The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-30
$4,000 SEE GREAT
SHIP TENNESSEE
SLIDE DOWN WAYS

NEW YORK, April 5o.-More han
5000 persons crowded into the New
York navy yard today to witness the
launching Of the most powerful battle
ship ever built in the history Of the
world, the United States superdread-
nought Tennessee. a So 00-ton mon
ster, which will cost SIS. 600, 600 whCn
completed. The ceremonies took place
at 9:45 am, as at that time occurred
the only tide in the course Of a month
capable Of floating the craft.
The sponsor, Miss Helen Roberts, l6-
year-old daughter of Gov. A. II, Rob
ents, Of Tennessee, n dry state, ac-
| quiesced in the time-honored naval Gus
tom Of breaking a bottle Of champagne
over the bow as the vessel slid down
the ways. Miss Roberts was attended
by l3 maids Of honor. Gov. Roberts and
his staff and many distinguished citt-
Gems Of Tennessee. together with high
officials of the navy occupied the re-
served section at the vessels bow.
The keel of the giant fighter, which
is the fifth to be named Tennessee in
American history, was laid May IA,
1917, and she is expected to be com
pleted early in 1920. She Is a sister
ship OF the California, now under con-
struction at the Mare Island navy yard.
A peculiar feature Of both the Tennes-
see and the California is that during
the war the original plans were changed
/ frequently III OIutr lndt lle les fr
learned in actual warfare might be IN
Corporated, Each ship is said to en-
body the latest ideas in battleship pro-
lection and efficiency.
The Tennessee is GA feet over all In
length and her extreme breadth to the
outside OF armor is 81 feet, 3A inches,
Her draft Is 80 feet G inches, She will
have a speed Of 81 knots an hour, and
her eight water tube boilers will de-
velop 10000 horsepower, Her fuel oil
capacity under normal conditions will
be 1900 tons.
The armament will consist of u IA
inch guns. Il 5-inCh guns, four g.
Founders, four antiairCraft guns and
two torpedo tubes, The range OF her
guns is from Il to 10 miles. The Ten
nessee will be manned by IS officers
and 1924 men. She will burn oil exclu-
i, sively and will be equipped with electric
drive.
, Gov. Roberts said on his arrival here
yesterday with Miss Roberts, her IL
! maids Of honor and his military staff,
U that he had suggested to the navy de-
! partment that wine be not used In
v christening the Tennessee. When he
l was informed that all arrangements Tor
Y the ceremony had been made he with
drew his objection.
Y Miss Roberts had planned to rave If
4 maids Of honor for the christening, hut
! she declined to regard it as an evil
omen that only 10 were able to come
y to New York.
Thirteen is President wilson's lucky
Y number" she asserted, "and | believe
i it will be a lucky number for the Ten
Y nessee."
! Navy officers said the launching wa'
J one Of the prettiest In the history O.
the navy. After the Tennessee took tt
Y the water she moved with a wide
sweeping curve until her stern was al
y most under the Williamsburg bridge
Il several hundred yards away from thu
J dry dock. before tugs brought her un'
Il der control. go,
The ceremony which welcomed this
4 leviathan fighter into the Yankee navy
) was simple. After a prayer by capt
Il w. G. Isaac, chaplain Of the navy yaru
Miss Helen Roberts, sponsor, broke {
4 bottle of champagne over the battle
y ships bow. Bands played and tn
spectators cheered and waved rags a.
the national emblem on the tennessee
bow staff stiffened before the breez'
blowing in the harbor.
On a platform constructed at tn
bow end Of the Tennessee's dock stoo'
Tennessee's official delegation OF ~
persons, including Coy. Roberts, MIS-
Helen Roberts, his daughter. and
schoolmate, Miss Mildred Weich, 2
Nashville, carrying bouquets of Ameri
can Beauty roses; the governors MN
tary staff of ten officers, inCludln
Mai.-Gen. l.. d. Smith, Franklin l
Roosevelt, acting secretary OF the nav,
l&cai Rdmiral j. H. Glennon, command
ant of the Third navy district Stdi
Senator Andrew j.. Todd, of Tennessee
Capt. A. L.. Snagg, representing IN
British royal navy, and representative
of the Chilean government.