Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-06-17
UNCLE SANS HUGEST SHIP
Super DreadnOught Arizona to
Be Launched June 10.
Arizona Nearly Twice the Size and
Power of First Bnttlcship Built
in 1893 but the California VIII
Surpass Her.

The Goth battleship built for the Amer
lean navy since 1892 will take the water
June 10 next when the super-drcad-
nought Arizona slips from the ways at
the New York navy yard. Compared to
the first American battleship, the lndi-
ana, launched in 1893, the Arizona will
be nearly twice az long, half again as
Wide and Of three times as great dis
placement Against tho Tndiana's four
l3-inch guns and eight S-inch. the Arizona
will carry twelve li-inCh nnd twenty
two 5-inch rifles. the same armament as
her sister ship. the Pennsylvania, recently
launched at Newport News
In addition TO the great siZc of the
new ships main battery the guns are of
fortyfive calibrc as against 81 calibre
of the Indana's l3-inch guns. identical
with those aboard the famous old Oregon.
which played their part In the battle of
Santigo. With the fourtecns Of the An-
zona in her turrets, the oregon could
have halted any one of the fleeing Span
.sh ships almost without leaving her
station. The Arizona's guns hare Il
range. even at the low elevation Of
American navy mountings OF fifteen
miles or more. against eight or nine
miles for the old thirteens.
The Arizona will he the fourth battle
ship built by the United States in it's
own navy yard at New York The others
were the Connecticut. the dreadnough
New York at present ono of the largest.
swiftest and most powerful Of American
fighting craft. Against the New Yorks
displacement of 1900 tons, however, the
Arizona will displace 1900 tons and will
measure GO feet in length and 81 feet
six inches in width. She will mount l.
14-inch guns to the ten las carried by
the Texas, and they will he carried three
to a turret. as aboard the Pennsylvania.
Immediately upon the launching of the
Arizona the keel Of the navy depart
ment's greatest experiment in naval con-
struction, the electrically driven super
dreadnought California. will be laid at
the New York yard. She will be nearly
& thousand tons heavier than the Arizona,
although carrying the same equipment
and arrangement Of guns but is expected
TO develop greater speed than the 81
knots desired of the Arizona
Comparing the most recent govern
ment-built battleship to the first turned
out. navy officials point to the fact that
although the Arizona has twelve guns
to the Connectcut's four, and displaces
a6,40o tons more water being nearly
twice as large. she will carry only 9l5
men as against 1,0l2 needed to handle
the smaller ship. This is due to the
Improvement in mechanical appliances
Tor batteships in the last decade and
also to the fact that oil has been substi-
tuted for coal as fuel, decreasing the
necessary fre-room force, and that only
two sizes Of guns compose her armament
against the four sizes aboard the Con-
necticut. The result is a reduction in
ammunition handling forces.
The Arizona will be sponsored by Miss
Esther Ross of Preston Ariz.. nominated
by Governor Hunt of Arizona AS she
looks in the water Immediately after
launching, the ship will have cost the
government $,i25.Uo0 An even greater
sum Will, go for her guns and armor and
other equipment. and when she goes in
to commission her cost to the country
Nil have reached thehuge total of $l6,DD,-
10 or more, The cost represents a reduc-
lion Of nearly $4,000 in guns and armor,
according to the navy department. under
the prices paid for the Pennsylvania
offensive and defensive equipment II
was in dealing with contracts for the Ari.
tonas armor that Secretary Daniels
demanded competitive bidding.