The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-19
FUZZY $4,000 People Pre-
at Launching of New Ban
tleship Texas
~
MISS HELEN TAFT lS
AN HONORED GUE
Large Delegation of An
and Navy Officials frofif'
Washington Visit New
port News

{ Especial TO The Richmond YirxaM1
NEWPORT NEWS, VA, May M
In the presence of one Of the II
notable gatherings ever assembt1
watch the launching of In
States hattleshtp. little Miss CT
Lyon, daughter Of Colonel Cecil n
Republican national eomnittn1
from Texas, christened the 49,
naught Teas as she slid doNu
ways in tho Newport News ShipHu
ing company's drydock at 10 os11
this morning for her initial dip n
Atlantic.
The Texas. besides being
Sans largest sea fighter. viii
'nent the sea lighting force Ot
United States with first class b1xl
ship No. 50 when she Is finally n
pleteCl
Aiss Lyon. holding the botffxx
In readiness for ths IT.
tening. was almost completely III
from sight among the notables
occupied the launching stand, Axu
her We're Governor Cnlquit, Of
Secretary OF tho Navy Meyer. Adm
navy and government officials. II
1900 people crowded into tl1o n -
yard to witness the launching. ai2i7
them being many Richmond peo1
Miss Helen Taft, daughter o8
president, was an honored guest
Sister ship to Delaware.
When completed the Texas Will
be unlike the Delaware. tha
dreadnaught built al the local IN
building plant. She will have
skeleton masts, each OF which r.
be 100 feet high. They will b n
structed Of steel wire and tubinNsI
such a manner that IL Will be AllIl
impossible TO shoot them away
hre-eontroi platforms will be I0cA1
on the topA OF the maata, and inss
or battle practice the range N1I
viii he stationed m the platoon
Signals between the fangs hxIass
surners will be passed by ineAH
tHfephons tines. ana N This mai7
the former will also notify the ~
ners OF the effects Of their shots,
Unlike the Delaware, the E9&
win not have high deck fOFVG
if4.s@- Il ST IN 4 "a
from stem to stern. and Just foEI
of amidsh!ps will be located the e.
tain's and admiraTs quarters, tke
ter because the ship Ia to be m
out and equipped as flagship.
TWO big srookestacks VIII Be I0<
about amidships. The coming ft
pilot house and bridge will b u u
forward end of the superDkl
The four three pound 6aluttn Ii
will be located on the btfdn
there will he two fve-inch raHtGs
rifles on the superstructNFssss
will be Used in warding u
from torpedo boats. 6ed9EI
Will he located on the Imasts c1Ia
cially constructed PLATFORMS
vessel. despite her size and the
number OF men she will carx2.$
be equipped with but few h4H1
provisions being made for "
launch. four big cutters, tw0
boats and one adTirals bA1
Mammoth In Size
Some idea Of the size and 6f1
Of the Texas may be gotten
following facts concerning M
Length over aha.
Extreme breadth ..........e
Draft on trial. ~-vA
Trial displacement ,01
Full load displacement. 81.
f'evn' =. hsia ss.xs-
Cruising radius .-. ff1
Indicated horsepower 4 y |sa3$lI |$s;
Speed On trial.
The armament OF the Texaa
superior to that Of any voa1ef
srructed. either foreign Or
In her main battery she II
ten tourteen-inchshx cec
OF the latest ands1E poNro11
sign. The guns will bu mouXx
electrically controlled tnrrefS.
ed on the centre lire OF the w
Has Powerful Br0A&i@t<
They are so arranged as to ~
possible TO are all ten on
'broadside. tisgs giving ths s1l
most powerful broadside fara d<&
warshfp tn the world. Other 6x
naughts of the navy carry onlysE
inch guns. Two Of the turrot1
tainlng tine fourteen inch risiea II
located forward of the sup0FxN
ture and the other three will boS
smokastacks With this &xT
ment all the guns i'm the
turrets can be fred dead ah1&
those of the after tnrrets
fred dead astern. To make III
sibie, one turret fire and nkE
waited above the other. TA1
fire of the forward turrefn ss
ese degrees and that OF the y
rets slightly greater.
In the secondary battery
be twenry-one five-inch rHun
rifles. two Of which win be In
the superstructure above
deck and the remainin1ing
VIII he mounted On tina DE-
which is the gun deck.
be nine In each hroadai4M
ut the stern. In addl1t1
guns and the two fieh
used by the marines froNn
In shore iighting. the T&4
equipped with two sahn
pedo tubes, one on the ns41
and ono on the port alit
will set about thirty fae4
water forward and II ~
when running An = r0el
waves viii not hreak oyn
and Interfere with tn -
the guns in tha fcFWn&
Defensive CONatFNce1n
So much for ~ N
Of the ship which SlSalk
formidable nxhtinG rnt
world. N dsfsneaxe
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