The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-12
HUGE SEA FIGHTER
LEAVES HER WAYS
Florida. Launched at Brook
lyn Navy Yard, Largest
in World.
MAKES H SHIPS
LOOK LIKE
New Vessel is 521 Feet Long,
With IS Foot Beam-Fires
Five Tons of
Metal.

NEW YORK. May 12.-America's
greatest battieship, the super-dread-
nought Florida, most massive ail-big-
gun ship In Ine world. was launched
Brooklyn this morning.
As the signal cut or sent the
big vessel down the ways into the
water Of Wallabout Bay. Miss Eliza
beth Legere Fleming. daughter Of a
former governor OF Florida, crashed
q bottle of wine against the prov
and shouted: II christen thee Flo
rida-'"
A great throng filled the navy yard.
while the entire water front on the
New York side was iammed. All
craft had been barred from that por-
ton Of the East river, for the great
wave Of water that was cast up by
the ~21.o00-ton battieship would have
sunk an ordinary vessel.
The navy yard was in gala attire
Ships and building we're deliberately
decorated. while bands from the bat
tleshtp feet in the harbor were sta
toned about the yard. Thousands of
. jackies lined the docks and ships In
the vicinity. while hundreds OF naval
officers. TN fuii-dress uniform. added
b%rilliancy to the scene. Fully thirty
thousand people were In the navy
yard to witness h launching.
Two great platforms had been
erected at the bow of the weasel TO
accommodate the 500 invited guests.
IN h principle stand were Secre-
tary Of the Navy George o l.. Mey-
er. Assistant Secretary Winthrop. AL
bert w. Gilchrist, governor OF Flort-
da. with HIS staff: Governor Hughes
and his staff. Admiral George Dewey
and Rear Adrnirals Evans. Sperry.
Schroeder, Wainwright. Potter and
LeutzL-Nice. President SherHHaa-was
present as the Official representative
oil President Taft
Largcsa In World.
Neither the Neptune mo- the Co1os-
sus. prtdes Of the British navy. equals
the latest sea fighter. The Florida
can fire a broadside OF five tons OF
metal. She can train every one OF
her ten I2-ineh guns on either broad
side and harl twice as much metal
as the entire feet Admiral Dewey
took into Manila Bay.
The Florida will be 81 feet longer.
$500 tons heavier and with a battery
~ per cent stronger than the giant
IS 4sGAsIA RstRt VII kf3F t8 "a
The great Connecticut, for years the
queen of the American navy. will
seem small alongside her. The Flo
rida will be heavier by 5000 ton
than the Connecticut. or nearly the
entire displacement OF the Inflated
Maine.
The Florida is SCI feet iong-too
long for the navy yard dock, and
for a reason her propeller, rudder
and propeller shaft. together with a
large part OF her armo. had 70 be
Installed before she took TO the water.
She has IS feet beam. and will be as
steady as a fort. Her displacement
IL 2l.sas tons. She il expected to de-
velop $4,000 horsepower. which will
drive her along at h rate OF FL
knots an hour.
The supplies Of ammunition will
DO brought up by electric HOSTS d.
rect from the magazine below the tur-
rets. The entire handling Of the big
guns will be done with power from
he electrically driven motors. Her
great guns will be mounted In Ave
turrets. TWO forward, two aft and one
arnidship. so that all her guns may
he trained either to starboard or port,
a distinct advantage over any other
vessel.
II Torpedo Boat Proof.
Thu Florida will carry armor suf-
hciently thick to make her proof
against Torpedo boat attack, but will
have strong bulkheads as additional
safeguard against torpedoes and
mines. The main armou belt Is
eight feet wide, OF an average thick
mess OF ten inches. with another belt
above of nine inches in thickness.
and q high easement armor to pro-
tect the secondary batteries and the
funnel bases. Each barbette has
been made from 4 to IL inches In
thickness to protect the machinery
which handles the gun In the tur-
rets above.
The engines later to be Installed
tn the Florida will consist OF ten
turbines of the Parsons type, six to
"a ahead and four astern turbines
They will be driven by steam gene
rated tn twelve water-tube boilers
with furnaces that have been CON
structed 70 burn either coal or oil.
The launching OF the Florida DEM
oEfstrates thai Uncle Sans workmen
are competent to build his dread
noughts. the entire vessel having been
constructed In the Brooklyn navy
yard under the direction OF Naval
Constructors Baxter and Brausbeckus,
The Florida was Is per cent. COM
pleted when launched, remarkable,
but due to the fact that the dry docks
are too small to receive her. She
now weighs actually 5000 tons.