The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-04-12
]. S. S FLORIDA
is SPEED QUEEN
MAKES 1854 KNOTS ON TRIALS.
BEATING RECORD OF TIE
NAVAL WORLD

ROCKLAND, Maine, March Co.
Beating the record of her nearest rival
hy .0i knots. the newly completed
battleship Florida, built by the gov
ernmcnt at the New York Navy Yard,
today established herself as the fastest
vessel of the droadnought class in the
world by making 1884 knots on her
Standardization trial, over the Rock
land course. The tests today were held
in rough sea and with the wind
blowing hard.
On board the Florida when she
proved her right to the title of "Speed
Queen of the United States Navy
were Rear Admiral Aaron Ward, com.
mander of the third division Of the
Atlantic fleet; Captain Harry S. Knapp,
in command of the Florida, and the
trial board, which consists of Captain
A. +. Fechteler, president; Commander
It. j. Sem, the recorder; Captain w. c.
Smith, Captain G. s. Williams and g.
II. Rock, naval constructor.
The British dreadnought Vanguard,
which made $3.50 knots. had been con
fsidcred the fastest of the great sea
Utah, of the United States navy, sister
ship of the Florida, but built at
| private yard, made record of 21.657
knots on her fastest trial run.
None of the figures of the Florida's
triumph today was announced officially,
although Rear Admirai Ward confirmed
the fact that an extremely high speed
had been made. The highest mark and
| h.
learned from an authoritative source.
The newest dreadnought, it was
| learned, averaged 1894 knots on i've
top speed runs, and this mark was be.
| ing compared tonight by enthusiastic
officers of the navy to the 2l.2sS knots
which was the record of the Utah for
her five fastest miles at the time of her
builders acceptance trial
The Florida in today's test used only
coal, as the oil tanks nave not yet been
| put in. The four hours endurance test
will be held tomorrow, during which
the Florida must average 20.75 knots
or better. She probably will finish Off
Provincetown, Massachusetts, commence
ing from that point her twenty -four
hour run, which will take her to
Hampton Roads.
Cost Of S6,00O,Ooo.
The battleship Florida was launched
at the New York Navy Yard, in Brook
lyn, on May 70, 1910, having been built
by the government Mt cost of $4,000
900, the amount authorized by congress.
She was christened by Miss Elizabeth
T.. Fleming and took the water without
the slightest accident to mar the
ceremony.
4 The keel of the big battleship was
laid on March 9, 1909. Her length lie
521 feet inches, her breadth sS feet
21-2 inches and her mean draught 28
feet inches. Tho normal displace-
ment of the Florida is 2l,825 tons and
her load displacement is estimated at
%, O33 tons. The shaft horsepower Of
her Parsons turbine engines is $4,000.
The capacity of her bunkers is $500
tons. ra sI -ia
The Florida carries ten 12-inch guns
in five turrets, sixteen 5-ineh rapid FIRE
guns in her broadsides, four S-pounders,
two 1-pounders, two 3-inch field guns
and two submerged torpedo tubes.
Following out new policy of the
government the armor of the dread
nought has never been announced.
Sixty officers and 954 men are needed
to manage tho great fighter.