Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-20
NEW FIGHTING SHIP
.STANDSFORLATEST
IN WARSH|P FITNESS
California Is Launched at
Mare Island Yard-Third
of Its Class for Navy.

BY the Associated Press.
VALLEJO, Calf, November 2o.-The
third electrically driven superdread-
taught 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 fight
| ing ship follows the example set in
I the building of the New Mexico anG
Tennessee.
The California is expected to cost
more than $15,000,000 and will carry
| twelve fourteen-inch guns. Besides
being electrically driven, the new war
ship will be electrically operated from
her guns to her participating ma
chine.
Keel Of Companion Ship Laid.
AS the great craft slid into the
water she was cheered by Gov. Ste
phens of California, mis- daughter, Mrs.
Randolph T. Zane. who sponsored the
war vessel, and thousands of specta-
tors. While her berth was still warm
the keel of a great companion super
dreadnought, the Montana, was laid
within it.
DESIGNED by master minds sharpened
by the urge of war, the California rep
Bulked alongside the fretwork of the
ways, where she had been pulled by
tugs after the launching, the great
vessel showed herself to be the en-
battled floating city that she is. All
that has been learned in the war in
regard to the fitting up of dread
n hts has been put in this latest
addition to the American Navy.
Keel Laid in October, 1916.
The CALIFORNIA; keel was laid Oc-
tober is, 1916, but during the war the
men who fabricated her turned their
tools to the knocking together Of other
and smaller warcraft designed to fight
the submarine. For two years not
rivet was driven, but upon the sign
in" of the a-'nistice the great hull again
swarmed, clanked and rang with life
and 1t was heated, beaten and turned
into the mighty craft that was
launched today.
In commission the California will
have a crew of 1;o22 men and IS Off
| GERS. full complement She has a
length over all of 624 feet, a breadth
of 96 feet and depth of 47.2 feet.
Her displacement at her mean draught
| OF sos feet would be $4,000 tons. She
has an estimated speed of 81 knots an
| hour and a normal fuel capacity of
1900 tons.
80 Per Cent Better Protected.
1t Is estimated that she is fully 80
per cent better protected than any
| other vessel in the United States
.Nayy. not excluding the New Mexico
Her great turbines of $4,000 horse.
power are the principal unit of the
iCalifornia's electric system. The guns
will be fired by electricity. Her venti-
lation, steering. supplying of power 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 something in excess
of S15.0O0,000, a saving in fuel is OK
pected quickly to Offset this cost. Her
hull alone cost S7,SO0,000.
Armament Of high Rank.
/ In armament the California will
rank high. Besides her twelve 14-incf
i guns, she will carry four submerged
torpedo tubes, twenty-five Pinch
rapidfire guns, four 6-pounders. two
1-pounders, four 3-inch anti-aircraft
guns. one S-inch landing gun and two
3O-caliber machine guns. She will be
a fitting example of the last word
in battleship designing and fitting and
will be the first ship of her class to be
turned out in Pacific coast shipyard
4 The award for the California was
made at the same time the TENNESSEE
was contracted for. The Tennessee
built In an eastern shipyard, was tc
be sister ship of the California, but
she was launched before many Of the
improvements going into the Califor.
mia were reduced to the efficiency tina
they hold today.