The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-01-14
Battleship Arkansas, Launched at
the Camden Yards, Con-
sidered Most Powerful
Ship Afloat
DISPLACEMENT $4,000 TONS
New Boat is 554 Feet Long and SO Feet
Beam-WiIl Have Speed of More
Than Twenty Knots
Heavy Armor.

Camden, n. J., Jan. Unsurpassed
by none and equaled snly by her Sis
ter ship now under construction a
few miles down the river on the
PENNSYLVANIA side, Americas latest
and greatest warship, the battleship
Arkansas was launched today into the
waters of the Delaware River, on whose
shores so many Of Uncle Sans for
midable defenders have been built.
Built by the New York Shipbuilding
company at South Camden, the Arkan-
sas. a sister ship to the Wyoming un-
der construction at Cramps shipyard
on the Pennsylvania side of the Della
ware, is about fifty per cent compiet-
ed and will be turned over to the Gov
ernment probably before the end of
the year.
No Arkansas Delegation.
The launching of the Arkansas was
entirely successful and was witnessed
by many invited guests, including
prominent officials of the Navy Depart
ment at Washington, naval officers
from Annapolis, Norfolk, New York
and other points. The sponsor was Miss
Macon. daughter of Representative
Macon of Arkansas.
There was one unusual feature to
the launching, the entire absence of an
official delegation representing the
state government of Arkansas. The
failure Of Governor Donaghey or other
official representatives to attend, was
due TO a controversy between the gov
ernor and the navy department at
Washington over the date of the
launching, the governor wanting the
laurching postponed so that the state
could make adequate arrangements to
send an official party.
Launching Is Successful.
The giant battleship slid down the
tallow- creased ways with the lightness
Of a frail boat AS the great bulk
plunged into the water wild huzzas
went up from thousands of throats,
while bands played, guns doomed, ana
the sirens Of the shipping assembled
in the river Joined in the chorus with
deafening shrieks of their whistles.
The Arkansas is declared to have no
equal afoat as a first-class fghting
machine The heaviest man-of-w war
given to the water so far is the Brit
ish battleship Lion. which has a dis
placement of $50 tons more than the
battleship launched today. The Arkan-
sas, however. will carry much heavier
armor than the Lion and in several
other respects she is reckoned as supe-
rior to the British warship.
Heavy Armament.
The Arkansas has length of 554
feet, nearly half a hundred feet longer
than the Delaware. the first Nmerican
dreadnought. The beam is y feet
inches the displacement 26,CS0 tons
and the contract speed 20.50 knots.
She will be the first battleship OF
the United States navy to carry twelve
12-inch guns. These guns. compris-
ing her main armament, will be mount
ed I'm five turrets on the central line
of the ship. Two of the turrets VII
be forwarded. one amidship and two
aft Each turret will be protected by
armor eight and twelve inches thlcf
and will be supplied with ammuni
tion by electrical hoists from the ma
gazines and shell-rooms immediatel!
below. The entire handling of tn
great guns will be by electric motors
Twenty-one 5-inch guns protected b!
armor will be provided for defens
against torpedo boat attacks Clos
subdivision and strong bulkheads vii
form additional protection agains
mine and torpedo explosions.
Ten Turbine Engines.
The Arkansas also will be fitte
with submerged torpedo tubes an
will have ten small guns for boat ser
vice and saluting purposes. The mai
armor belt of the great ship will b
about eight feet wide. with an averag
thickness of ten inches. Above thi
will be another belt of an averag
thickness of nine inches and still high
er will be the easement armor protect
Ing the secondary battery and funn'
bases.
Ten turbines, six for ahead and for
Tor astern, capable of developing $50,
horse power, will be installed. Steai
VIII be supplied by twelve water tut
boilers and coal or oil may be used fC
fuel. There will be complete pro
tective deck from stem to stern. TT
most complete arrangement for obvia
Ing the dangers OF turret explosion
harebacks and other accidents whis
nave caused so many disasters in u
navy will be used to protect the ms
who will handle the great guns of u
snip. She will be equipped with poy
erful searchllghts and her masts W
DC arranged for wireless telegraphy.
The Arkansas will be fitted for