The Pensacola journal., 1909-12-26
FLORIDA BEST
BOAT IN NAVY
OUR STATES NAMESAKE BATTLE
SHIP WILL LEAD ALL OTHERS
SHE'S A REAL DREADNOUGHT
AND DECLARED TO BE MOST
POWERFUL FIGHTER IN WORLD

The recent trial trip of the battle
ship North Dakota, of the coast OF
Maine, proves that at the present
writing the American navy has the
largest fastest and most powerful bat
tleshiD afOat. says a marine writer in
the New York Herald. But. so rapid
" does the international game of ma
val see-saw go that il IS possible that
even by the time this is published
Great Britain Germany or some other
nation may have produced one that
viii sUTpass il.
The 20000-tOn super-DreadHOugh-
North Dakota developed a maximum
speed Of 2225 knots and 35.f50-hOTse-
power, ecIipsing the record Of her SIS
ter ship. the Delaware, which had hor
trials over the same course on oct. %.
The North Dakota is now well en-
titled 10 be called the greatest battle
ship in the world Not even the Nep-
tune. the great sUDer-DreadnoUgh just
launched for the British navy is like
ly 70 equal her, and the BeIIerOphOn.
the queen ship of the British navy at
the present time. is OUtClaSsed in
every particular
There is in course Of construction at
the New York navy yard, however. 4
baftleshiD for our navy which Will
VII loN LlLE -NAti III 1FlNRld- -L- + ltl-
ida-as the mass Of steel and iron viii
be christened when launched next
sDTing-wilI he the largest, fastest and
most powerful battleship in the entire
world.
The Florida is three feet longer and
1000 tons heavier than the North Da-
kOta, the largest. the fastest and most
powerful battleship afoat today She
is designed to be nearly three knots
faster and much more heavily armed.
In fact. she will be able to throw a
bTOadside - per cent heavier than any
other battleship afiOat- When il is re
membered that the North Dakota can
fire a brOadside of 10000 pounds, or
five tons, the tremendous size and
power Of the Florida becomes aDpar-
ent. The Florida will be an entire
navy in herself. A single brOadside
from her guns will be nearly twice as
heavy as that of Dewey's entire Manila
fleet.
Strength Of Battery.
The Florida viii be p feet longer,
$500 tons heavier and the relative
strength of her battery viii be 81 per
cent greater than the BeIIerODhon Of
the British navy.
The great Connecticut, for years the !
queen ship of our navy, and still the
largest batJleship in commission tthe !
North Dakota and the Delaware will |
viii not be placed in commission until |
next YEAR,, will seem small beside the I!
new Florida. for OUT latest Ieviathan is !
TO be heavier by 5000 tons. OF about /
the entire displacement Of the aII-fated /
battleship Maine.
The Florida is TO be 52T feet long /
and of eighty-five feet beam Her C1s- I
3
to develop 2S. S.OO0horsepower /
and attain speed Of twenty-five /
knots
Her main batteries will consist Of I
twelve 12-inch brcech-lOadfng rifles
as against the North DakOta's ten I2-I
inch, and the Connecticut's T. All Of /
her Pinch guns will be capable Of I
being fired in a brOadside. and the /
weight Of her hrCadside viii be $500 /
pounds. Her secondary batteries viii .
be composed of fOurtee 5-inch rapid
fire guns. four f-pOuud samf-automatfci
guns. two 2-inch field pieces and two
machine guns. The cost of one broad
side will be nearly $4,000. In addition
She viii be equipped with two 21-inch
torpedo tubes.
Heavy Armor Belt.
Her aTmOr belt will be y inches
nick, ana her engines Curtis turbines
IF the latest improved type. When she
Is completed. she viii resemble the
North Dakota, with two tunnels and
two lattiCed mastS, fore and aft A
'rew of 900 officers and men will be
necessary 10 man her and the govern
nent viii have to eXp09d more than
5, 100000 a year 10 keep her iu com
mission.
The keel Of the Florida was laid last
March. and since that time the air in
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