The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1908-11-11
BIGGEST SHIP
IN THE NAVY
IS LAUNCHED
THE NORTH DAKOTA KISSED THE
WAVES OF FORE RIVER
YESTERDAY.
Will Be One of the Largest of the War
Craft Afloat-Miss Benton Dashed
Against the Prov Bottle of Wine
Decorated With Nation Coiors.

Decorated With Nation colors.
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
battleship North Dakota. The occas-
ion was a notable one as the North
Dakota is the first United States 20,
000-ton, all big gun Dattleship of the
DreadnOughe type. Built by the Fore
River Shipbuilding company the big
vessel is 60 per cent. completed, and
will be turned over to the government
in less than a year. The keel for the
North Dakota was laid December 18th
last, the date of the sailing of the At
lantic fleet on its globe encircling trip
and in her construction all time rec-
ords 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
1 the ground to the sliding ways, the
naming party, led by Rear Admiral
Bowles, president of the shipbuilding
company, made its waV through the
crowd and ascended the launching
stand The sponsor Miss Mary Bep
| ton, daughter of Colonel John D.
Benton, of Fargo, n. D., received an
ovation, as did also Governor John
Burke and other members of the
North Dakota party.
The launching of the big vessel was
entirely successful and was witnessed
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 initial
plunge into its native element, Miss
Benton dashed against the PROV
bottle of wine decorated with the ma
tional colors. AS she did so she ex-
claimed in firm tones;
Il christen thee North Dakota"
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 throats joined in the wild cheering
which greeted the new queen of the
seas. Shrill whistle blasts from the
nearby factories and the fleet of tug
boats assembled in the river Joined
in the chorus and almost drowned the
notes of the national anthem, valiant
ly played by the band
A Magnificent Battleship.
The North Dakota is a sister shin
| Of the Delaware, which is under con
struction at Newport News. The ini-
tial outlay for the huge battleship
was ten million dollars. Her guns
alone will cost about million She
will have a long forecastle deck, ex-
tending from the bow almost to the
center of the ship. The ten twelve
inch guns will be arranged an five
turrets, two to turret, the forward
turret being so located that the axes
of its guns will be twenty four feet
above the water line, and just abaft
this turret will be another, the bar
bette of which viii 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 in the for
ward 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 a ship Of the Dreadnought
type in which the guns are better ar
ranged
For repelling torpedo attack tbe
North Dakota will carry a secondary
battery of fourteen fye-inch guns
These guns are all to be mounted
broadside.
When placed in commission. The
North Dakota viii be so feet long on
the load water line, with breadth of
85 feet, 2 5-S inches at the same point.
The length over all will be about 518
feet inches. The battleship will
have a displacement of 10000 tons,
1000 in excess OF the original British
Dreadnought..
Orchestra to Attend.
FTFA,. j