The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-07-09
COULD DESTROY
VERA CRUZ At
LONG RANGE
New Batteship Pennsylvania is
Most Powerful in the Unit
ed States Navy.

NORFOLK, VAL -Whils
the United States Is making active
preparations to get the navy ready
for possible service in Mexico. there
is unusual activity on board the bat
tleshin Pennsylvania, the latest. and
what naval men say, is the most pow
erful ship in the American navy.
This big ship, but recently COM
missloned, has never seen any serv-
ice. It's big guns have never been
fred and its hull has only once ven
tured outside the Virginia Capes, and
that was when 1t was on Its speed
trial runs. W.T. lrfSa
But 1t is ready for service, and
navy men say it could do more dam
age than any other two ships In the
navy. with its big fourteen-inCh guns.
It's crew, too, is made almost entirely
of men from other ships in the navy.
Unlike most of Uncle Sans ships.
the Pennsylvania has practically no
''rookies," or recruits among its
crew of 900 men. They are all
trained seamen, engineers, electri-
clans, machinists and various other
mechanics. Its gun crew is composed
of gunners Of long experience, most
of them coming from the New Hamp-
shire, the Louisiana and the Yer
mont. The latter ship sent seventy
two trained men to the Pennsylvania.
Vermont, New Hampshire and Lou
isiana have been added to the re-
serve feet and their crews sent to
the Pennsylvania and various other
ships, whose compliments were not
complete.
Burns Oil Exclusively.
The Pennsylvania burns oil exclu-
sively, and in a single day 1t took
on board 10000 gallons, just one
third Of the quantity 1t will need
when 1t goes on cruise. 1t can I'LL
its tanks In three hours, and only two
men are required in the task. On
coaling days it required nearly half
Of the crew to store the fuel In the
bunkers. 1t also meant dirty ship
after the task was completed. With
the use of oil there is no dirt to
clean up after the vessel completes
taking on a fuel supply sufficient to
last from ten days to six weeks.
Navy men say the Pennsylvania
would prove of inestimable service
in case of war with any nation. They
say that American ships of deep
draught cannot lay very close to Vera
Cruz or other Mexican ports during
storm. The Mexican coast, they
say, is cursed with what marine men
term "northers," storm with wind
velocity often reaching 100 miles an
hour. When these storms break war
ships are forced to go out to sea to
escape the danger Of being driven
ashore. At Vera Cruz when one of
these "northers" hit the coast all
warships go out to sea for fifteen
miles. Sometimes they are required
to remain there for three or four
days. fEs.sI.l8
It's Long.R Range Guns.
The Pennsylvania, with its big
guns, would be able to lombard Vera
Cruz, IL it became necessary, from
sixteen miles at sea. 1t could remain
that far out and drop shells from Its
fourteen-inch guns right in the heart
of Vera Cruz as easily as 1t could at
a 1,0OO-yard range.
The battelship Nevada, Of the same
type as the Pennsylvania, has been
trying out its big guns off Tangiers
Sound in Chesapeake Bay, exploding
big shells against the sunken hulk
of the old battleship San Marco, for
merly the Texas, and the ram Katah-
din, both Of which were sunk by the
shell fire from ships Of the Atlantic
feet.