The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-06
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AFLOAT
Launching of BattIeship
Delaware Witnessed
by 5000 People

Newport News, Feb. 6.-The great
battleship Delaware was successfully
launched from yards of her builders.
the Newport News Ship Building &
Dry Dock company. today. The launch
ing was witnessed by 5000 apeople
Among those present were Assistant
Secretary OF the Navy Satterlee and
Governor Pennewell Of Delaware and
his staff
The battleship was chriStened with
champagne by Miss Anne Pennewell
Cahlll, of Bridgeport, Del. niece of the
governor. who had as her assistants.
Miss Hazel of Dover and Miss Ellen
Coleman Dupont OF Wilmington
The launching was followed by an
elaborate banquet.
Compared with the battleships, COM
pleted or under construction, OF tho
navy OF any foreign country, the Della
ware surpasses all. She is one Of the
four sister ships authorized by con-
gress which Will form an indomitable
squadron The other vessels are the
North Dakota, being built at Quincy,
Massachusetts; the Florida, which Will
be built at the Ne%~York navy yard,
and the Utah, to be built at Camden,
New Jersey.
The Delaware is to carry as heavy
armor and as powerful armament as
any known vessel of its class; will
have a speed op2 knots. which is be-
lieved to be the highest practicable
for vessel of this type and class,
and will have the highest practicable
radius Of action. The arrangement of
her main battery guns is such as to
permit broadside fire of 25 per cent
greater than that of the broadside fire
of any battleship now built, OF. so far
as Is known, under construction. Her
defensive qualities, other than those
dependent upon armor protection. are
such as to give. the maximum degree
of protection to all the vital portions
by means of unusually effective COM
partmental subdivision, so that, In
conjunction with her armor protec-
ton, the defensive qualities Of this
vessel are believed to be distinctly
superior to those OF any battleship
hitherto designed The hull is pro-
tected by water line belt of armor
feet In width, whose maximum thick
ness Is IL inches, This armor belt
gives effective protection to the boil
ers. machinery and magazine spaces.
The side above the main armor belt
Is protected by armor feet 3 inches
wide and of maximum thickness OF
ten inches. Above the main casemate
armor amidships, the side is protect
ed by armor OF inches thickness,
which affords protection to the smoke
pipes. the major portion of the second
ard batteries of 5-inch guns, and the
hull structure
The plans for the Delaware were
prepared b. the Board Of Construction
in competition with plans submitted
by>various naval architects and ship
building companies. and submitted to
a special board under the presidency
of the former Assistant Secretary OF
the navy. T. H. Newberry and later
approved by congress. The contract
for the Delaware was placed August
6. 1907, at a price OF SS,9SI0OO to be
built in accordance with the depart
ments design for both hull and re-
ciprocating machinery. Her keel was
laid November IL. 1907. The Delaware
Is 5lO feet In length on load waterline,
S5 feet 2 inches in breadth and her
mean draft to bottom of keel at trial
displacement about q feet. Her coal
bunker capacity is $500 tons which
is sufficient to send her at 10-khot
speed distance of 6,720 knots OF Is
days steaming. Provision is also
made for the stowage Of large
amount OF oil fuel without In any de-
gree reducing the capacity of the
coal bunkers. She will have triple ex-
pansion reciprocating engines and
will require over 900 men TO man her.
Her armament will consist of a main
battery of ten Pinch breech-loading
rifles and her secondary battery VIII
be fourteen 5-inch rapid.fire guns.
four 3-pounder saluting guns, four
1-pounder semi-automatic guns, two
3-inch field pieces and two machine
guns of 80 callber. She has two sub
merged torpedo tubes
The Delaware will have a displace'
ment on trial Of 10000 tons. or 2.loo
tons greater than the British Dread
nought and $50 tons greater than
Great Britains latest vessel Of that
type, the Vanguard.