The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-11-11
HULL OF BATTLESHlP NORTH
DAKOTA LAUNCHED AT
QUINCY, MASS.
go PER CENT COMPLETE
Displacement Will Be 10000 Tons,
1000 More Than British Dread.
naueht-Equipped With
All Big Guns.


powerful addition which the navy o
the United States has ever received
ana Americas first all around big
CUR battleship the North Dakota
was successfully launched today,
With the foam of the christening
wine streaming down her bow plates
frCm bottle smashed by Miss Mary
Benton of Fargo, n d., and under
the watchful eye of Gov. Burke, OF
the state for which she is named, the
North Dakota loated off into the
bascion about sixty per cent com.
pleted
Some time next summer she will
| he turned over to the government
for acceptance, and If she fulfns her
test will go into service next Septem.
ber The ship is looked upon BY
naval experts as establishing a new
epoch in battleship construction.
As the massive hull Of the North
Dakota stood upon the ways ready
for launching it presented none ol
the warlike appearance of the fin
ished hattleship Save for few TEN
pcrary fittings. the decks were bare
and lacked the martial aspect sup
Piled by the great guns and second,
ary batteries, which are to be in
stalled later. Even the great boilers
OF the fighting ship had not been in
stalled, In accordance with the usual
custom of construction, and as a part
Gt the preparations for the launching
pufly little tugs were in waiting to
warp the gigantic yet helpless craft
alongside the pier at the yard.
Before the conclusion of the 34b
months allowed by the government
launched today will present differ.
ent aspect. Fly that time. ten 12-inch
brcech loading, long-range rifles win
nave been placed In position, as well
az fourteen 5-inch. rapid fire guns !:
-four pound, and like number OF
l-bound semi-automatic guns: two
3irch field pieces, two machine guns
Of 80 calibre. and two 2tinch sub.
merged torpedo tubes. This consti.
trtes the active armament of the bat
tleship Protective armor to the ex
tent Of about eight inches, will cover
practically every available spot
which might be reached by an
enemys guns, and, as a result of the
recent naval conference, many minor
details of aditional protection viii
also be added.
Whdn placed iH commission, the
North Dakota will be $40 feet long
on the load water line, with a breadth
OF 81 feet, 25s inches at the same
point The length over all will be
about 5lS feet 2 inches The BATH
ship will have displacement OF 90.
00n tons. 1000 in excess of the
original British Dreadnought. II is
estimated that a speed of more than
q knots Will be attained on her trial
and that the battleship's horse power
will exceed 25.0jO Unlike her sister
ship the Delaware. now under con
struction at Newport News. Va. the
North Dakota will be fitted with
''t'f' t'i biiA' 'hEllf94 lUAlUulDE
officers. the crew will number more
thar 800 men. II is estimated that
when formally taken over by the
government the North Dakota vii;
have cost at least S7OO0.000. the
contract price Of her hull aud ma
chinery alone being s4.377.OOO.
Although the American battleship
construction record Is broken by the
Ncrth Dakota's builders. il does not
closely approach that held by the
British navy In the construction OF
the first Dreadnought The keel OF
that vessel was laid in july 1905. and
on October ?. Of the same year. the
vessel was launched and exactly a
year later the ship had it, standard
ilation trial II is expected that the
North Dakota viii be ready for its
first trial trip about the latter part oil
August 1909. although the actual
placing of the bsttleShip into com
mission NAV be delayed
To Capt Charles D. BaIdgor T. S.
y recently superintendent o' the
naval academy at Annapolis. will gol
tho honor Of being the first command
ing officer 81 tho premier Dread /
ucrght' OF the United States navy