Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-30
GREAT ADDITION
TO THE US. NAVY
Launching Of the Utah, the Lar
gest Warship Ever Built in
America.

Philadelphia. Dec. 23.-Declared to have
machine, the battleship Utah, the greatest
warship ever built in the United States
was launched from the yard of the New
York Shipbuilding company at Camden
n. j.. to-day. AS the big hull started &c
leave the thickly creased ways, Miss Mary
Alice Spry Of Salt Lake City, daughter OF
the Governor Of Utah. raised her arm and
with a swift hard swing broke n gaiiy
be-ribboned bottle of champagne against
the keel Of the great ship and spoke the
words hat ave the vessel its name.
Several thousand persons saw the
launching. Among those on the platform
were representatives OF the navy depart
ment. Governor spry and members Of his
family, a congressional delegation in.
Guiding tho members from Utah and
representatives Of the Utah Legislature.
The Utah IL the NTH OF the all-hig-gun
type Of bnttleship launched for the United
States navy. When completed she will he
more powerful than the DELI are and
North Dakota OF the D~readnausht class
and a member OF Congress has dubbed
her the "skeered o'nuthin'." The Utah
ha. A length on the load water line of 5lt
feet or 52i1. feet over all and a beam OF
IS feet ? inche Her trial draft will n-
2s. feet; displacement 2l.s25 tons or 2,Mt
tons greater than the Delaware and Nortt
Dakota. and her speed I. expected tc
develop % 81 knots or more an hour.
There will he ten 1o-inch hrecch-
loading guns in her main armament
mounted in Ave turrets on the central
line Of the ship. Two OF the turret.
will be forward. one amldship and two
aft. Sixteen 5-inch guns protected
by armor Of medium thickness will
be provided for defence against tor
pedo BOAT attacks.
The Utah will also he fitted with
two submerged torpedo tubes and will
have ten small guns for boat service
and salutinx urposes The main ar
NOR belt OF tho great ship will be
about eight feet wide with an aver
age thickness Of 10 inches. Above
this will be another belt Of an aver
age thickness of nine Inches. and still
higher will be the easement armor
protecting the secondary battery and
funnel bases.
Ten turbines. six for ahead and four
for astern. capable OF developing IS
00o horse power. will be installed
The two smokestacks on the ship will
tower 70 feet above the water line.
The Utah will be fitted for a nag
ship and her complement as such will
consist OF a crew Of 1000 OF whom
466 will be Officers.
The Utah will not hold pre-eminence
long as the naval program provides
for vessels that will be considerably
heavier.
T.. S. NEEDS IN PEACE AND WAR.
Washington. Dec. 23.-To man tn. en-,
tire American neet in time OF war would
require $500 officers and 2,2sl men and ir
tlmc OF peace 1859 officers and 6O.sO2 mer
according to Capt. n. r. Usher, assist.
ant to the bureau Of navigation. in g
statement made pubic to-day. These
figures DO not Include officers and men a
shore stations.
Four new battleships are to be commits
stoned as we'll as Is new large torpedo
boat d%estroyers and seven submarines
II is anticipated that the Ohio, Wiscon
sin and Missouri will 90 temporarily 4, o
commission and that the Denver and thre,
others Of her class will be replaced b,
the New Orleans, Cincinnati and Raleigf
which are practically Of the same class.