New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-07-21
new BATTlESnp
IS EQUAL TO TWO
Pennsylvania Could Demolish
Vera Cruz From is Miles
Out at Sea.
HAS PICKED CREW OF 800
Navy Men Say She Could Do More
Damage Than Any Other Two
Ships-Burns Oil and Has
Eo%urteen-inch Guns.

Norfolk, VA While the United
States is making active preparations to
get the navy ready for possible service
in Mexico there is unusual activity or
board the battleship Pennsylvania, the
latest and what naval lei say is the
most powerful ship in the American
navy.
This big ship, but recently commits
stoned, has never g any service. Her
big guns have never been fired, and her
hull has only once ventured outside the
Virginia capes, and that when she was
on her speed trial runs.
But she is ready for service, and
navy men say she could do more dam
age than any other two ships in the
navy with her big 14-inch guns. Her
crew, too, Is made up almost entirely
Of men from other ships in the navy.
Unlike most Of Uncle Sans ships, the
Pennsylvania has practically no "rook-
les" or recruits, among her crew of
900 men. They are all trained seamen,
engineers, electricians, machinists and
various other mechanics. Her gun
crew is composed of gunnerS Of long
experience, most Of them coming from
the New Hampshire, the Louisiana and
the Vermont. Tho latter ship Sent II
trained men TO the Pennsylvania.
Vermont, New Hampshire and Lou
isiana have been added to the reserve
fleet, and their crews sent 10 the Penn
~sylvania and various other ships whose
compliments were not complete.
Burns Oil Exclusively.
The Pennsylvania burns oil excln-
sively, and in a single day she took on
board 150,ON gallons, just une-third OF
the quantity she will need when she
goes on a cruise. She can fiji her tanks
in three honrs. and only two men arc
required in the task. On cOaling days
it required nearly half Of the crew
to store the fuel in the bunkers. i
also meant IL 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 sup
ply sufficient to last from ten days to
six weeks.
Navy men say the Pennsylvania
would prove of inestimAbIe service in
case OF wal with any nation. They say
that American ships Of deep draft can
not lay very close to Vera Cruz or
other Mexican ports during a storm.
Tho Mpyican cnact thay GOV 10 rI1rraJ
with what marine mel term "~nOrthers'
"a storm with Il wind velocity often
reaching 100 miles an hour. When
these storms break warships are forced
to GO out to sea to escape danger of
being driven ashore. At Vera Cruz,
when II of these 'nOrthcrs' hits the
coast, all warships go out to sea for
Is miles. Sometimes they are required
to remain there for three or four days.
Her Long-Range Guns.
The Pennsylvania, with her big guns,
would be able to lombard Vera Cruz,
IL 1t became necessary. from 16 miles
at sea. She could remain that far out
and drop shells from her 14-inch guns
right in the heart Of Vera Cruz as cas-
lily as she could at a 1,000-yard range.
The b~attleship Nevada, of the same
type as The Pennsylvania, has been
trying out her big guns off Tangicrs
sound, in Chesapeake bay, exploding
big shells against the sunkcn hulk of
the old hattleship San Marcos, former
ly the Texas, and the ram Katahdin,
both of which were sunk by shell fire
from ships of the Atlantic fleet.