The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-02-11
LAUNCH WORLDS
MOST POWERFUL
SHIP, DELAW ARE
FIGHTING LEVIATHAN, ONE OF FOUR
IN INDoMITABLE SQUADRON,
is NOW AFLOAT.
LARGER THAN DREADN0UGHT.
Americas Latest Addition to Navy VIII
Be Able to Steam 5000 Knots
Without Single Stop.
TO HAVE OIL AND COAL BUNKERs.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va, Feb. G.
The great ba,tieship Delaware was sue
cessfuly launched from the yards of her
builders the Newport News Shiphuilding
and Drydock company today. Tho
launching was witnessed by 5000 people.
The launching occurred at lO:o-
o'clock this molning. Among those pres
cnt were Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Satterlee, Gov. Pcnnewcll Of Della
ware, and his staff; Lieut.-Gov. MendIn-
hall, q delegation from the Delaware
Legislature and Rear Admiral lauSslg
and other naval officers. There also We're
present several hundred prominent peo-
pie from Delaware.
The battleship was Christencd with
champagne by Mrs Anne PenncWeII "a
hill of BridgcweN Del, niece of the
governor. The launching was followed
by an elaborate banquet. The weather
was ideal.
Surpasses All Others
Compared with tie hatucshlpS, com
Melted or under construction, Of the navy
of any foreign country the Delaware
surpasses all She Is one of four SISTER
ships authorized 10y Congress which win
form al iudomitablc squadron. The 9th
Ct vessels are the North Dakota, beng
built at Quincy, Mass; the Florida,
which will he DIilt nj the New YORK
navy yard and the Utah, To be built at
Camden, y, j.
The Del aware !. 10 carry as heavy ar
NOR and as powerful armament as any
known vessel of its class, VIII nave a
spccl of twcnty-0ur knots, which Is be
lieyed To he the highest practicable for 4
vessel OF this type and cluss, and VIII
have the highest practicable radius Of
action The grrangcmD mt of her mann
battery guns l. such rs 10 permit
broadsidc tire - per cent. grcaler than
that Of the broad,idc fire Of any battle
ship now built, or, 80 far rs is known,
under construction.
Has OIL Bunkers
The plans for the Delaware were pre-
pared hv the board of construction in
competition with plans submitted by
various naval architects and SmpbulId-
Ing companies and submitted 10 a Spc-
cial board under the presidency Of the
former assistant secretary of tn" navy,
Il. H. Ncwhcrry and later approved by
Congress. The contract for the Della
ware was placed August &, 1901, at a
price Of S3NST,OoO to lie built in ac-
rordance with the departments design
for both hull and rccIprOcgtng mdchin-
cry. Her keel was laid November IL,
1907. The Delaware is 90 feet II
itHEtI on ludI "btIllu', - lhfl ill'll'N
I'm breadth and her mean draft To- bottom
of keel at trial displacement about -
feet Her coal bunker capacity is 300
tons. which is sufficient to send her at Z
10 knot speed a distanc" of gro knots
or ~ days stcamlug. Provision IS also
made for the stowagc Of n large amount
Of oil fuel without in any degree re-
duCiug the capacity Of the coal bunkcrs.
She will have triple expansion rcciuro.
eating engines and will require over 9OU
men 10 man her.
Has Heavy Armament.
Her armament viii consist of u main
battery of ten T. inch brecch loading
rifles and her secondary battery will be
fourteen > inch rapid-re guns, four 3
Founder saIuting guns, four lpoundcr
semi-automaiic guns, two 3-inch field
pieces and Two machine guns, of 20 cali
Der. She has two submerged torpedo
tuheg.
The Delaware viii have "a dispIacc.
meut on trial Of 2oOOO tons or 2lpO
tons greater than the British Dread.
nought and 100 toms greater than Gront
Britaius latest vessel of that type. the
Vanguard.