The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-03

officially established the "all big gun
 ship as the future fighting unit of tho | American navy, for among the "A battie- | shins in the imposing column, six oe- | longed to the new class of floating fort- | resses. n,
 Even among the dreadnaughts in the | line today there was evidence or the
 mad pace the naval architects Of the
 world are setting. Although the first
 of these was completed less than two
 years ago, there had been jump rom | the 16CO0 tons of the Michigan and the South Carolina, the first of the American | gun ships to the 21,S25 tons of the Ctah | and the Florida fresh from the hands CT | the builders. In between the Michigan | type and the Utah-Florida type, there
 was represented today the Delaware ana the North Dakota of 20000 tons each. | President Taft was much interested in | tho details of the various ships and keps | Secretary Meyer answering a rapid fire | of questions He learned that the dread naughts South Carolina and Michigan | with their batteries of eight F inch rifles | had quickly been surpassed by the Dela- | were and North Dakota class with 10 F l iEch guns in five turrets The P, three inch guns of the Michigan type had been | replaced by 14 five inch guns on the
 North Dakota and the Delaware. The Utah and Florida representing the third | step in American dreadnaught building, | remains at standstill so far as the main l battery of 10 12 inch rifles is concerned but | has 16 five inch rifles in the secondary
 or torpedo ropulsing battery.
 | The fourth step represented by the Arr kansas and Wyoming now on the ways, | finds the tonnage increased to 6.40O and
 the main battery to 12 F inch guns in | six turrets. The secondary battery takes | jump from 16 five inch guns to 21 Of | the same bore.
 The fifth step represented by the New l York and Texas. just begun. finds the | most radical change ever introduced in l the navies of the world in that IA inch
 rifles are installed in the main battery ten of them in five turrets. Finally | comes the Improved Texas type" uu- | therized but not yet laid down, with tonnage estimated at between 2S,O00 and S1.00 and main battery of P 14 inch | rifles. These 12 guns will be accommodated | in five turrets, three rifles each being placed In the farthest forward and farth- | est aft of these.
 | There were only seven battleships of the navy missing from today's splendid pageant. Six of these were among the 1 16 In the world girdling fleet The seventh, the Oregon, of imperishable fame.
 Three of the ships in the line today had taken the shot and shell of
 Cevcras fleet at Santiago, the Indiana,
 the Massachusetts ar the Iowa But in theirTFeriit s1s their basket forms aiM eatiy ra enated condi- ton, theS ~ere h0ralg recognizabls. The new tetresa ana inch guns up. doubtedly have Hieg the efficiency Of armament oAf.ted infiNe the Spanish war and aslloasl far aulgias9ed by the modern fia ilns alagltn they could still lend 3icir~ lana he thick of fight.
 Next in DO ai ass Co hese three
 oldest ships 1; lnt of S'000 and of 900 tons cal thA 9hio Maine and Missouri, the fl, tc fe designed after the war with SD, Aoy wrre giants in their day witi tcAlagS of 12.5O0. Following came s tiNSieia, Nebras- ka, New Jersey ant CscrAia hid down In 1904 and displ rial Aef7. tons apiece. The next class4 deslgneG brought the America rse 9 9s ths Connecticut class witL her faps and a battery of four twesye f clxht The Louisiana, the Ktrs tee Nen- mont, Minnesota and NHw Bah pshifs. all are sister ships. BettyaaA tlA CsnN necticut. Louisiana and th< rcsf Af Ns I ciass there was year wien ile q y