The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-24
WORLDS EYE ON
MYSTERY. SHIP
OF ARGENTINE
Who viii Eventually Own the
Dreadnought Rivadavla?

battleship Rivadavia, recently com
pleted at the yards of the Fore River
Shipbuilding company at Quincy, was
turned over today by the builders to
official representatives of the Argen-
tine government, for which country
the huge superdreadnought was built.
The transfer was made in Boston Har-
Dor and was accompanied by ceremon-
les customary TO such an occasion.
Officers of the Argentine navy and
crew of thousand men have arrived
here to take the vessel to Buenos
Ayres.
An international mystery has sur
rounded the construction OF the Riva-
davia and her sister ship the Moreno,
now nearing completion at the yards
of the New York Shipbuilding COM
pany. at Camden, \. ]. The two YES
sells have been built for the Argentine
Republic, but their sale by that coun-
try has been considered almost GER
tain. Members of the Argentine COM
mission now in this city admit that
within the last two months several
very attractive offers for the Rivada-
via. Owing to the fact that the Riva
davia has no superior in the world as
a fighting machine, much speculation
exists as to which nation may even
tually own her.
Designed by U. S. officer.
The Rivadavia, though built for a
nv "a
mer United States naval officer of
world wide renown. He is Francis T.
Bowles. until recently president of the
Fore River Shipbuilding company, a
former head of the Bureau of Con-
struction and Repair of the United
States Navy, and an officer OF eminent
capability.
In the Rivadavia Admiral Bowles
has designed a ship that was the last
word" in marine fighting machines at
the time her keel was laid down. There
have been no improvements made In
her style since although some navies
recently have equipped their ships
with heavier guns
The displacement OF the Rivadavia
is Z1,0UU tOnS, IL ulSpldCtIilelll lihl 10
supposed to guarantee a steady boat
and insure a high offensive and defen-
sive efficiency. Her length is 5S5 feet,
breadth, SO feet, and normal draft, q
feet inches. The superstructure on
the upper deck is suppressed COM
pletely to avoid obstruction to the arc
of fire of the main guns as well as to
hn
enemy.
The armor protection of the Riva-
davia is II inches thick, 200 feet long.
extending feet 3 inches above and
3 feet inches below the normal wa
ter line. This belt is continued 10 feet
more at each end, until it comes
abreast the extreme turrets, but its
thickness is reduced to 10 feet. On top
of the main belt for it's whole length
of 400 feet there is 9-inch armor ana
and beyond the central reduct the ar
NOR is inches thick forward and 4
inches thick aft.
Double Bottom Protects Ship.
Below the water line the ship is
protected by means of a double bot
tom transverse and longitudinal bulk
heads, dividing the vessel into water
tight compartments, fitted with cleo
tricaly- driven centrifugal pumps
which can he operated even when the
compartment Is entirely flooded. EN-
ternally, in time of war, the Rivadavia
will he protected by steel torpedo
net which will be held in place 80 feet
from the ships sides.
The battery of the Rivadavia is
formidable one. She will have a doZ-
en- 12-inch, 50-caliber guns, mounted
in pairs in six turrets arranged so
that all can be fired on either side.
These twelve guns are capable of per-
forating an armor plate of cemented
steel of i4-inch thickness at a distance
of 5000 meters.
AS n secondary battery the Rivada-
via will carry twelve 6-inch, so caliber
guns, and twelve 4-inch, 5O-caliber
guns Besides these guns the ship will
carry many small field and saluting
guns
Electric power will be supplied the
ship by two main stations in dupli-
cate, each fitted with turbo-dynamos'
capable of generating all the power re-
qured in action and located WITHIN
the armored casemate. There Is also
Il third installation, operated by heavy
oil motors OF sufficient power to iiium-
mate the ship and also handle some OF
the turrets in practice.
The ship Is equipped with triple
screws. being one of the first vessels
completed with Curtis marine tur-
bines. to have more than two propel-
lers. The builders figure that the Riva-
davia will be able to go 10000 Knots
at 11-knot speed, 300 knots at To-
knot speed, and $500 knots at 22.5-
knot speed.