The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-05-12
OUR NEWEST
DREADNOUGHT
CONTINUED from Page OneJ


in the history of the Unit
ed States Navy.
The last ship previously built at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard was the Connec-
ticut. which was successfully launched
and afterward locked without and slip,
but in the case of the Florida the
drydock at the yard is far too small
to accommodate her.
The dimensions of the Florida are
$40 feet on the load water line, or 52l
feet inches over all; IS feet 6 inch
es beam, with % feet inches draught.
Her displacement will be 21,S25 tons,
with $4,000 indicated horsepower
which is expected to drive the Florida
through the water at an average speed
of 20 ga knots. She will have bunker
capacity for $500 tons of coal with
tanks for 400 tons of oil fuel.
Her main armament will consist Of
ten twelve-inch breech- loading guns,
mounted in five turrets, on the central
line of the ship-two forward, one
amidships, and tive aft.
The supplies of ammunition will be
brought by electric HOSTS direct from
the magazines Immediately below the
turrets. The entire handling of the
guns will be done with power from
electrically driven motors.
The armor will be of sufficient
thickness for defense against torpedo
boat attacks, and there will be strong
bulkheads as an additional protection
against mines and torpedo explosions.
The main armament includes two sub
merged torpedo tubes and ten small
guns for boat service and saluting.
The main armor belt is feet wide, OF
an average thickness of 10 inches,
with another belt above Of inches
in thickness, and high easement ar
NOR above that to protect the ar
mament handling machinery for the
secondary batteries and funnel bases
Each barbette has been made 4 to
II inches in thickness to protect the
entire armament handling machinery
for the twelve-inch guns in the turret
above.
The engines of the Florida will con
sist of ten turbines of the Parsons
type, six go ahead and four asterI
turbines, which will be driven by
steam generated from twelve water
tube boilers with furnaces which have
been constructed for the consumption
of coal or oil fuel.
Preparations for the launching were
made at the yard to accommodate the
guests, among whom were expected
President Taft, Secretary of the Navy
George Won L. Meyer, Assistant Sec
rotary Beckman Winthrop, Albert w
Gilchrist, Governor of Florida, with
his staff; Admiral George Dewey,
Rear Admirals Evans, Sperry Schro-
cred, Wainwright, Potter and Luets,
the last named being the commandant
of the navy yard.
The battleship fleet was to arrive
at the navy yard on May 1, and the
bands from the ships with 5000 blue
jackets and marines with all the Sc
nior officers would take part in the
ceremonies, 1t was expected that
$4,000 spectators would be present.
The launching of big battleship is
an important event in itself, but this
ceremony was more notable because
the Navy Department would have de-
monstrated that it is fully equipped
and competent to construct battleships
no matter what the size may be, in its
shipyards.
Controller Baxter explained that
the reason the propellers and shaft
ing were being put in before the Flo
rida was launched was because they
had not been constructed in the navy
yard. The propellers were made at
Fore River and the shafting at the
Bethlehem Steel Works. The tur-
Dines, he said, would be installed IN
the ship later.
With the exception of the Utah the
Florida will be the largest battleship
afioat in the world when she is COM
pleted at the end of July, 1911, until
the advent of the Arkansas and Wyo-
ming. These two monster battle
ships of the Dreadnought class will be
about 1000 tons larger than the Utah
and the Florida, and carry IL 1-z-inch
breech-loading guns in their main bat
terry instead of 10.
The naval officials at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard, who have been connected
with the construction of the Florida
are iubilant over the rapidity with
which the battleship has been built.
The heads of private shipyards in the
Taot baua aIuaU, claimed that thay