Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-24
BatHeship Utah Is Most
Powerful Craft At|oat.
Successfully Launched Thurs
day at Camden, n. J;
Next Ships Built Will Be Heavier
And Still More Powerful.

Philadelphia, Pa, Dec 23.-Declared
TO nave no equal atloat as q first-class
hghtln" machine, the battleship Utah.
the greatest Warship ever built in the
Timed States, was launched from the
yard Of the New York Shphuilding Go.
at Camden. N. j., Thursday, in the
presence of several thousand persons.
AS the big null started down the ways,
Miss Mary Alice Spry, of Salt Lake
city daughter of the governor of Utah,
broke /, saily beribboned bottle of
champagne against the keel of the
great ship and spoke the. words that
gave the vessel it's name.
Among those on the launching plat
form We're representatives of the navy
department, Governor Spry and mem.
bers of his family, a congressional del
eSation including the members from
Utah, many guests from New York and
other cities and nearly all the officers
OF the ship building company.
The Utah is the first Of the all-big-
gun type of ships for the United
States navy to be launched. When
completed she will be more powerful
than the Delaware and North Dakota
of the Dreadnaught class, and has been
dubbed by member of Congress the
"skeered o'nuthin'." The Utah has a
length on the load water line of $40
feet or 521l2 feet over all, and beam
of IS feet, 9 inches Her trial draught
will be IS feet and she is 5000 tons
greater than the Delaware and North
Dakota. Her speed is expected to de-
Velop 20a4 knots or more an hour
There will be 10 Finch breech-load-
ing guns in her main armament,
mounted in five turrets on the central
line of the ship. Two of the turrets
will be forward, one amidships and
two att Each turret will be protected
by armor 81 inches thick and will be
supplied with ammunition by electrical
hoists from the magazines and shell
rooms Immediately below The entire
handling of the guns will be done by
electric motors.
Sixteen fve-inch guns protected by
armor will be provided for defence
against torpedo boat attacks. Close
subdivision and strong bHlllhead5 will
form additional protection against mine
and torpedo explosion.
The Utah will also be fitted with two
submerged torpedo tubes and will have
10 small guns for boat service and
salutins purposes
The main arnor belt will be about
eight feet wide with an average thick
ness of 10 inches. Above this will be
another belt Of an average thickness
of nine inches and still higher will be
the easement armor protecting the sec
ondary battery and funnel bases.
Each barbctte will be made of arInor
varying from four to 10 inches in thick
ness and will protect the entire ammu-
milton handling machinery for the T.
inch guns in the turrets above.
Ten turbines, six for ahead and four
for astern, capable Of developing 49,
600 horsepower will be installed. Steam
will be supplied by IL water tube boil
ers and coal or oil may he used for
fuel. The two smoke stacks will extend
20 feet above the water line.
The Utah will be fitted for flagship
and her complement as such will con-
sist of q crew of 1000. of whim GO will
he officers.
While the Utah will have no equal
COMPLETED she will not hold that proud
position long, as the naval program fol-
lowing the one which called for two
ships of the Utah class provides for
vessels that will be considerably heaN-
Ter. The latter ships will mount two
more Finch guns than the Utah and
viii have heavier secondary battery.