The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-13

New York. May 12-The battle shir
Florida, the newest pride OF the navy
was launched II the New York Navy
Yard, in Brooklyn. this morning.
The ship started down the ways az
u:S o'clock. and in about Is seconds
was floating in the water. There was no
big wave, as has been expected. The
big ship. with great dignity and delibera-
ton. went into the water with the ease
OF ferry boat gliding into a slp-only
this was going out Of a sIip-swept a
distance Of about 500 yards up the East
River and then stood still for the putting
tugs to come and get her.
There was not the slightest hitch in
the elaborate launching arrangements.
Vessel Is n DreadnOuEht.
The Florida is a so-caIled dreadnought.
All new battle ships now are dread
noughts. or all big gun ships This IS
the fourth Of Uncle Sans war ships OF
that class. The North Dakota and the
Delaware are the two already in COM
mission. The Utah. sister ship Of the
Florida, was launched in March. Two
others that are coming along are the
Arkansas and the Wyoming
As she went into the water the Florida
weighed S79l tons. When finished and
fully loaded. she will weigh I,S25 tons.
She had all her boilers in position to-day.
but none Of her engines. All her inside
armor was also IN place, with the ex-
ception Of that Of the after turret. In
addition 10 that the launch was IN
usual. in that all four OF the screws were
in place. The propellers are usually put
in ship after launching. when she is
placed in a dry dock There is no dry
dock in the Brooklyn yard ready TO take
her in, and she will have to be sent TO
Boston. She viii be able to go 10 Boston
under her own steam.
Biggest Government ship.
The task in launching the new ship
was, therefore, TO take this 5000 tons Of
steel In the form Of a ship carry it back
ward 70 the water about COO feet and
drop it down into the water. a distance
Of fifty feet or more. Ali this had 10 be
done in about a quarter Of a minute.
The biggest launching task the govern
ment officials ever had to do. There have
been two other battle ships launched in
the Brooklyn yard the Maine and the
Connecticut, but this launching over
topped them and called for a complete
ness Of preparation that was never
equaled in a navy yard before The
chief constructor and his assistants made
good 10 the smallest detail.
Bands, whistle, and Cheering.
The noise Of the whistles from the yes
sells that thronged the harbor and were
held outside the lines in the East River
drowned the noise Of the Naval Band as
II crashed into the strains of THE Star
Spangled Banner" From the 40OO0-
more or less-who saw the big ship slip
into the water a tumult Of cheering rose.
It was a chaos of noise for moment.
and through 1t all the Florida. looking
strangely fOreshortened as she Law I'm
the water minus her upper hammer.
forced her resistless way down the
stream Four powerful navy tugs took
her lines and strained at them TO keen
her in the channel and save shining
from danger. From her decks the go
workmen who stood ready to aid-aU In
their brightest clothes-waved their hats.
but the sound of their cheers was
drowned In the general acclaim. The
navy's best and latest was in the water
ready for what might come
View of Sponsors Stand.
From the stands the crowds beheld the
glowing group on the sponsors stand.
surrounding Miss Elizabeth Bergere FIem-
ing. who was to break the bottle over the
Florida's big PROV. Behind her stood her
pretty STAFF Of honor. A background was
furnished by the men Of the North and
South, in formal garb OF diplomacy and
statecraft, high hats in hand. For mo-
ment the great crowd was still and
breathless.
Then from the Florida's stern the noise
OF saving arose. a single great timber
held her in place. All the other props
and struts had been cut loose by men |
who worked bepeath her sturdy keel The
saw droned through the great log. worked
by pair of husky men on either end.
Two and one-half inches" was the /
announcement.
That meant that the saws teeth had /
but that distance yet 10 so.
1.-TWO inches caue the word.
The saving ceased The big timber was |
bending and cracking beneath the strain. /
Miss Fleming, her dark eyes glowing
beneath her wide hat, advanced 70 the
edge Of the special stand upon which the /