Weekly journal-miner., 1915-05-12
NEW BATTLESHIP ALMOST
 READY TO TAKE DIP


 With her graceful bow reared proud ly above the heavy timbers and scaf folds which surround her upon every side, the giant dreadnaught Arizona in the Brooklyn navy yards, is rapidly nearing that state of com pletion in which she will be launch ed. On June 19 the rattle of the riveting guns which has attended the construction of the battleship for more than a year, will be supplanted by the cheers of thousands, and as Miss Esther Ross of Prescott, Ari' zona, shatters against the vessels prov a bottle containing some oi the first water that flowed over the Roosevelt irrigation dam in Arizona the latest addition to the American navy will slide from the launching ways and out upon the waters of the East Rive..
 Although the final arrangements for the christening and launching ot the Arizona have not yet been fully completed, it is certain that the oc- casion will rival if not eclipse any similar event in the history of the American navy. President Wilson will attend the launching on June 19, unless important matters of state at present unforeseen, should make it impossible. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels will certainly be present, as will also Governor George w. P. Hunt of Arizona, who, in ac- cordance with custom, selected the sponsor for the vessel, Miss Esther Ross, and all of the officers of the Brooklyn navy yard. Through the office of Secretary Daniels invita- tions will be issued to various mem bers of the presidents cabinet, to Governor Whitman and Mayor Nit chell, to the senators from New York state and from Arizona and to the local congressman of Brooklyn.
 The mechanical operation of launching the Arizona, which when ready to take the water will have a dead weight of 13,000 tons, is by no means a simple or easy task. When the keel of the battleship was laid on March 16, 1914, more than a year ago, the stationary launching ways from which the New York had slip ped into the waters, were left in posi- ton, and the Arizona was built above them. As the various pieces wee fitted together, supporting beams we're braced against the side of the vessel to relieve the blocks under the keel of the gradually increasing bur den and at the present time these upright beams carry the largest DOT -tion of the vessels weight.
 Although some two thousand tons of interior plates must still be fitted to the Arizona before she will be launched, the work of building the cradle" and sliding ways upon which the vessel will pass by gravity over the heavily greased stationary ways into the water, has already begun.
 When launched the Arizona will be completed as to her hull, interior armor and boilers, but full year and half will be required after she h-st takes the water before she can be completely fitted out. When this is done she will be placed in dry dock while her propellers are install cd and fresh coat of paint is ap- piled to her bottom before she for mally begins her career in the ser vice of the country.
 Officially the Arizona is known on ly as Battleship 39, as she has not yet been christened. She is a sister ship to the Pennsylvania, but will differ in the respect that she will burn oil fuel and will be equipped with a different form of propelling machinery. The Arizona's measure ments are: Length over all, COS feet breadth, 97H feet; displacement, 31,' 400 tons; means draft, 2S feet ( inches, and total oil fuel storage ca pacity, 2,322 tons.
 The Arizona will have a speed of al least twenty-one knots and will car ry an armament, including main battery consisting of twelve 14-incf guns and four submerged torpedo tubes; a secondary battery of twenty two 5-inch rapid firing guns, four 5 pound saluting guns, two 1-pound guns for boats, two 3-inch helC pieces and two 3O-caliber machine guns Her total cost when complet cd will be somewhat more than SIS, lOO0,OOO.