The Washington herald., 1907-01-27
JAPAN'S Big FIGHTER
Launch Of Satsuma, Worlds
Largest War Ship.
FEATURES OF NEW VESSEL
VIII Have Speed of 10 Knots an
Hour and 1920 Tons DispIace-
ment-HcnVy Armament and No
Ram Embodies Naval Experience
in the Recent RussO-Jap War.

From the Scientific American.
/ one year and one month after the peace
Of Portsmouth the launch of the largest
battle ship afoat took place in the pres
/ e1cc Of lis majesty the Emperor OF
/ Japan. the crown prince, many princes
and princcsscs, and 4 huge number OF
AL classes OF people, at the Yokosuka
| Navy Yard. which is but five miles from
/ Uraga. where the monument to Commo-
dose Perry stands
| The battle ship Satsuma. the construc-
+ ton of which began in the midst of tho
Russo-Japancse war, Is 4S2 feet IN length.
/ 81 1eet inches in beam. Of 1900 tons
displacement, and 1900 horsepower.
/ Her armament is not yet officially de
clarcd, and will be kept secret until COM
/ pletiOn. But the authorities, 1t is said, al
/ FIRST intended to provide four Pinch guns
/ twelve 10-inch guns. twelve 47-inch guns.
and five torpedo tubes. Thus il win d.
/ seen that Japan has not dispensed with
/ intermediate armament. as is the ease
with the Dreadnought Incessant progress
/ in naval matters, however, calls for some
new alterations and Improvements 10 be
introduced to the armament. and the Sat
suma viii, 10 is believed, be finally found
TO be more powerfully equipped than was
/ originally intended. Her armor belt of
/ Krupp steel ranges from to Tor gIl}
I inches and her intended speed is nine
/ teen knots. The ram bow has been dis
pcased with IN her, as in the two armored
cuistrs. Tsukuba and Ikoma, just built
respectively at Kure and Yokosuka She
has "a very handsome semi-dddle bow.
/ over a year ago Admiral Sir Cyprian
Bridge said il would be interesting 20 see
how long the ram bow would be a fea-
ture Of war ship design. So far as the
japanese are concerned, the day OF the
ram has passed away. and will not be- re.
vived in future war ships. unless some de-
velOpment, as yet undiscovered, is made
hereafter in naval warfare
No Fighting Tops.
When the Satsuma is fully equipped she
will also be without the fighting tops so
common in modern war ships. Compared
with the latest battle ship Kasalma, she
mas a larger displacement by $500 tons.
and in armament has eight more l0-inch
guns. Not only is the Satsuma much SUI
perior to the KasHima in her exterior de-
sign, but the difference in her interior
design IS incomDarably greater. owing 10
the fact that in the construction Of the
Satsuma every available experience OBJ
tained from the late war has been turned
TO account The new battle ship has
larger displacement than the Dreadnought
by 1900 tons though she is inferior in
point Of speed. and there is a question as
TO the comparative strength Of the two
battle ships armament The Satsuma has
four Pinch and twelve I0-.nch guns.
against the Dreadnourhts ten Finch. SO
thar ia fire the latter opposes six Pinch
20 the former ships twelve I0-inch. The
allied nations are TO be congratulated
upon their possession Of the two most
powerful battle ships in the world. In the
construction of war ships. the most val
liable Of all experiences are undoubtedly
those derived from the test of actual en-
Eagements A battle ship. designed by
the experts OF a country which has had
various experiences of modern naval war
fare, cannot fail tR have many character
istcs peculiar to itself, though the public
are yet in the dark as 20 the details OF
those characteristics.
How She Was Launched.
on November Is. when the launch had
been arranged &c take place. his majesty
entered the imperial stand, at about .
j. M, which faced the stem of the ship.
Preparations for the launch were soon
commenced The shores supporting both
sides of the hull, the wedges. &c, were
removed in accordance with signal or
ders Nos. TO H. The minister Of the
navy, Vice Admiral Saito. then proceeded
before the throne and read the following
document: "On the 18th day of May. in
the thirJy-eighth year Of Meiji $3.50. the
construction of the battle ship numbered
b was commenced, and the hull having
now been completed, his majesty is
pleased to name her Satsuma."
The minister handed the document to
Vice Admiral Kamlmura. commander Of
the Yokosuka naval station, and the lat
ter Immediately instructed the superin-
tendent Of the arsenal. Vice Admiral Ito,
TO launch the ship. As soon as the cord
was cut by Vice Admiral Ito the hull be-
gan SHulnS As the SatSuma was
smoothly going down toward the water a
ball hanging from her bow was automati-
cally broken, scattering pieces Of colored
paper, cloth. flowers, &c, from among
which several pigeons few away The
thunderous banzai and applause continued
for a time. The ship was entirely alcat
at 2.25 D. m. II may be added that the
Satsuma has been built entirely by Japan
csc experts, and there is no truth what
ever in the reports circulated in Europe
as 70 a number Of foreign engineers hay
ing been employed.