The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-27
JAPAN'S BIG FIGHTER.
Launch of SatSuma, Worlds
Largest War Ship.
FEATURES OF NEW VESSEL
VIII Have Speed of 80 Knots an
Hour and 1920 Tons DispIace-
ment-Heavy 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 snip afioat took place in the pres
e9ce o. lis majesty the Emperor of
Japan. the crown prince, many princes
and princcsscs and f huge number OF
all classes Of people. at the Yokosuka
Navy Yard, which is bat five miles from
Uraga. where the monument to Commo-
dore Perry stands.
The battle ship Satsuma. the construc-
ton of which began in the midst of the
Russo-Japanese war. is 4S2 feet IN length.
81 feet inches in beam, Of 1920 tons
displacement, and 1890, horsepower
Her armament is not yet officially de-
clared, and Will be kept secret until COM
pletion. But the authorities. it is said. III
/ first intended 10 provide four Pinch guns.
twelve l0-inch guns, twelve A7-inch guns,
and five torpedo tubes. Thus it viii De
seen that Japan has not dispensed with
/ intermediate armament as l. the case
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
10 be more powerfully equipped than was
originally intended. Her armor belt of
/ KrUpp steel ranges from to tor $40
/ inches. and her intended speed is nine
/ teen knots. The ram bow has been dis
/ pcascd with IN her, as in the two urmored
/ cuisers Tsukuba and Ikoma. just built
respectively NJ Kuro and TOlosuka- She
[ has "a very handsome scmi-hddIe bow.
| over a year ago Admiral Sir Cypriau
/ Bridge said it would be interesting 10 see
/ how long the ram bow would be a fea-
ture Of war snip design. So far as the
/ Japanese are concerned, the day OF the
ram has passed away. and viii 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
viii also be without the fighting tops so
common in modern war ships. Compared
with the latest battle ship Kassima. she
has a larger displacement by $500 tons.
and in armament has eight more 15-inch
guns. Not only is the Satsuma much su-
perior 90 the Kashima in her exterior de-
sign. but the difference in her interior
design is incomEarably greater, owing 20
the fact that in the construction of the
|Satsuma every available experience OBJ
tanned from the late war has been turned
TO account. The new battle ship has a
larger displacement than the Dreadnought
by 1900 tons. though she is inferior in
point Of speed. and there is question as
20 the comparative strength Of the two
battle ships armament. The Satsuma has
four l2-inch and twelve lG-inch guns.
against the DreaduOughJs ten Pinch. SO
that ia fire the latter opposes six Pinch
TO the former ships twelve l9-inch. The
allied nations are 20 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-
T Eagemeuts. A battle ship. designed by
F she experts of country which has had
various experiences OF modern naval war
fare, cannot fail Co. have many character
( istiCs peculiar to itself; though the public
are Yet IN the dark as 90 the details OF
T those characteristics.
How She Was Launched.
/ On November -. when the launch had
/ been arranged to take place, his majesty
entered the imperial stand, at about .
/ p. m., which faced the stem Of the ship.
Preparations for the launch We're soon
commenced. The shores supporting both
sides of the hull, the wedges. &c. were
. removed in accordance with signal or
ders Nos. / 10 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 $500, the
( construction of the battle ship numbered
( b was commenced, and the huh having
NOW been completed. his majesty is
pleased 90 name her Satsuma."
The minister handed the document to
I Vice Admiral Kamimura. commander of
T the YokOsuka naval station. and the lat
/ ter Immediately instructed the superin-
/ tendent of the arsenal. Vice Admiral Ito.
( 10 launch the ship. As soon as the cord
was cut by Vice Admiral Ito the huh be
gan sliding. As the Satsuma was
smoothly going down toward the water a
ball hanging from her bow was automati-
caly broken. scattering pieces Of colored
paper, cloth, flowers, &c, from among
which several pigeons flew away The
thunderous banzai and applause continued
for q time The ship was entirely afiCat
at 2-25 D m II may be added that the
SatsUma has been built entirely by Japan
ese experts, and there is no truth what
ever in. the reports circulated in Europe
as 70 a number Of foreign engineers hav-
inc hon nlnulnNnl