The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-11
MONSTER WARSHIP
IS NORTH DAKOTA
New Type of Vessel Is Sue
ceSSfuIly Launched At Quincy
SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHERS
The New Battleship Is the Most Power
full Ever Built for the American
Navy and Is Ahead of the
British BattIeships.
SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHERS


powerful addition which the navy of the
United States has ever received and
America first all-around big gun bat
tleship, the North Dakota, was success
fully launched today from the yard of
the Fore River Shipbuilding company
With the foam of the christening wine
running down her bow plates from the
bottle smashed by Miss Mary Benton of
Fargo, n. D., and under the watchful
eye of Governor John Burke of the state
for which she is named, the North Da-
fota floated off into the basin about
~ per cent completed Some time next
summer she will be turned over to the
government for acceptance and If she
fulfills the tests will go into commits
sion next September.
The North Dakota is looked upon by
naval experts as establishing a new epoch
in battleship construction.
Whom the great prov of the North Da-
kota struck the waters of Fore River,
where she was launched, the United
States navy received formally the bulky
body of the first fighting ship of the
so-cal!ed Dreadnaught class. Incidental
ly, new record for speed in the first
stage of battleship construction was es-
tahlshed, inasmuch as only 2S2 working
days have been employed from the time
of laying the keel until the day of
the launching.
AS the massive hull of the North Da-
kota stood upon the ways ready for
launching it presented none of the war
like appearance of the finished battle
ship Save for few temporary fittings
the decks were bare and lacked the mar
tiaI aspect supplied by the great guns
and secondary batteries which are to be
installed later. Even the great boilers
of the fighting ship had not been in
stalled in accordance with the usual GUS
tom Of construction and as a part of
the preparations for the launching, puffy
little tugs were in waiting to warp the
gigantic yet helpless craft alongside the
pier at the yard.
Before the conclusion of the 341a months
allowed by the government for delivery,
however the hull launched today will
present a different aspect. BY that time
10 12-inch breech-loading long-range rifles
will have been placed in position, as well
as fourteen 3-inch rapid-tire guns;
four 3-pound and a like number of
1-pound semi-automatic guns two 3-inch
field pieces; two machine guns of 80 cal
iber. and two 21-inch submerged torpedo
tubes. This constitutes the active arma-
ment of the batteshfp. Protective armor
to the extent of about Is inches will COW
er practically every vulnerable spot which
might be reached by an enemy's guns,
and as result of the recent naval con-
ference many minor details of additional
protection will also be added.
When placed in commission the North
Dakota will be $40 feet long on the load
water line, with a breadth of SIS feet 29s
inches at the same point The length over
all will be about SIS feet inches The
battleship will have displacement of 30
900 tons, 1000 in excess of the original
British Dreadnaught. 1t is estimated that
a speed of more than q knots will be at
tanned on her trial, and that the battle
ships horsepower will exceed $4,000 I'm
like her sister snip, the Delaware now
under construction at Newport News,
Va, the North Dakota will be fitted with
Curtis turbine engines.
Including officers the crew will num-
Der more than 800 men. 1t is estimated
that when formally taken over by the
government the North Dakota will have
cost at least S,000,000, the contract price
of her hull and machinery alone being
81, 377, 900.
Although the American battleship con-
struction record is broken by the North
Dakota's builders, 1t does not closely APP
proach that held by the British navy in
the construction of the first Dread
naught. The keel of that vessel was
laid in July, 1905. and on October 2 of
the same year the vessel was launched
and exactly a year later the ship had its
Standardization trial. 1t is expected that
the North Dakota will be ready for its
first trial trip about the latter part of
August, 1910, although the actual placing
of the battleship into commission may
be delayed.
TO Capt Charles j. Badger, U. S. N.
recently superintendent of the Naval
academy at Annapolis, will go the honor
of being the first commanding officer of
the premier Dreadnaught of the United
States navy.