Omaha daily bee., 1911-09-24
GREAT FIGHTING
SHIP LAUNCHED
Argentine Battleship Moreno is
Placed in the Water at
Camden, N. J.
ONE OF LARGEST IN WORLD
Vessel VIII Carry Twelve 12-Inch
Guns and Has Displacement of
Nearly 10000 Tons Greater
Than First Dreadnaught.


PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23.-The great
Argentine battleship, Moreno, planned to
be one of the most formidable dread
noughts in the world. was launched al
2SS o'clock this afternoon from the yards
of the New York Ship Building COM
pany at Camden, N. j.
The only other vessel its equal now
afloat is it's sister ship, the Rivadavia,
recently launched by the Fore River
Ship Building company at Quincy, Mass.
The Moreno was christened by Sonora
Isabel Betbeder, wife of Rear Admiral
Onofre Betbeder, president of the naval
com Mission as proxy for Sonora Josefa
Figueroa AleoYta, wife Of ths former
president of the Arseptine Fspublic. whu
had been selected as the sponsor, but
was unabfe 10 come to this country.
Distir guished Company Present.
A large company Of invited guests saw
the giant ship take it's first plunge Into
the Delaware river. the birthplace OF
many other warships. Among the
guests were Senior DR.. Romulo S. Naon
the Argentine minister at Washington,
and his staff; Rear Admiral Betbeder
and the members of the Argentine naval
commission. high officers in the Ameri-
can navy, representatives of shipyards
and steel companies in the east.
The Moreno, named after Mariana Nor
emo, famous figure in the history OF
the South American republic, represents
the last word in the present day develop
ment of the thirteen-inch gun battleship.
It is greater in point of length. and dis
placement than the Utah and Florida,
the greatest ships now in the service OF
the United states government and these
two giant American fighters outrank any
ship afloat in any other foreign navy.
The Utah and Florida have displace-
ment of 5000 tons, whereas the Moreno
when completed will have 2,eO0
According to the figures given ou. by
the builders the Moreno and Rivadavis
are even larger than the super dread.
nought New York the keel OF which
was recently laid in New York and
which will have a displacement of 200
tons British designers are working tc
outstrip any of these huge fighting ma,
chimes, planning the Queen Mary with
displacement of 1900 tons.
The great strides made in battleshiT
building will be realized when 1t is re-
HlcluptlCO AHdt
built by England and which is the unit
for the modern fighting ship had dis
placement of only 5000 tons.
Armament IL Heavy.
The Moreno will carry twelve l2-inch
guns. It's contemporaries In this respect
are the Arkansas. built In Camden and
Wyomings !, constructed by the Cramps
in Philadelphia, neither of which is YET
in commission; the Austrian Viribus
Unitus, the German Huringer the Jap
anese Kawaeh. the Russian SevastopoL
the Brazilian Sac Paulo. the Italian
Dants Alighieri and the French Courbet
and Jean Bart. The Jean Bart was
launched yesterday.
The next step forward in battleships
SO far as armament is concerned is a
reduction OF two in the number of main
guns, at the same time increasing the
caliber TO Il inches. The super-dread-
nought New York will have ten l4-inch
guns and a ship OF the same class Is
under construction in Great Britain. The
Moreno under it's contract will have 70
develop 22h knots speed.
The Moreno and Rivadavia are $50 feet
long over all, the Utah and Florida are
62lIs feet. The Argentine ships have a
breadth OF sS feet and will have a nor
nal draft of q feet.