The new era., 1911-07-13
The Growth of a Fleet.

in great measure to a close study
of government work on the part of
contractors, and to a more complete
preparation Of plans by the govern
ment naval architects. And today
the rapidity of warship construction
in the United States compares favor
ably with the rate of such construct
ion in those foreign countries which
have established reputation for
quick building of vessels.
The Atlantic fleet Is to be reogan-
ized on July 1, and when this takes
place the fleet will consist of Fl bat
tleships and four armored cruisers,
to say nothing Of golfers and vari-
Gus other auxiliaries. The United
States will then have the most pow.
erful aggregation of warships it has
ever assembled under one command.
Rear Admiral Hugo Osterhaus will be
come commander-in-chief, with the
Connecticut as his flagship. The
25 war vessels of the fleet will have
an aggregate full-load displacement
427 ,672 tons. The heaviest vessels
will be the Florida and Utah, each
displacinge at full load 23,033 tons,
the next heaviest the Delaware and
North Dakota, with full-load displace-
ment of $4,000 tons. and the lightest
the Ohio, Maine and Missouri, each
with full load displacement of 49,
500 tons. The total number of guns
of large caliber-10-inch, 12-inch and
13-inch-in the fleet will be 1872, be.
sides five-inch, six-inch, seven-iach
and eight-inch guns to the number of
404, and the thousands of smaller
guns and field pieces.
The estimated total cost of this
great fleet is $1S1 ,250,00O. OF all the
vessels of the fleet the Florida will
have cost the most, something like
$10,OOO,OO0 having been required to
make her complete and in fighting
trim. The Missouri Is the least ex-
pensive of the aggregation of the
war vessels, costing only $5,258. 900.
There Will be required to command
the fleet 1888 officers and 21,431 en-
listed men. The massive Florida
and Utah will each require go Off
GERS and 954 men, while the 13,500-
ton Maine needs only 40 officers and
81 men.
So fast is the American navy grow
in that further reorganization has
already been planned for April 1,
1912, when the Wyoming and Arkan-
sas (now building). of $1,000 tons
each, will be added to the fleet.
The Wyoming will then become the
flagship, and by relegation Of some
of the older vessels to the second
line, the total full-load displacement
or weight of the fleet will amount to
45S,752 tons. There will be 148 10
and 12-inch guns, the four armored
cruisers each having four 10-inch
guns and the other vessels 12-inch
and 41S guns of from five to eight
inch caliber.
1t is estimated that the fleet will
cost by that time $191, ,s41 and it
will require 1,176 officers and 22.162
men to make up the complement.
The highest priced ships will then
be the Wyoming and Arkansas, each
of which will have cost over $12,000.-
900. The crew of each of these ves-
,,,sJl f,k 1f 0ff nd
1,O3O enlisted men So our navy
grows.
A hen is not supposed to have
much common sense or tact yet
every time she lays an egg she
cackles forth the fact.
Al rooster hasn't got a lot of in
tellect to show; but none the less
most roosters have enough good
sense to crow.
The mule, the most despised of
beasts, has a persistent way of let
tin people know he's around by his
insistent bray.
The busy little bees they buzz,
bulls below and cows moo, watch
dogs bark and ganders quack, and
doves and pigeons coo.
The peacock spreads his tail and
squawks; pigs squeal and robins sing
and even serpents know enough to
hiss before they sting.
But Man, the greatest masterpiece
that nature could devise. will stop
and hesitate before he'll advertise
Exchange.
Mary Ellen Powers for years
''the tallest woman" in the circus
world, the other day was married to
seven footer of Lockport, N. Y.
ha Rouldor Canara inniairaa