floats. The next best ships
in our navy are the Virginia, Rhode Is
land, New Jersey, Nebraska and Geor-
gia, which are now approaching COM
pletion. They have displacement Of
$4,000 tons.
The Louisiana is expected to be ready
to go into commission in May, and sew
eral Of her officers have already been
selected. She will be commanded by
Captain A. II. Couden, who was APP
pointed to the Naval academy from
Utah and graduated in the class Of 81.
The Japanese are taking the lead in
naval construction. They have adopted
broad and comprehensive programme
since the war. They expect to replace
their old fleet with new and larger bat
tleships and armored cruisers and pro-
pose to design and build their own
ships hereafter. They have recently
constructed new shipyard and gun
factory on the Sumida river, covering
eighty three acres, with twenty large
machine shops, foundries and gun fac
tories, in which 1000 men will be en-
ployed Heretofore they have built
only about one-half Of their warships.
The remainder have been constructed
in England and the United States or
have been purchased from foreign
countries, but hereafter they will build
their own ships and their own guns.
The japanese naval programme Is
considerably in advance Of that Of any
other nation. They now have under
construction the following:
To be completed.
Battleship Ak, 1900 tons. .............. 1903
Battleship Satsuma, 1900 tons ........ 1908
Battleship Kashima, 1900 tons 1907
Battleship Katoria, 1900 tons ........ 1907
Armored cruiser Tsukuba, 1900 tons. 1906
Arnored cruiser Ikoma, l4,Oo0 tons. -. 1906
Armored cruiser kuroma, M,000 tons. 1906
Armored cruiser Ibutki 1900 tons. 1906
The largest battleships will have a
speed Of eighteen knots and will be
armed with eight twelve-inch and eight
six-inch guns. The second class battle
ships will have q speed Of eighteen
knots and an armament Of eight
twnlve.incIa and oipht Siy-incla eT1ns
The four armored cruisers will have a
speed Of twenty-one knots and an ar
mament of four twelye-inch and ten
six-inch guns Five destroyers Of the
most advanced design have recently
been launched and will be ready for
commission before the end of the year.
They are expected to make twenty-five
knots
Designs are about completed and ap-
preparations hive already been made
for four enormous battleships Of $4,000
tons, twenty knots speed and an arma-
ment of fourteen twelve-inch and eight
six-inch guns; also for four armored
cruisers Of $4,000 tons, twenty-five
knots speed and four twelveinch and
ten sixinch guns.
The future policy Of the Japanese
navy, founded upon its experience dur
ing the late war, is to build big battle
ships and fast armored cruisers, with
few destroyer5 in addition to its pres
ent feet.