Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-07-11
SUPERDREAD-
NAUGHT NEVADA
LAUNCHED TODAY
Is Our Largest Warship Afoat
In Tonnage, Displacement
And Armament

Quincy, Mass, July 1.-THE super
dreadnaught Nevada, to be launched
here today and her sister ship, the Okla
homa, which was fioated at Philadelphia
last March, surpass in tonnage, displace-
ment and armament any United States
warship now afloat. She is, however.
less formidable than the Pennsylvania
whose keel was laid last spring. and the
unnamed sea fighter, No. 30, both of
which will have displacement of 81 400
tons.
The Nevada's displacement is 1880
tons, or 500 tons greater than the Texas
and New York, the latest sea giants to
be commissioned by the United States.
Her length is 5S3 feet with a breadth of
IS feet 215 inches on load water line.
Ten 14-inch guns, capable of firing 14OO-
pound shells will constitute her principal
armament. Two three-gun turrets will
be among her defences. One of. these
largest of turrets will be on the fore
castle deck along with a turret from
which two big guns will be pointed. An
other two-gun turret will sweep the
quarter deck and astern of this will be
the other three-gun turret The turrets
are arranged to make complete revolu-
tions so that the entire battery of the
big guns can be concentrated on an enc
my approaching from etsher side for
ward or aft.
Besides her big 14-inch guns the Me-
vada will have distributed about her
decks q five-inch guns and minor arma-
ment such as one-pounders, three-pound-
ers, three-inch field pieces and machine
guns.
The Nevada's armor renders her
among the strongest battleships in the
navy. Her belt is 1872 inches. thick and
will extend 400 feet along either side of
the hull. These plates will extend 81
feet below the waterline and feet
above the waters surface. There are
two protective decks as safeguard
against plunging fire, one three inches
and the other 11s inches.
While the Nevada will represent the
last word in American sea power. the
new British battleship Queen Elizabeth
viii carry a more formidable armament
of no less than eight 15-inch guns. This
sea-fghter probably will be commits
stoned the first of next year.
The Nevada is a contemporary of the
British warship, Iron Duke. The Iron
Dukes displacement is $4,000 tons and
she carries 10 131a-inch guns The Ne
vadas speed is estimated at 201a knots
or about the same as the Iron Dukes
Although the Nevada's armor is thicker
than that of her British contemporary,
it is not spread over so great an area of
side. The British warrior has a second
airy battery of Is 6-inch guns while the
Nevada's will consist of q 5-ineh guns
These questions of distribution of armor
and the relative Importance of the num-
Der and calibre of guns are two problems
on which the naval experts of the world
are not in complete accord
The Nevada will burn oil only. and her
engines will have an indicated horse
power of "a, 500 The fuel oil will be car
ried in the double bottom of the ship,
this affecting an economy Of space over
the old Arrangement which called for
extensive coal bunkers. Her contractors
promise to have the new battleship COM
pleted by Jan. D. next