Charlevoix county herald., 1912-06-08

look as If they might be carried in
shawl straps.
1t requires about eighteen months
to construct one OF the fourteen-inch
guns, and already six have been COM
pleted and taken out TO the naval
proving ground at Indian Head, where
they are tested. The rest OF the twen-
ty guns are in various stages OF max
ing, but all are expected to be ready
when the New York and Texas are
launched next year.
Although the fourteen-tnch beauties
are the creates. attraction TO visitors
just now. the other naval armament In
the shops is OF tremendous interest
Twelve-inch giants weighing fifty-six
tons stick out from the lathes. They
cost even more than the fourteen-inch
guns To make, $4,000 being the
amount each gun costs without its
mount which costs S52 900 additional
They have a longer range than the
larger sized guns, but their life is
shorter, lining being necessary after
200 rounds have been fired. Ii costs
1924 each time one OF these is fired
With a war charge and projectile.
Horsepower Figured
In the shell shops workmen may be
seen Transforming blocks OF brass in
TO tubes, an interesting process, while
in vast tank in another building
models of war vessels are being test
ed. This workshop is next to the gun
factory in interest. Wooden models,
as large as a canoe or rowboat, OF ev-
cry vessel ordered for the navy are
made by the shipbuilders. The pro-
portions are exactly the same as those
OF the projected ships of war. Above
the long tank travels an appliance
not unlike a crane When the test is
made the model is weighted in pro
portion to the weight of the actual
boat in order TO determine the dis
placement The model is connected
with the travelling overhead device,
which drives it through the water at
varying degrees OF speed A machine
records the resistance and from this
is figured the horse power required
TO drive the actual vessel at a given
rate of speed.
The completion of the Texas and
the New York next year and OF the
Nevada and Oklahoma in 1914 will
give the United States thirty-seven
first-class battleships with a tonnage
OF 60 ,796. When Germany finishes
| the nine dreadnoughts that are TO be
completed at the rate OF three year
before the close of 1914. 1t will have
thirty-six battleships with tonnage
OF 5S0,S70 Great Britain, which is
! building ten new dreadnoughts, two
to be finished this year, four next year
and four in l9-4, will have a total of
seventy ba,tIeships, tonnage 1,1S9,.
| 900. In battleships the United States
will rank second, but in armored
cruisers II will have twelve, as against
Germanys fourteen and Great Brit
aims forty-four by the end OF 1914.
| The tonnage OF the battleships and
armored cruisers built, building and
provided for according to the latest
navy year book, is: Great Britain.
| 1909 600; United States, 76S,241;
Germany, 1858; France, 26,726;
/ Japan, 421,S45; Russia, 2S7 ,016: Italy.
| 299,707, and Austria-Hungary, 17l.1SS
lr number and displacement OF all
war ships. built and building. OF 1000
or more tons and of torpedo craft OF
more than fifty tons, Great Britain
has 560 vessels OF 2,324,579 tonnage;
Germany. 26S vessels and l,OS7,3g9
tonnage, and the United States. 1877
vessels, tonnage SS5,066.
AS TO large guns. the United States
navy will have forty fourteen.inch.
thirty-two thirteen-inch and 14S
twelve-inch guns, total OF 220; Ger
many will have 176 twelve-inch AID
ninety-six eleven-inch guns. a total
of 272, and Great Britain wI,l have
300 twelve-inch and 1874 tEirteen-inch
guns, an aggregate of asa.