The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-01-02
PLANS FOR $4,000
TON BATTLESHIP
Naval Otflcor Urges BulIG.ng
Of Enormous Fighting Graft.
WOULD BE 995 FEET LONG

Panama Canal Alone Places Limit on
Size Of Warships We Should Build,
Says Commander Moffet - Would
Carry Huge Guns and Be Very Steady
at Sea.
No subject to be taken up by the next
congress, with the exception of the tar
III, will be watched with greater inter
est than the attempt of certain patriots
TO lead the United States into building
q behemoth battleship bigger than any
thing dreamed of before.
At the last session of congress Sen
7ntOr B. X. pillman introduced resolu-
Y tioil to the effect that the committee OH
naval affairs be instructed to investi-
gate just how big a man-of-war could
be built
Senator Tillman had inserted in the
senate documents the plan for a colos-
sal ship as made up by Commander
Moffet of the United States navy.
Commander W. A. Moffet is in charge
Of the United States Naval Training
academy at Lake Bluff Ill, and it was
at that place that he formulated these
daring aud already famous plans
which have won the support of so
many naval experts and excited such
widespread popular and technical in
terest
Tonnage Steadily Increasing.
Under the bold title Build the Lin
it. his project is outlined in Sea Power
Of recent date. His article says in
part; The history of modern battle
Nip construction shows that its disi
A'acement has steadily increased. Our
krst battleship, represented by the Ore
sgSu, displaced 10000 tons; the next.
the Kentucky class, 1,500; the Maine
class, 12,500; the Georgia class, 1890;
the Connecticut class, 10000, ete,, i'll.
creasing at an average rate of about
1000 tons year.
"We have, since the dreadnaught.
and like all other nations, steadily in
creased the displacement and in the
last few years have actually had the
courage To 20 beyond Great Britain in
displacement, so that we have the
Pennsylvania class. actually larger by
1000 tons than the latest ship of the
British, and it is reported In the news
papers that the general board has even
recommended ships as large as 5000
tons.
''Why not take lesson from history
and frankly decide what we want, what
characteristics battleship should
have, what speed. endurance, battery,
armor, etc. it should have, and then
build 1t regardless of displacement?
Canal Limits Size.
''The limit for us in the size of bat
tAeships is the Panama canal locks. 1t
IL also the limit for any power that
might go to war against us, for none
would sacrifice the advantage of being
able TO send its feet through the canal,
The limit, therefore, of displacement
~ ys21our battleships is within 1000 feet
I'm length and 110 feet in beam, the di-
mensions of the Panama canal locks.
"Our great but seldom mentioned ad-
vantage OF the large ship as compared
with the smaller is practical position
as gun platform. especially at high
speed and in a rough sea. At eighteen
knots in a moderate sea the 10000 ton
ship can hardly fire her turret guns.
and she rolls and pitches to such an
extent that her chances of hitting are
small. The 27,OOO ton ship is under
the same conditions and even at high
er speed comparatively steady, and
her guns can be fred more effectively.
But the 60,000 ton ship will hardly
know she is at sea, and while her ~
00O ton rivals are trying TO get the
range and ire on the roll she will be
as steady as church and as regularly
making salvo hits.
"Tlis. the first real superdread
1 naught. would have approximately the
Afollowing dimensions:
NeAgth over all, feet.................. 30
IAn. feet ......................... lOa
Draft feet ..............,............. d.
Apeed maximum, knots. s................ 1856
Endurance at maximum speed,
hours OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Estimated horsepower ............... .2e,e 900
Total displacement tons... 6o.0Oh
Battery Ten eighteen-inch b. L. H.,
sixteen six-inch r. F. G., anti-air craft
guns, anti-submarine guns, saluting
battery, etc; four submerged torpedo