Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-11-22
DREADNAUCHT, RUN BY ELECTRICITY. iS
 LAUNCHED BY ]. 5.
California Is Third Vessel of That Type Owned by the
 Navy.

Vallejo, Cal, Nov. 21.-The third electrically-driven superdreadnaught was added to the United States navy afloat today when the California was launched at the Mare Island navy yard here.
 In the use of electricity as a means of propulsion. the new fighting ship follows the example set in the build ing of the New Mexico and Tennes- see.
 The California is expected to cost more than s15,000,o00 and will carry twelve 14-inch guns. Besides being electrically driven. the new warship will be electrically operated from her guns to her potato -peeling machine.
 As the great craft slid into the water she was cheered by Governor William D. Stephens, of California, his daughter, Mrs Randolph T. Zane, who sponsored the war vessel and thousands of spectators. While her berth was still warm tn. keel of q great companion superdreadnought the Montana, was laid within it.
 Begun in 1916.
 Designed by master minds sharp ened by the urge of war, the Cali fighting fitness. Bulked alongside the fretwork of the ways where she had been pulled by tugs after launching, the great vessel showed herself to be the embattled floating city that she is. All that has been learned in the war in regard to the fitting up of dreadnoughts has been put in this latest addition to the Am erican navy.
 The California's keel was laid in October Is, 1916, but during the war the men who fabricated her turned their tools to the knocking together of other and smaller warcraft design ed to fight the submarine. For two years not rivet was driven but up- on the signing of the armistice the great hull again swarmed, clanked and rang with life and it was heated, beaten and turned into the mighty craft that was launched today.
 In commission, the Californa will have crew of 1922 men and 5S of ficers, full complement. She has a length over all Of 624 feet, breadth of 96 feet and a depth of 47.2 feet. Her displacement at her mean draught of 305 feet would be 32,000 tons. She has an estimated speed of 21 knots an hour and normal fuel capacity of 1 300. tons.
 It is estimated that she is fully thirty per cent better protected than any other vessel in the United States navy, not excluding the New Mexico
 Armament High.
 Her great turbines of 28.000 horse power are the principal unit of the California's electric system. The guns will be fired by enectricity. Her ventilation, steering, supply of pow CT to the drive shaft, laundering, printing, ice-cream freezing, cake making and dishwashing all will be electrically operated. Although this has brought her total cost to some thing in excess of s15,O00,O00, a sav- ing in fuel is expected quickly to offset this cost. Her hull alone cost S7,sOOOOO.
 In armament the California will rank high. Besides her twelve 14- inch guns, she will carry four sub- merged torpedo tubes, 25 two-inch rapid fire guns, four six-pounders, two one-pounders, four three-inch anti-aircraft guns, one three-inch landing gun, and two 30-calibre ma chine guns. She will be fitting ex- ample of the Hast word" in battle ship designing and fitting, and will be the first ship of her class to be turned out in a Pacific Coast ship yard.
 The award for the California was made at the same time the Tennas-