The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-03-17
TIE PENNSYLVANIA-TEE WORLDS
GREATEST BATTlESHlP
LAUNCHED YESTERDAY.

| ing tomorrow of the battleshlp Penn
sylvania, which will be the largest
fighting ship aaoat. Little now re-
mains to be done before the trigger is
pulled to slide ihe giant craft into the
water. Elaborate arrangements have
been made by the Newport News
Shipbuilding Company for entertaining
the parties OF Secretary Daniels and
Governor Brumtau, h, OF Pennsylvania
due here early tomorrow for the
launching.
In size and gun power the Pennsyl-
vania is greater even than the Queen
Elizabeth, of the British, navy, which
led the recent terrific assault OF the
allies on the forts OF the Oardauelles.
While the British monster carries
larger guns, her main battery is only
two-thirds the size of that of the Penn
sylvania 10 mum Der and the American
battleship is 5000 tops greater in size.
The main battery of the Pennsyl-
vania will consist of twelve 14inch,
45-caliore rifles, set in four turrets;
three gun TO turret; the plan OF big
gun arrangement adopted in the sister
ships, which preceded her, the Nevada
and Oklahoma. Her tonnage measure
ment is 81. 400 against 27,500 for the
Nevada and Oklahoma and the Queen
Elizabeth. The latter, however, car
ries eight 15-inch rifles, 45-calibre, set
two to turret, while the Nevada and
Oklahoma bave ten 14-inch rifles each
in TWO three-gun and two two-gun tur-
rets. In all these ships, including the
PENNSYLVANIA, the turrets are all on
the centre line to concentrate their
FIRE on either broadsine.
BIG BRITISH SHIPS.
Five battIeships of the British navy
yet to be launched will have less tom
mage toan the Pennsylvania, the ships
of the Royal Sovereign class being of
"a: 500 ,ons displacement, and none will
equal sne Pennsylvania in armament.
Each is designed to carry eight 15-,nch
guns.
Details of four other British battle
ships, already authorized, are not
known here officially.
Five ships of the Japanese navy,
estimated for in 1914 add known as the
Fuso class, will not equal the Penn
sylvania in tonnage with their dis
placement of $4,000 tons, but will carry
the same main battery of twulve a.
inch rifles. They will exceed the
Pennsylvania in speed, estimates CALL
ing for 22 knots against Il knots for
the Pennsylvania.
The 1914 estimates for the German
navy cali for three ships of the Kaiser
Friedrich III claIs, with displacement
of IS, 1000 tons and carrying eight Is
inch rifles.
The British ships of the Queen Eliz-
abeth class greatly exceed those of
any other navy 10 speed, requirements
calling for Is knots an hour, while the
Royal Sovereign class will make at
least 22.5 knots.
JEALoUSLY GUARDED.
Since the outbreak of the war details
as to foreign naval programs have been
jealousy guarded and it is probable
that Great Britain, Germany and
France have laid down many vessels
of which no report has been made. So
far as is known, however, no vessels
have been planned which will exceed
in size toe three American ships of the
California class, work on which has
barely started. These will have dis
placement OF $1,000 tons each and arna-
ment equal to that of the Pennsylvania.
The cruisiog radius of the Pcnnsyl-
vania viii b. considerably increased
by the fact thai she Will be equipped
for oil fuel exclusively aad will have
a capa 2igr OF 2.322 tons Of fuel oil. The
Queen El'z:oe:h Ia; a capacity OF 4, 800
tons o. Oil Because OF aec high speed
requirements.
From her enormous maiu battery
the Pennsy lvania will be able 10 hurl
with the pressure of single firing
lever, ] l-2 tons Of steel on either
broadsiue. In addition she will carry
a secondary battery OF twenty-five s.
inch rifles for defence against torpedo
beats. She will be fitted also with
submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes and
her ships company will be composed
of IS officers, s63 bluejackets and "a
marines The ship measures 608 feet
over all and 81 feet beam and her
mean draft is % feet, 10 inches, almost
the limit in size for the Panama Canal
and present navy dry docks. There
are only few docks in the world which
Cdu tSCelNS uSF duO SuS COulO uOb
enter many busy harbors, except under
most favorable conditions OF tide and
wind.
MORE THAN $4,000, 200.
When completed the Pennsylvania
will have cost the Government more
than Sl3,000,000. She will be ready for
commission. under contract, by Febru-
ary %. 1916. Her keel was laid Octc-
Der q, 1913.
The enormous size of the new ship
and the startling rapidity with which
battleship construction had developed,
even before the great war. is indicated
by comparison of the Pennsylvania
with the British battleship dread
naught, first Of all the big-gun-ships in
any navy. The dreaanaught was esti-
mated for 1907. She was designed to