Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-16
OF 100000 HORSEPOWER
DETAILS OF THE GREAT SQUAD
RON.

OLD POINT COMFORT, December 10
1t was peculiarly fitting that the Con-
necticut should lead the greatest neet ever
sent from American shores She is the
product from stem to stern. from keel
plate to fighting-top, of the American
naval establishment Designed al the
Navy Department in Washington, and
built at the Brooklyn navy yard, the Con-
necticut represents the highest type of
fighting machine the navy has ever
known. Her size, measured by the water
the great hull displaces. and not by carry
ing capacity, is registered at $4,000 tons
The energy of her twin reciprocating en-
gines is rated at 1880 horses, and her
estimated speed of 10 knots an hour was
easily exceeded on her trial trip. In armor
the Connecticut is belted with eleven
inches of well-nigh invulnerable steel
amidships to protect her vitals This belt
tapers away gradually to four inches at
stem and stern. Her classmates are pro-
tected by seven inches of hardened
steel; her main turrets. ellipticaI in form,
are constructed of 1Z-inch steel: her sec
ondary turrets by eight inches, and her
protected deck, bending over engine and
ammunition rooms, has 3-inch thick
SOAACCI1CuL odCLSTy.
The battery Of the Connecticut stands
as great increase in power over any
thing heretofore attempted on an Ameri-
can battleship. The latest pattern of 40
caliber Pinch guns were mounted in her
main turrets for the first time in the navy.
In addition to four Of these. carried twin
shape in barbette turrets forward and
aft, there are eight .45-caliber S-inch guns
In tuYretS the hr0S6Side nd
ingly powerful secondary battery mounted
In classmates on the gun deck consisting
of twelve Finch guns of SO caliber. The
calfoer OF naval gun Is the measure of
its length. The increase of caliber has
grown from IS to 80 in the last few years
The finch guns on the Connecticut and
other vessels of her type are new to the
navy and are believed to be the best
pieces of ordnance planned in a decade.
or .50-caliber length, they are capable of
penetrating six inches of krupp armor
two miles away. Tie fire in any direction
from the Connecticut class of ships is ire
| mendous. Ahead or astern two Pinch
four S-inch and two finch guns can be
steel can be poured from four 12s. four IS
| and six IS. to say nothing of the twelve
3-inch rapid-fire guns and the twenty-six
smaller pieces which complete the arma-
ment
These four ships are as nearly alike as
the naval architects and builders could
make them, their only differences being
in minor details which are lost to the un-
trained eye. They constituted the first
division, first squadron of the fleet.
The Second Division.
Four hundred yards astern of the Louis
lana came the Georgia. flying the flag of
Rear Admiral William II. Emory. and
leading the four ships of the second divi-
sions. first squadron. Admiral Emory was
on the after bridge. The "details of sa-
lutte with the passing Of the second div-
sion were the same as those set by the
Connecticut and followed by all the other
ships as they came. The Georgia class OF
battleships at a distance appear very
similar to the Connecticut type. except
that they have doubie-decked turre!s for
II and inch guns forward and aft. Their
three tunnels and superstructures are
much the same. and their displacement is
only about 2.o0o tons under the 1900
mark OF the Connecticut The Georgia
class excel all of the American battleships
In speed and horsepower. Their rate.
which has been exceeded in every in
stance is nineteen knots. with Il 1000
horsepower for each and every knot. After
the Georgia came the New Jersey. the
Rhode Island and the Virginia. Again in
this division all four ships are Of one de-