The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-06-07
'e::7.
THE BATTLEsHIP KANSAS.

installed in the battleship Kansas
June II, when Gov. Hoch will for
maIly turn over to the captain at
jamestown the handsome $1,000 sill
yer service purchased by the state
for Its namesake.
! When the Kansas went into com
mission short time ago. the cher
ished dream of half dozen secre
talies of the navy was an accomp
lished fact, and Uncle Sam had Ia
ken second place in the worlds ma
val powers.
| The Kansas is interesting for her
self alone, Independently of the fact
that she is the tally on the score
sheet of the nations that shows the
United States to have stepped into
second place as a naval power.
The new battleship can justly wear
the title that has so often been APP
| piled 10 new ships, in fact nearly al
ways goes to the last one turned out,
| The Queen of the Navy
| Such title seems more than
tradition when applied to the Kan
sas. She represents the very last
word, the best we have been able TO
| do, to date. And this is the same AS
saying that the Kansas would have
at least an even chance with any
thing afoat.
Uncle Sam thought enough of the
Kansas to spend $4250,000 for this
32,0O0.000 pound monster Eight
hundred men have just been enroll
ed as the permanent handlers of this
superb creation of steel and eIectri-
city. and to be in accord with
the fine equipment otherwise they
represent the pick of Uncle Sans
mechanics. electricians. sharpshoot-
ers, marines and fighting men Sener-
ally
The Kansas is 455 feet long, with
a deck that is seventy-siX feet in
width
The most powerful feature of her
equipment are four Pinch mighty
guns. forty-fve feet long apiece,
weighing sixty-two tons each, and
throwing projectile weighing eight
hundred and fifty pounds.
1t takes one hundred and eight
pounds of gunpowder. to fire this
huge engine of death, and nothing
within twelve miles is safely out 81
range.
Just as a sort of side issue -
these four big fellows that will bear
the brunt of battle are eight eight
inch guns. twelve seventeen guns
some twenty three-inches and thirty
smaller ones, finally getting down to
machine guns that would be used
When the engagement got TO close
Quarters.
The turrets Of the Kansas are con
sidered to be the finest ever put on
any American battleship. Though
they weigh three hundred tons
apiece. they are so perfectly lal.
anced that they can be moved
around with the greatest ease. Not
even the wel-greased BARRIERS char
wheels around as easily as these
huge compounds Of steer.
The mechanism for lifting the
charges and taking aim to fire the
big guns are models Of ingenuity,
and no such back discharges of gas
from the big guns as killed several
gunners on the Missouri's turret a
few years ago can happen now, for
the Kansas guns are fitted out with
an automatic pressure that SENDS out
through Il bore hole all the smoke
and burnt powder every time the
back door is opened.
This same regard for the comfort |
and safety of Uncle Sans fighting
men has been carried out to the last
detail. There is a.refrigerating plant
to keep the food of the crew In just
as fine condition as it woud be in a
great hotel. There are shower baths |
for the men and comfortable living |
quarters.
Drowned While Watering Stock. -
William Bell. ex-county commission
er of Republic county. residing north |
of Concordia, went out to water the
stock. fell head first into the well andt
was drowned.
For Stealing Chickens. = Dave
Bradshaw. of Ft. Scott, young man
of a good country family. was sen
fenced to from one to three years in
the penitentiary for stealing chick
ems. and was given an equal SEN
tence for stealing whisky from the
Cniontown depot Oliver Williams
was sentenced from one to three
years for being party to the liquor
theft
Long Ride Postponed. - General
Godfrey, commandment at Fort Riley,