The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-15

guns as a main battery anu Will have
more power aud destructive force than
amy vessel in The navy. I, is even
questionable whether tho news 1000
ton battleship authorized al tie las,
session Of Congress will nave as power
ful q battery. These TWO new vessels.
tho Texas AMI New YORK arc TO bc
armed with ten iourtcen-,nch guns. two
guns in pairs in ,urrcts There has
long been a discussion arong naval
ordnance experts Whether twelve
twelve-inch rifles or ten fouitccn-inch
arc the stronger armament,
The ideal battery, 10 many naval
experts. is batter Of twelve IL
inch guns. but as this demands con
sidcrably more weight and Consequent
~ more displacement Congress has no,
seen 1T 70 appropriate money for a
shlp large enough 10 use them Sec
rotary OF the Navy Mover has cs,i
mated That u warship carrying lively.
l4-inch guns would lie OF about sa,OOo
tons displacement too large 10 go
through the locks Of the pnna ma
Canal.
The Arkansas viii be equipped with
nave become feature in the navy
since these masts withstood the test
OF gun FIRE on the monitor Florida
several wears ago. The vessel will
also be equipped with apparatus for
CARRYING 800 tons OF fuel oil This IS
another Of the improvements OF mod
ern naval construction. By CARRYING
the supply OF oil tic battlcship can
increase her speed in an emergency
by flushing tho coal with oil. or by
using the oil for incrca sing her cruis-
ing radius.
In length over all exceeding she
viii also exceed any other, being 55i
feet; her breadth at the load water,
! line being % feet While her normal
disbursement is $4,000 tons. her fun
| load displacement will reach. it is .csti-
mated. 3i,2i3 tons. She will have a
bunker capacity of $1,000 tons indie
pendent OF the 100 tons in the oil
tanks
Tho crew OF the new vessel will in
clud" l,oSo men and ciEhiy-sx officers,
Exceeding by 200 the number Of mon
carried by tho largest battlcship OF
tho fleets to-day.
An Expensive Ship.
She Will be an expensive ship. AZ
arc al of tho ur-to date batticships
Of the nayics OF the world. To con-
struct her hull and engines cost So
| uu",uun' tIer ar'nA mcnt, 1000 tons OF
steel plates, worth siio per ton. will
cost 5000, 900. Her twelve l2-inch guns
worth $4,000 each will cost $3.50, 900
Her secondary battery. made UP of
rapid fire guns and the hvc-inch guns.
twenty five in number will add 5000
600 10 the cost OF her armament Her
tire control system, electric search
lights. and telephones. will add $780,
000 more 10 the bill After these items
are met there is cost running into
several million dollars to 1T up tho
warship SO that The officers and mon
can live comfortably aboard her. She
will cost at least Sl0.000,O00 whom she
goes into commission.
At her trial trip it cannot be stated
definitely what tho speed of the new
sea monster VIII be. Estimates, how
ever. place her speed at 20 l-e knots
per hour.
The Wyoming. the sister ship 10 tho
Arkansas, and the only other battle
ship Of her class, is now building at
Cramps Ship Yards. In Philadelphia
and will be launched early In the
spring.
rhe Texas and New York, the for
MGR of which Is. TO be built In New
port News. Va, and the latter in one
OF tho government navy yards, will
cost when completed about $4,000, 900
each, owing to the fact that unloaded
they Will have a displacement OF at
(