The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-08-15
ELECTRICITY DRIVES
. this DREADNOUGHT
New Mexico May Be First Bat
tIeship Equipped With EIec-
trical Propulsion

Preparedness and progressiv eness
seem to be the expressions of the day,
and right in that line Uncle Sam is
doing at least one thing in his navy
that amply expresses both sentiments,
in building the battleship New Mexico.
This ship, which is to cost $14,92O 900,
is the first battleship in the United
States and, so far as known, the first
In the world to be propelled by cleo
tricity.
Elaborate experiments have been
made by naval engineers with the use
of electricity in propelling ships, the
most interesting being with the Collier
Jupiter which was built some two
years ago and which has been render.
ing a splendid service with the electric
propulsion. II was largely as a result
Of this service that the Navy depart.
ment decided to try out this locomo-
ton in a first class battleship, which
is to be among the very largest in our
navy. The idea for electrical propul:
sion has been developed by w. l.. r.
Emmett, q member of the general con
suIting board of the navy and a well
| known engineer.
In Service BY 1917
! The keel for this new giant Of the
sea was laid in the Brooklyn IN. "
navy yard, where it is being built, on
October IA, 1918, and it is hoped that
the ship will be able to join the At.
lantic squadron in the autumn of 1917
The New Mexico, which is a dupli
cate Of the battleship Mississippi, will
be followed by the Tennessee and Cali
fornia, both equipped with electrical
nro ulsion. At the present time these
are the only three ships that will have
such equipment. 1t is assumed that
fter they have proven their worth
others will be built along the same
| lines.
OF necessity the interior equipment
Of the ship is as modern and up TO dat,
as the exterior. 1t is interesting e
note that the government has elected
10 equip the rooms with the most uI
to date steel furniture. Contract tC
supply this furniture has been let &c
the Art Metal Company, Of jamestown
New York. The Waterhouse Company
Ltd, is the local agent of this firm. II
tnls connection it may be interesting
10 know the reason for the selection oil
steel furniture.
1t is well known fact among nava
officers that most of the casualties hap
pening on board a battleship during &C
zion are from splirters. When thu
ships were ordered to clear for actor
at the battle of Santiago, it is sal,
the sailors were obliged to throw over
desks, etc, on board, until the ba,
was so full of floating furniture that 1
good many stores could have been wei
stocked for the year. Now when
ship is ordered to clear for action Their
will be no such waste of time, nor o
material. The steel furniture does no
splinter and therefore will not have t.
be thrown overheard prior to battle
Oil Burning Boilers
Coming back again to the wonderful
equipment of the New Mexico. Sh
win draw thirty feet of water, the max
imum for warships, and will have
normal displacement of $4,000 tons
Her length over all will be 624 feet. l
is estimated that her speed on trial will
be about 81 knots. The New Mexic
is to be equipped with nine Oil-burnin
boilers.
There will be some 10000 horsepow
err developed by the electrical appara
tus that is being especially built 70
her at one of the largest plants in thi
country.
Regarding her complement of mer
She will carry 1884 officers and mer
of which rs win be Marines She vii
also be equipped with twelve fourteen
inch, so caliber breech loading rifles
twenty-five fve.inch caliber rapid fir
guns; four six-pound saluting guns
and four twenty one inch submerge
torpedo tubes.