The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-09
LAUNCH DELAWARE
GIANT BATTLESH|P
Worlds Greatest Man of
War Leaves Ways

h'N1 uiJS 1IoIi1 llc AdTtS or
her builders, the Newport News Ship
building a2d Drydock Company, to-
day. The launching was witnessed by
5000 people.
The launching took place at 1902
O'Clock this morning. Among those
present were Assistant Secretary Of
the Navy Catterlee, Governor Peane-
viii, of Delaware, and his staff. Lieut..
Governor Mendinhall, a delegation
from the Delaware Legislature and
Rear Admiral Taussig and other naval
officers. There also were present sew
eral hundred people from Delaware,
including tn Delaware representa-
tive In Congress. The battleship was
chrtstened with champagne by Miss
Anne PennewiH Cahill, of Bridge
We'll, Del, niece of the Governor. who
had as her assistants Miss Florence
Hazel, Of Dover, and Miss Ellen Cole
man Du Pont. Of Wilmington. IL.
The launching was followed by an
elaborate banquet The III was
ideal.
SuErasses Other Ships.
Compared with the battleships,
completed or under construction. of
the navy OF any foreign country, tho
Delaware all. She is one Of
four sister ships authorized by CON
Sress which viii form an indon,itable
squadron. The other vessels are the
North Dakota. being built at Quincy.
MaeS.; the Florida. which will be
built at the New York Navy Yard,
and the Utah, TO be built at Camden,
New Jersey.
The Delaware Is to carry as heavy
arn1or and as powerful armament as
any known vessel of its class; Will
have a speed of 81 knots, which is
believed to be the highest practicable
for a vessel Of this type and class,
and Will have the highest practica-
BILE radius of action. The arrange
ment Of her main battery guns is such
as 10 permit a broadSide fire 25 per
cent. greater than that of the broad
side fire Of any battleship now built,
or. SO far as is known. under con-
struction. Her defensive qualities.
other than those dependent upon ar
NOR protection, are such as to give
the maximum degree. Of protection to
all the vital portions by means of
unusually effective conpartmental
subdivision, so that in conjunction
with her armor protection, the de-
fensive qualities Of this vessel are be-
lieved TO be distinctly superior TO
those Of any battieShip hitherto de
signed. The hull is protected by 4
water line of armor s feet in width,
whose maximum thickness is IL inch
es,- This armcr belt gives effective
protection to the boilers, machinery
the main armor belt is protected by
armor z feet 3 inches wide and of a
maximum thickness of ten inches.
Above the main caSenate armor
an1idships the side is protected by
tarmor of 5 inches thickness, which
affords protection to the smoke pipes,
the major portion of the secondary
batteries of finch guns, aad the hull
structure.
The plans for the Delaware We're
prepared by the Board Of Construc-
ton in competition with plans sub
ritted by various naval architects
and shipbuilding companies n sub
mitted to a special board under the
presidency of the former Assistant
Secretary of the Navy. T. H. New
berry md later approved by Con
greSs. The contract for the Delaware
was placed August 6. 1907. at a price
of S3,987,0 900 to be built in accordance
with the Departments design tor
both hull and r~eCiprOcating machln-
cry. Her keel was laid November Il
1907. The De1aawre is 80 1eet IN
length on load waterlino. 50 feet :
inches in breadth and her mean draft
to bottom Of keel at tria! displacc-
ment about 81 feet, Her coal bunker
capacity is $500 tons which is sufti-
Gent to send her at a 10 knot speed
a distance of $3.50 knots or % days
Steaming. Provision is also made for
the. towage Of a large amount of oil
fuel without in any degree reducing
the capacity Of the coal she
viii have triple expansion reclprocat-
ing eng mes and Will require over wv
men to man her
Her armament will consist of a
main battery of ten 12-inch breech
loading rifles and her secondary bat
terry will be fourteen 5-fnch rapld-nre
guns. four 3~-pounder salutfnS guns
four 1-pounder semi-automatic guns
two 3-inch field pieces and two ma
chine guns of 80 calibre. she mas
two submerged torpedo tubes
The Delaware Will have q displace
ment on trial Of 10000 tons. or 2,1oo
tons greater than the British Dread
nought and $50 tons greater thar
Great BritaNn's latest vessel OF t1a'
-type, the Vanguard.