Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-05-19
BIGGEST WARSH|P
IS OFF THE WAYS
Launching Of the Florida at U. S.
Yards-Private Builders Watch
with Keen Interest.

New York. May 1.-THE biggest ship r.
Tho American navy slid off the wa .
to-day at the New York navy yard, when
tho battleship TloriA dropped into the
water. Later on when the Arkansas and
tire Wyoming. now undcr construction,
are a1oat they will exceed :hc Florida
IN size bv three thousand tons. difference
sufficen, to make a pret,Y good i.tlc
liner IN Itself The Florida herself il by
no means finished, for az she went of tho
WAYS to-day she was only abon, 50 per
car.. advanced towards completion. which
means thnt she was not much more than
vast empty hu! and still awaits nIi
% the thousand boilers ard main anil
secondary engines and arnor and equip
merit that go to 1ha',e up the snip teadr
Tor commission
Probably there is not baltlcShip atoat
that could tackle the Florida on even
terms, vixen her con1rnand cr's flag f,es
from the inGsaccful. hut formid., ole
skeleton niasts wr!ch VII Lc placed upor
tsr that is p~ovidci the naval desiS 7ers
30 no. change thcir minds. as 10 the
utility Of mis- novel feature OK marne
avthitecturc within ths next cieh,eer
rlonths. t,t which time the Florida should
Re in cer,n,i7aion
ne stin IS the 'tre; ~ an real ~
poTtance 80 I've constructed IN f. govern
mont may rnrd Cor a numb or 81 vasi.=
sni r.tturnliy hcr performance Nh be
watched with keen jn'eY.s; by he priva to
shirhuidors. vhr arc Row building her
rstorsh p tho titan. IN Camden Y j.
.As 4 matter Of fac the North pakcta
built hv the Fore River Ship Huildlnc
company and .he Delaware constructed
ut Newpc:t N~Vs. NitN the Flcrda and
Cts h viii make what s described as a
Lrt n naval rarancc. meaning thu
these Vessels are practical, ~ the same
g ps and may hc expected to opera (, q
together III naval warfare The North
Dakota and the Delaware are nearly two
Thousand tong Sma Her than the o, ha- ,Uc
vessels. though the armament i. practical
+ the same and tho smaller veseela In
deed arc rated p about quarter of a
knot faster
NEARLY A BLOCK LONG
The Florida IS 81 feet, six inches long
nearly rs long as city block her beam
is IS feet l.. inches. she draws y ST.
feet of water and displaces q SO tons in
light order. while when funny loaded with
her supplies and ammunition she viii
speed is 2h3-l knots per hour. which
would have been regarded few wears
ago as the topnotch for u swift una,-
mored cruiser. She Will calry 80 tons
Of coal in her bunkers which should en-
able her TO make the round trip across
the Atlantic at half speed Parsons tur-
hine engines. bull, IN the New York navy
yard. of the enormous power OF 5000
horse power will maintain the high
speed Of this big ship and the steam will
be supplied by sectional boilers
The main battery OF the ship will con.
sist OF 10 Finch rines arranged IN pairs
n turre's. Looking a her how-un ore
would think that the Florida had what is
called suuerposrd or uhle-decked tur-
rets like the Hears aud the Ken
lucky but as matter " fact there are
only two guns in each Of the i've turrei =
and the second turrct in the foye-part OF
the ship is necessarily elevated on :.
huperstructure so az TO he able 10 fire
freely over III" top IF the foremost tur-
ret. There is n very formidable second
Hry batter composed of Is five-inch ra pid
frers. four three FOUNDERS. two one
Founders and number of machine guns.
There are also two N-inch submerged
tubes for torpedoes
Just what the armor is to BE- on these
-hips. the naval designers will not tell,
That marks the adoption Of new policy
IN tie American navy where heret ofore
It has been customary to set out in
smallest detail In the chief constructor.
annual reports the thickness ~ every inch
of arlnor on the ship. II IS believed
though that the side armor will average
about 70 inches and that # Will he ex-
tended over a length Of the ship hereto
fore uncovered and viii he much wider
than the ordinary arnror bell SO AS not TO
expose the under body OF the ship when
she rolls in sea wave
IL will take more than a tnousnnd men
I" manage this great lighting machine;
the minimum requirement g 50 officers
and 9Si enlisted mer. The estimated cost
OF the ship complete Is $500 900 as fixed
II The az, ~ May 49, 1909. Her keel was
laii March 9, 1903. 30 that the naval con-
s'ructors have reason TO be proud ot the
'np'dtiy with which they bavc carried