The San Francisco call., 1909-02-07
GREAT WARSH|P
TAKES MAIDEN
DIP IN OCEAN
Delaware Successfully Launched
From Newport News
Shipyards
Vessel Is z,l00 Tons Larger
Than England's Mann
moth DreadnOught
One of Four Fighting Craft
Which VIII Form InYin-
chile Squadron

NEWPORT NEWS Va, Feb. 6.-rhe
great battleship Delaware was sue
cessfully launched from the yards OF
her builders, the Newport News ship
building and drydock company. today.
The launching was witnessed by
5000 people Among those present
were Assistant Secretary OF the Navy
Satterlee and Governor Pennewell OF
Delaware and his stan.
The battleship was christened with
champagne by Miss Anne Pennewell
Cahill OF Bridgwan. Del. niece Of the
governor, who had as her assistants
Miss Florence Zazel Of Dover and Miss
Ellen Coleman Du Pont OF Wilming gton.
The launching was followed by an
elaborate banquet
Compared with The battleships. com
pleted or under construction. of the
navy or any foreign country. the Della
ware surpasses all. She is one Of four
sister ships authorized by congress.
which viii form an indomitable squad
ron. The other vessels are the North
Dakota, being built at Quincy. Mass.
the Florida, which will be built at the
New York navy yard, and the Utah, to
be built at Camden, n. J.
POWERFUL ARMAMENT
The Delaware is TO carry as heavy
armor and as powerful armament as
any known vessel Of its class: will
have a speed of p knots and viii have
The highest practicable range of action.
The arrangement of her main battery
guns viii permit a broadside 25 per
cent greater than the broadside of any
other battleship now built, or so far
as is known, under construction.
Her defensive qualities, other than
those dependent upon armor protection,
are such as to give the maximum de-
gree Of protection 70 all the vital por-
lions by means OF unusually effective
compartmental subdivisions, so that in
conjunction with her armor protection
the defensive qualities Of this vessel
are believed to be distinctly superior
20 those Of any other battleship hither-
10 designed.
The hull is protected by water line
belt Of armor eight feet in width. whose
maximum thickness is il inches. This
armor belt gives effective protection
TO the boilers, machinery and magazine
spaces. The side above the main armor
belt is protected by armor seven feet
three inches wide and of a maximum
thickness Of 10 inches.
Above the main casemate armor
amidships the side is protected by
armor Of five inches thickness, which
affords protection to the smoke pipes
the major portion Of the secondary bat
teries Of five inch guns and the hull
structure.
COST ss,9s7,O 900
Tie contract for the Delaware was
placed August 6, 1907, at price of So
$4,000 Her keel was laid November
H. s07.
The Delaware is $40 feet in length on
load water line, IS feet ? inches in
breadth, and her mean draft to bot
tom Of keel at trial displacement about
= feet. Her coal bunker capacity is
100 tons, which is. sufficient to send
her at 10 knot speed a distance of
6.720 knots, or % days steaming.
PROVISION is also made for the stow
age Of large amount of oil fuel with
out IN any degree reducing the capacitv
or the coal bunkers. She will have triple
expansion reciprocating engines and
VIII require more than 500 men to man
her
Her armament will consist Of a main
rifles, and her secondary battery will be
"a hve inch rapid fire guns, four three
pounoer saluting guns. four one pound
er semlautomatic guns two three inch
held pieces and two machine guns of 80
caliber She has two submerged tor
pedo tubes.
The Delaware viii have displace-
nent on trial of 10000 tons. or 2.1OO
tons greater than the British Dread
nought and $50 tons greater than Great
5ritain's latest vessel OF that type, the
Vanguard.
Senate Expected to Agree
WASHINGTON. Feb. s.-It is ex
pected that the naval approximation hin
Wlll De reported TO the senate Monday
ana tnat II viii contain the provisions
ADOPTED by the house for the construc-.
ucn OF two $4,000 ton battIeships. and
putting the marine corps back on bat
The senate and house are in suh-
slantia1 agreement on both of these
propositions. and therefore it appears
mat the btll viii be passed without
much debate, and that agreement In
Soniefehce ~ VIII be comparatively easy
Inc harmony prevailing between the
Two branches Of congress In regard 10
pfactlcaiy every important feature OF
me blll Is said to be due largely 10
the work Of Secretary Newberrv in an
pearlng personally before the two naval
The secretary explained fhe hill IN
great detail and impressed the mem
Ders or the committee with his thor
ough knowledge OF naval problems. In
both houses great regret was expressed
that NewOerry was to leave the navy
department with the beginning of the