The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1913-10-18
new FLEET TO Be
M!GHTIEST OF ALL
Canal viii Make Atlantic and
Pacific One.
THE fRIDE OF AMERICANS.
AZ Oceans Join, Both Fleets Of Uncle
Sans Navy May Become One, Thus
Forming Greatest Naval Unit In
World - Twenty-Five Dreadnoughts
to File Through the Canal.

!
to File Through the Canal. -
New York. -How many people in this
land realize that the days of the At
lantic fleet are numbered? The At
lantic fleet. that great organization
which inspired Kipling to help i'm
mortalize Bob Evans. which brought
applause from an admiring world when
1t sailed out of Hampton Roads and
steamed triumphantly back again at
the end Of the first great naval Gil
COMMUNICATION Of the globe: which
thrilled millions of Americans when
majestically it passed in review before
the president Of the United States on
its way to sea last year; the feet of
which every American is and Of right
ought to be proud. Yet the day of it's
passing is not far off.
But the going is also the coming, for
simultaneously with the end of the
world famed Atlantic feet there will
come into existence a still greater feet,
to be known as the United States feet;
feet that will pass at the will of the
naval chiefs from ocean to ocean ind
which will be-as the Atlantic fleet of
today is not-equally important in the
defensive scheme of both the Atlantic
and Pacific seaboards.
The Atlantic fleet of today is
splendidly differed and manned or
ganization of twenty-one super-Dreati-
noughts. Dreadnoughts and first line
battleships. AS lighting unit it is
certainly the equal and. in the opinion
of thousands who are in position to
judge. the superior. ship to ship, of any
feet that sails any sea under any flag.
1t is feet whose vessels total in dis
placement more than 100000 tons. ex-
elusive of auxiliaries. It numbers
among it's units the great super Dread
nought Arkansas. which less than q
fortnight ago made civilization take
notice when it was officially announced
that her gunners had smashed every
existing record made with guns of the
twelve inch type.
The day when the Atlantic fleet
passes gloriously into history and the
United States feet takes it's place in.
the lineup of the worlds great naval
organizations will be the day when the
old Oregon. the famous ship of 1898
that sailed around South America and
Joined Sampson in the nick of time to
win an undying name at Santiago will
lead the American feet from the At
lantic to the Pacific via the Panama
canal. Behind the Oregon, which for
day only will be a flagship. will trail
In majestic line the feet that is dy-
ing and the feet that is being born
The feet will include twelve Dread
noughts and super-Dreadnoughts and
as many more battleships of the first
line. The displacement of the feet will
approximate half a million tons.
The fleets thousand guns of all types
If fired simultaneously would burn up
in smOkeess powder more than $780,
600, the projectiles would weigh ap-
proximately 231 900 pounds. and the
excess of $145.OOO.
In order properly to appreciate the
magnitude Of the United States feet
that is to be it may not be out place to
say word or two of the Atlantic feet
Of yesterday and today. the splendid
feet which sailed around the globe un-
der Evans. Thomas and Sperry. trio
Of great fleet commanders. all now
dead. When Theodore Roosevelt as
president Of the United States babe
the feet under Evans godspeed as it
steamed past the Vlrgir.a capes that
December day In 1907 there was not
an American worthy the name who did
not feel Il heart throb Of pride as he
saw or pictured that magnificent line
Of vessels which the flagship Connect
cut led out to sea. from her foremost
fiuttering the two starred blue pennant
of Fighting Bob Evans. who was
then beginning. as events proved. his
last voyage as commander in chief Of
the Atlantic fleet.
The United States fleet is to be the
first under the American flag in which
two entire divisions will he made up
of vessels of the all big gun type.
That feet. when it officially comes into
existence. will probably comprise TWEEN
ty-five fighting ships in addition to
great fleet of naval auxiliaries and
fotillas of torpedo boat destroyers
, and submarines. The New York will
be the flagship. and therefore it is not
out of place to tell briefly just what
kind of ship this namesake Of the;
Empire State is to be. She will carry
in her main battery ten guns Of the
newly perfected fourteen inch type.
each so mounted that all can be used
in single broadside to either port or
start~. |. Each OF these guns will
fire a proiectile weighing l.4t)O pounds.
meaning broadside OF 900 pounds.
to fire which will cost the United
/ States government $1.77O each time.
Such broadside will mean the ex-
plosion Of 300 pounds of smokeless
powder. This powder Wholesale costs
So cents a pound. meaning 1890 per
broadside 80