The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-15


 nought to be propelled by electricity. Josephus Daniels. Secretary of the J Navy. who took part in the keel laying ceremonies and made an ad- dress said that the California rep resented one of the greatest advances in modern marine engineering, and that the vessel would have all un- usual cruising radius
 Secretary Daniels also mentioned the good work of the navy yard, and cofnplimented Rear Admiral Usher, he scornfnandant, and the naval con structors, upon their 1abors> He said that the vessels built in the Brooklyn navy yard had proved to be the equal of those built anywhere else in the United States.
 The laying Of the keel took place shortly after noon. while hundreds of guests and workmeu stood with barred heads Upon the arrival of Secretary Daniels and his party at the ways the bug1er sounded attention and Chaplain William H. | ,Reaney' s55f the navy yard. invoked a blessing &on the new battleship- Secretary Daniels then delivered his address, al ter which the actual work of laying tlae keel went through without a hiteh-
 Three big plates which will form the centre of the keel were lying close 
 Rock naval constructor the huge travelling crane which runs along side tile ways swung into position and the steel cables wereS lowered The plates were picked up and carried to theft places one by one The nrst ltzvo were placed side by side on the ib1ocks. which will support the keel, " fai1e the third was laid on top of the others. so that when bolted it will .effectfvely join them together
 Naval Constructor Rock then sent sn4me two silver bolts which will hold the plates in position until such time as they can be riveted together As he frightened the nut on the second 4bo1f the band struck up the Star sssang1ed Banner, while every work man and guest stood at attention
 Eerrefary Daniels' AfIdress
 Secretary Daniels began his ad- dHress by saying that the California zzsa fttineIy named, for that state iras the crown and climax of the erdcan pioneers achdey yeulent -''ss He .41ent on to say-
 The uses to which electricity have been put in these modern days are 1ezznigh countless. but 1t seems sig zaifirant that electric propulsion for tho modern battleship is first to be nsta11ed upon the splendid n1an-of- WAT whose keel we are now about to s1s5 The electric drive is one of the l7a4e3t results of the pioneer spirit in the utE1izalon Of electric force II is a source Of pride that the Aneri- can navy is initiating the movement for it's use upon battIeships and it is sz gnilcant coincidence that the first <7readnought upon which it is to be installed should be named after that state of the Union here American pioneering climbed to the highest point of success M
 It may be said with entire truth fnIness therefore. that the battleslnip California represents one of the greatest advances in nlodern marine engineering. The entire subject of Electric propulsion is one that has been widely discussed in all countries Tor several years past, but the United States IS the only nation so far which 1laa gotten past the discussion stage and which has deulonstrated by ac- tua1 test that electrical propulsion is a suceess
 Mr. Daniels thenatoId about the tests t0 which the collier Jupiter had been sdbjected:
 Success Of the Jupiter.
 For two years and a. half the 2O.- poo ton collier upiter has been us- ing the only electrical high powered marine installation af1oat. While she was built with a designed speed of IA knots she demonstrated on her off ciaI trial that she could easiIyas asu stain a speed rof IS knots.e She has fcruised more than k2O, 90 0 miles. and. in this lime has given the greatest satis- factton-N Probably the severest test which she has ever undergone was during q trip from San Francisco to Puget Sound. and from Puget Sound te Philadelphia through the Panama canal She completed this trip in s23 days from San Francisco to PhiIadel- phia. as against 6e days required for the famous cruise of the Oregon from the West Coast to fhe EastviaI the Straits Of Magellan, when she reach- ed the Caribbean in time to. partici- pate in the battle of Santiago de Cuba. This trip of the Jupiter con- vinced the experts of our navy that electric propulsion must hereafter hold high position in the selection of the form of drive Of vessels for our navy.
 The California isAthe logical out come of the Departments expert ments on the Jupiter. She will be the first battleshiup of any navy in the world to be propelled by electricity. Prophecy is always risky, but: it is hardly too much to say that the in sta1Iation of the electric drive upon the California ushers in new epoch in navigation just as far-reaching and important as that in which steam succeeded sai1-power.
 Due to the installation of the cleo tr1e drive, the California will have a cruising radius about 50 per cent. greater than her sister ships at cruis- ang speed. The combination of the electric drive and oil fuel will enable her, at 10 knots speed-the speed al- ways calculated by the navy's ex- perts for endurance-to steam for nine days longer than a. coal burning dreadnouglt, and during that time she can cruise more than 2,150 miles farther. This contem plates her us4 Ing normal bunker supply, but with her emergency bun1xers filled. she can steam an additional $500 miles farther. In other words, the Cali fnrI1ia 1zfII he a1h1a fr efear nearly