Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-11-10
BIG GUN SHIP LAUNCHED
The Occasion Was Notable One
Miss Mary Benton of Fargo
Named the Vessel.
Special to the Herald.

Sp6cldl 10 lue leldio
Quincy. Mass. Nov 10.-Into the
waters of the Fore river, on whose
shores several of the finest ships of
the new navy have been built, there
was launched today the great steel
hulk of what will be the formidable
battlsship North Dakota The occa-
sion was notable one, as the North
Dakota is the first United States
twenty thousand ton all-big-Sun battle
ship of the Dreadnought type. Built
by the Fore River Shipbuilding COM
pany. the big vessel is 60 per cent
completed, and will be turned over to
the government in less than year
The keel for the North Dakota was
laid December IS last, the date of the
sailing of the Atlantic feet on its
globe-encircling trip, and in her con-
struction all time records for the
building of American naval vessels
have been broken.
Named BY North Dakota Girl.
Shortly before the hour set for the
launching, while the wedges were be-
ing driven in to lift the weight from
the ground to the sliding ways, the
naming party, led by Rear Admiral
Bowles, president of the shipbuilding
company, made its way through the
crowd and assembled the launching
stand. The sponsor, Miss Mary
Benton, daughter of Col. John D. Ben
ton of Fargo, N D., received an ova-
ton, as did also Governor John Burke
and other members of the North Da-
kota party.
The launching of the big vessel was
entirely successful, and was witness
ed by an immense crowd. When the
word was given and the great mass
of steel began to move majestically
down the creased ways for the in
itial plunge into its native element,
Miss Benton dashed against the bow
a bottle of wine decorated with the
national colors. AS she did so she eX
claimed in firm tones: 81 christen
three North Dakota."
A great wave of enthusiasm swept
over the crowd of spectators as the
christening ceremony was performed.
Down in the crowd and up on the
stand, men and women waved hats
and handkerchiefs, while thousands
of threats joined in the wild cheer
ing which greeted the new queen of
the seas. Shrill whistle blasts from
the nearby factories and the fleet of
tug boat asssessssss,led in th4s.ger join
ed in the chorus, and almost drown
ed the notes of the national anthem,
valiantly played by the band.
A Magnificent BattIeship.
The North Dakota is sister ship
of the Delaware, which is under con-
struction at Newport News. The in
itial outlay for the huge battleship
was 100000. Her guns alone will
cost about million. She will have a
long forecastle deck, extending from
the bow almost to the center of the
ship. The ten twelve-inch guns will
be arranged in five turrets, two in a
turret, the forward turret being so
located that the axis of its guns will
be twenty-four feet above the water
line, and just abaft this turret will be
another the barbette of which will
be of sufficient height for its guns to
clear the. roof of the forward turret.
Abaft the break of the forecastle
deck, and also situated ON the axis of
the ship, will be two more twelve
inch gun turrets, the guns on the
forward turret in this pair firing over
the roof of the after turret Abaft
and near the stern will be the fifth
and last of the big turrets. Naval men
declare that no navy in the world
possesses ship of the Dreadnought
type in which the guns are better az
ranged.
For repelling torpedo attack, the
North Dakota will carry a secondary
battery of fourteen five-inch guns
These guns are all to be mounted
broadside
The vessel will be driven by tur-
bines of $4,000 combined horsepower.
These powerful turbines must drive
the battleship through the water at a
rate of at least twenty-one knots an
hour, on the four hours trial run, if
the contract is to be fulfilled The Of
ficials of the company confidently as
sert that they will be able to do this
and go the government one better