The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-11-13
cosT 81 MODERN sATTLEsH,Ps

built, q bettleeh1p could De CONSTRUCTED
Tor about 100000. The bids 70
the Utah, the sister ship Of the F4ori
d., calls for an expenditure Of t4.400.
coo.
This does not contemplate . vesse
ready for action--simply the hull
fitted with engines. The great guns
and all the accessories must be added
4 modern battleship. armored. Will
4 store of ammunition and shells
coaled and provisioned, ready for &C
tion, costs pretty close to $4,000, 900
4 takes money to build the navy--and
II takes more money to fight It.
The discharge Of a high power, ar
NOR piercing shell, from a 10 inch gun.
burns up from $500 to $4,000, accord.
Ing to the type Of the shell used. One
OF these projectiles measure from four
to six feet IN length, and are made OF
finely tempered steel.
A battleship OF today is a floating
city. Every convenience possible to
md in any town is provided, for men
who work under high pressure, must
be provided with every convenience,
and comfort, as well as necessities.
Twenty years ago, a b%attleship was
. slow going, but powerful vessel, con
structed to fight, and not run away.
Because Of this very fact, a differ
ent type Of vessel was developed, dis
tinct from the cruiser, known as the
commerce destroyer. This ship, OF
great steaming radius, was designed
to strike a sudden blow, and then, II
It * happened that it could not hold
Its own, to run away. The result was
that the speed Of the cruiser type was
Increased to equal that Of the com.
ere destroyer, which disappeared
from the seas. Then in turn, the ar
mored cruiser, equal almost to the bat
tleship, was developed. The high
speed Of this vessel, the effectiveness
of the heavier ship, brought about
another change, and the swiftly NOV
ing battleship appeared.
This vessel has a great steaming
radius, carries high power guns, and
attains a speed more than equal to
the cruiser of a decade ago. 1t is
gradually pushing other types into the
background. Instead of four great
guns, eight were emplaced, and now
comes the news that the new battle
ships are to be equipped with guns Of
a given size, I. e., all TO- 70, or 13
inch. The advantage of this lies in
the fact that once the range is found
for n gun, it will apply to all. At
the present time, different calculations
are necessary for guns OF varying size,
in order that accuracy Of fire may be
maintained. With guns of a common
size, all this is avoided, and the work
is simpliaed.
So now we r building f~battleships
that may maintain q speed Of Is to.
IS miles an hour, that can hurl a pro-
jectile 16 miles, that: carry 1000 men,
that may maintain speed equal to that
OF q cruiser, though it may not have
the same steaming radius.
New features constantly appear in
these leviathans Of the modern navy.
For example, there is the device that
maintains q gun in a certain position,
once It is pointed, regardless of the
roll of the ship. thus insuring greater
accuracy.
a modern battleship costs as much
as q complete navy OF a century ago.
Then, 1t vas possible to purchase a
number OF hulks. arm them and be
prepared for action, to meet an enemy
IN the time the opposing force was
crossing the sea.
Now It takes from eighteen mouths
to four years to construct a battle
ship, from the time the keel is laid
down, until the vessel is ready for
action.
And in the new fighters that Uncle
Sam is building, features are to be
added, It is said, that will startle the
world, for with each new ship that
breaks the flag to the breeze, the type
launched previously becomes obsolete.
These vessels age rapidly, by reason
OF the fact that newer ones rem
der them puny by comparison.
The Utah will be of $1,000 tons dis
placement, and the navy department
is considering q vessel OF 10000 tons.
It is said that the future ship OF war
will be Of 10000 ions displacement and
will cost $25, 100000.
Verify, success in wal will rest with
the nation possessing the latest
purse.
Now that the governments petition
for q q rehearing In the case Of the
Standard OIL Co, has been denied.
John may take that 32s. 100000 out Of
cold storage once II 4 while and fond.
N caress It.
The lunatic IN New York who shot
the n0etmA9tAr and then t3lIaa hi-