Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-24

new WARSHlP
UTAH FLOATED
UNCLE SANS BEST VESSEL is
LAUNCHED
DAUGHTER OF GOVERNOR CHRIS
TENS DREADNAUGHT
Latest Contribution to American Navy
Arouses Much Enthusiasm at Cam
den, N. j., Where the Craft
First Rides Waves
ASSOCIATED Pressl


PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 23,-De-
clared to have no equal afoat as d
first class fighting machine, the bat
tleship Utah, the greatest warship ever
built in the United States, was
launched at IL a. IN. today from the
yards of the New York Shipbuilding
company at Camden, n. j., in the
presence of several thousand persons.
AS the big hull started to leave the
thickly creased ways, Miss Mary Alice
Spry of Salt Lake City, daughter of
!. the governor of Utah, raised her arm
= and broke a gayly beribboned bottle
of champagne against the keel of the
great ship as she spoke the words
that gave the vessel its name.
Launchings of big warships on the
Delaware river have become COM
mon sight. but nevertheless the latest
contribution to the American navy
stirred the enthusiasm of the crowd
whose cheers and the dim created by
the whistles of the river craft con-
tinued several minutes.
Among those on the platform were
representatives of the navy depart
ment Governor Spry and members of
his family, a congressional delegation,
including the members from Utah, rep
resentatives of the Utah legislature,
and nearly all officers of the shlpbuild-
ing company.
AII-Blg Gun Boat
The Utah is the NTH of the all-big
gun type of battleship for the United
States navy to be launched. When
completed, she will be more powerful
than the Delaware and the North Da-
kota of the Dreadnaught class.
The Utah has a length on the load
water line of $40 feet. or 531 i2feet
ovre all. and a beam Of SS:2.
Her trial draught will be 2Sh feet,
displacing q ,S25 tons, or 1000 tons
greater than the Delaware and North
Dakota, and her speed is expected
to develop 20.74 knots, or more, an
hour.
There will be ten 12-inch breech-
loading guns in her main armament,
mounted in five turrents on the CEN
tral line of the ship. Two of the tur-
rets will be forward. one midships and
two aft. Each turret will be protected
by armor eight and twelve inches
thick, and will be supplied with am
munition by electrical hoists from the
magazines and shell rooms immedi-
ately below.
The entire handling of the guns will
be done by electrical motors.
Sixteen 5-inch guns protected by ar
vided for defense against torpedo boat
attacks.
Close subdivision and strong bulk
heads will form additional protection
against mine and torpedo explosions.
Has Torpedo Tubes
The Utah will also be fitted with
two submerged torpedo tubes, and will
have ten small guns for boat service
and saluting purposes.
The main armor belt Of the great
ship will be about eight feet wide,
with an average thickness of ten inches
Above this will be another belt of an
average thickness of nine inches and
still higher will be the easement ar
NOR protecting the secondary battery
and funnel bases.
Each barbette viii be made of ar
NOR varying from four to ten inches in
thickness and will protect the entire
, ammunition handling machinery for
the 12-inch guns In the turrets above.
Ten turbines, six for ahead and four
for astern, capable of developing $4,000
horsepower will be installed.
Steam will be supplied by twelve
water tube boilers and coal or oil may
be used for fuel. The two smokestacks
on the ship viii extend 20 feet above
the water line.
Tne Otdn VIII pe HIteu ioi y" nos
ship and her complement as such will
consist of a crew of 1000 men, of whom
sixty will be officers.
While the Utah will have no equal
when completed, she will not hold that
position long, as the naval program
Following the one which called for
two ships of the Utah class, provides
for vessels that will be considerably
heavier.
These later ships will mount two
more 12-inch guns than the Utah and
will have a heavier secondary bat
tor