The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-07
Lafesf BaffIeship Is
Soon TO Be Launched
New War Dog is About Twice
as Large as First Ameri-
can BatfesilIp.
On, AasoclA4ro peEsso

wASEmNGToN. June The thirty
ninth bat1leship built for the Amer
can navy since 1892 Will take the
water June 10 next when the super
Idreadnought, Arizona. slips from the
ways at the New York navy yard
Compared TO the first American battle
ship, the Indiana, launched m 1873,
the Arizona VIII be nearly twice as
long. half again as wide and OF three
times as great displacement. ASatnst
the Indiana,s four 12-inch guns ana
eight Sinch, the Arizona Will carry
twelve 14-inch and twenty-owo 5-1ncn
rifles the same armament as us SIS
ter ship. the Pennsylvania, recenuy
launched at Newport News
In addition to the great size OF the
Few shfps,s main battery, the guns
are Of forty-fve calibre as against the
thirty-dye calfbre OF the Indiana
B-inch guns, identical with those
aboard the famous old Oregon, wn1cn
played their part in the battle OF san an
tiago With the fourteens OF the
Arizona in its turrets, the Oregon
could have halted any one OF the nee
ing Spanish ships almost without leav-
ing her station The ArtZona'S guns
have a range. even at the low eleVa.
ton OF American navy mountings. OF
fifteen miles or more against eight or
nine miles for the old thirteens-
The Arizona will be the fourth bat
tleshfp built by the United States IN
Its own navy yard at New York Tne
others were the Connecticut. the
dreadnought Florida. and the super
dreadnought New York. at present one
OF the largest. swftest and most pow
erful of American fighting craft
Against the New York's displacement
of % 600 tons. however, the Ar1zona
will displace 81 400 tons. and viii
measure 500 feet IN length and ninety
seven feet six inches in width. 1t VIII
mount twelve 14-inch guns to the ten
fourteens carried by the Texas and
they Will be carried three to turret
as aboard the Pennsylvania.
Immediately upon the launching OF
the Arizona the keel Of the navy de-
partment's greatest experiment in
naval construction. the electrically
driven superdreadnought, California,
will be laid at the New York yard
It Will be nearly a thousand tons
heavier than the Arizona although
Carrying the same equipment and, ar
rangement of guns; but Is expected
TO develop greater speed than the
| twenty-one knots desired OF the Ar
! IONA.
Comparing the most recent govern
ment built battleship to the MS
turned out, navy officials point to the
fact that although the Arizona has
| twelve guns TO the Connecticut:s four
and d1sp1aces I5:400 tons more water.
being nearly twice as large, 1t VIII
carry only 915 men as against the
1.A12 needed to handle the smaller
ship. This is due to the improvement
IN mechanical appliances fo- battle
ships In the last decade and also 10
the fact that oil has been substituted
for coal as fuel decreasing the neces-
sary fireman force, and that only two
sizes OF guns compose its armament
against the four sizes aboard the Con-
necticut. The result is reduction IN
ammunition handling forces
The Arizona viii be sponsored by
Miss Esther Ross of Preston. Ariz-,
nominated by Governor Hunt of Ari-
zona. AS it looks IN the water I'M
mediateIy after the launching the
ship viii have cost the government
s7.4e5. 600 An even greater sum viii
go for its guns and armor and other
equipment and when it goes into com
mission its cost to the country VII
have reached the huge total of sl6.-
100000 or more. This cost represents
REDUCTION Of nearly $4,000 in guns
and armor, according to the navy de-
partment, under the prices paid for
the Penusylvania's offensive and de-
fensive equipment 1t was IN dealing
with contracts for the Arizona's ar
competitive bidding and succeeded In
effecting the saving.
TQlT