The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-10-13
BUILDING OF navy
OFFERS PROBLEMS
Construction Program will Tax
Government and Private
Ship Yards.
UNCLE SAM TO BUILD PART
Four Dreadnaughts Planned viii Be
Larger Than California and Ten.
nessee, Now Under Con.
struetion.

Uncle Sam has u big problem on his
hands in securing the construction
within reasonable time Of the G3
warshlps included IN the first INSTALL
meat of the three-year naya, building
/ program authorized by congress and
approved by the president. With all
the government navy yards all eady
ovcrtaNed with work, six private ship
building plants are expected 10 com
pete for the contracts for building
these vessels, but how the private
yards are going 10 be able 70 handle
the work IN anything Ike reasonable
time without devoting themselves eX-
thsively 70 government work, is a
problem that has been worrying both
the navy department and the private
shipping interests.
Designs for practically all the ships
authorized by congress have been COM
;,e.gl by the urchl'E-iH Of The navy
t,rcrtment, ana blds fog the construc-
.,aa nf most oS ther, "-ye been asked.
s'Sa.2 vessels inc.aslA four dread
urmlhts, four buH'g cruisers, four
seoat cruisers, 20 trstsOycrs, 30 sub
mar.ncs, an ammunition ship, fuel
ship, hospital shin ana gunb0at.
The fGei ship, hospital ship and gun
boat, respectively, afe 20 he built at
the Boston, Philadelphia and Charles
ton (S. C.) navy yards.
Government Yards Busy
Secretary of the Navy Daniels had
hoped that some of the new dread
naughts might be built in the govern
mcnt navy yards, but the fact that it
was decided last year to build the
California and the Tennessee il the
government yards when bids from Tri-
vate contractors were rejected as too
high, has made this seem improbable.
The California and Tennessee were al
lotted for construction, respectively, 70
the Mare Island and New York navy
yards. As the Tennessee has not even
been started in the New York yard,
owing to the delay in completing the
New Mexico there, and as there was a
long delay in starting the California
on account Of the necessity Of build
ing Il slip at the Mare Island yard, 70
new work can he undertaken ut these
yards now.
The dreadnaughts about TO he con-
tracted for will be known for the pres
ent as EattlcShips, Nos. 10 to As, iEclu-
sive, and will be slightly larger than
their immediate predecessors, the Cal
ifornia and Tennessee.
To Have Twenty.one Knot Speed.
The new dreadnaughts will have the
following chief characteristics: Dis
placement, 32,GC0 tons; speed 21
knots; main battery, eight 1G-inch
guns; secondary battery, IS 5-inch
guns, four 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
complement officers and men, 1,022.
The scout cruisers are designed to
be the largest and fastest vessels of
this class ever laid down for any navy.
Their characteristics will be: Dis
placement, 100 tons; speed, 35 knots
length, 500 feet; beam, 80 feet, arma-
meEt, eight 6-inch guns, four torpedo
tubes, and two 3-inch anti-aircraft
guns complement, $50. A distinct de-
parture for vessels of such powerful
type win be their complete equipment
for carrying launching and operating
the largest hydro-aeroplanes.
The hospital ship will be the first
vessel ever built specially for this
purpose for the United States navy,
those row in use being converted mer-
chant ships. Every feature Of an up
to-date ana complete hospital will be
embodied in the ship, which will have
accommodations for 800 patients. Its
displacement will be $500 tons, length
400 feet, beam 60 feet 1919 inches,
draft 10 feet 6 inches and speed 10 !
knots. Uader the terms Of the Geneva !
convention, which makes hospital ships |
immune from capture or attack, the
vessel will carry no armament, either
for offense or defense.
The gunboat will be of type spe-
cially designed for service in tropical
waters and of light draft for use in
shallow rivers. It's characteristics will |
be: Displacement, 1875 tons; length
241 feet 2 inches; beam, Al feet 21s !
inches; draft, II feet inches; arma-
nent, three 4-inch guns, two 1-pOunder
guns, four 3O-cal5er machine guns,
two 3-inch field guns, two 3.pounder
guns; speed, IL knots; complement,
l49.