The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-02-11
BATTLESHIP
DREADNOUCHT
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHING OF A
GREAT FIGHTING MACHINE.
Which Marks the First Stage In What
the British Admiralty Claim as
the Greatest Achievement In
Naval Construction.


which. when finished, will have cost
seven million fine hundred thousand
dollars, was launched here today bv
King Edward.
The launch Of the Dreadnought,
the largest and most powerful Dattle-
ship of the worlds navles, marks the
first stage in what the British adml-
rally claim as the greatest achieve
ment in naval construction. On Octo
ber 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 than she would be launched
within six months The admiralty has
more than made good their boast ana
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 feet thus beating all
previous records i'm battleship build
ing by six mcnths There are two rea.
sons why work Is being rushed on the
Dreadnought One Is the great saw
ing In cost. hut the chief reason IL
that the ship Is to some extent an
experiment and II Is desired to give
her a good trial before commencing
construction on any more Of her class
Great Britain, II will be remember.
cd. was the only power having at
taches or observers on Japanese ships
during the Resso-Japanese war, while
expert British constructors were Civ.
en- 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 Immediately af.
Ter the battle of the Sea of Japan
submitted with suggestions, to a spe.
cial committee on which sat not only
the most experienced naval experts
but the director OF naval construc-
tion, Lord Kelvin, and number of
the leading private ship builders. The
Dreadnougnt Is the outcome of their
deliberations. an embodiment of the
lessons of the Late war in the Far
East a ship apparently inviuciblc, ca.
pable at one discharge of her guns
of throwing with unparalleled force
tWipp ~ much matn1 no any fnVaio,
man-of-war now ahoat, while her ar.
NOR will render Lnr immune from at.
tacks by any enemy's guns, and, some
claim, even against torpedoes, fired at
the usual battle range. The details
of the DreaGnoughts construction re-
main a secret so we'll has the admi-
rally guarded the plans Efforts Of
naval attaches to gather information
for their governments have been
fruitless M information is forth.
coming, the answer to all inquiries
being the candid one that Great Brit
ain intends to maintain secrecy as TO
what her experts learned as a result
of Japan's experiences for one year
and by rushing to complete the
Dreadnought will gain over a year II
not more in naval construction over
all other powers except her ally Usu
ally when ships ere building board
Is placed at the head Of the slip Civ.
Ing her name, displacement. horse
power and speed In the case OF the
Dreadnought not an item in the de.
sign is revealed the board containing
The simple sentence His Majestys
Ship Dreadnought, commenced Octo
ber End, 1905" When ready for sea
the ship will dlsplace 1880 tons, but
this is the least remarkable thing
about her Tor besides the ideas intro
duced as n esult OF the Far Eastern
war Britain Is placing ON her new
fighting machine the heaviest arma.
ment ever carried by ship. In the
past British vessels have carried four
l2inch guns throwing $50 pound
shells; the Dretdnought will have
ten Of these weapons of a new type
with muzzle energy OF 1855, as
compared with the 33.622 of the guns
carried in as recent battleships as
the Majestic an increase in power
of 50 per cent In a great sea fight
the Dreadnought will be able to dis.
charge every minute ten proJectiles
weighing $500 pounds with sufficient
velocity to send them % miles or 20
penetrate about sixteen inches Of the
hardest armor at range Of about
two miles, Unlike all British and for
elgn battleships built In the past thir
ty years the new addition TO the feet
viii carry no weapon smaller than the !
great twelye.inch piece except eigh !