Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-29
UNCLE SANS
new WARSHlP
BIGGEST YET
Lexington Will Surpass Any
Other Naval Vessel in
the World.

Quincy, Mass, June 2s.-The keel
of the worlds biggest warship will be
laid down here within sig months.
The battle cruiser lexington, con1-
bining in a degree unequalled by any
ship Of war now built or building the
qualities Of powerful Armament end
high speed. has taken foksm in draw
lings and awaits the arrl.al OF 'sEa.
TT ria,s, tos-bss advanced froTit' the hA9!tss
Of the architect to those Of the build
}err 4:s
BY fail, it is estimated. the pros
pective queen Of the United States
navy will become a ship under con-
istruction instead of an ambitious plan.
The Lexington is the nameship Of
a class of battle cruisers which will
give Uncle Sam within four years a
fleet of six big-gun fighting ships un-
matched by anything then af1oat. Her
sister ships, the Constellation. Sara
toga. Ranger. Constitution and Unit
ed States, are also under contract.
They bring names out of the old navy
with which to develop for the first
new capital vessels of the postwar
fleet traditional background for
fresh exploits.
With the others of it's class, the
Lexington will be a whale Of a ship.
1t will displace 43,20O tons and will
have the power of 10000 horses, as
measured in mechanical terms. Its
length of STA feet is within 46 feet of
the length of the Leviathan. monster
passenger liner. The 1914 feet of
floating gun platform broader than
any passenger ship.
Electric Driver.
The Lexington, which is to be
equipped with electric drive. will at
tain speed Of 35 knots. This cruis-
er speed, higher than that Of many
destroyers, is the object of much of
the designing that entered into the
creation of the Lexington class. Ar-
Bile the 35 knot speed-the main belt
being only five inches thick at its
maximum as compared with the 12-
inch steel belt on most battleships,
but armament will be of tremendous
power. The Lexington thus will have
not only the strategic advantage of
high speed but, will be able to fire a
than any other battleship for which
the plans are known.
Big Guns.
| The Lexington in action will speak
with a voice of 16-inch guns, OF
which she will have eight. The navies
of Great Britain, France and italy
contain no gun greater than is inches
ana tnat or Japan lnCluOe6 lO-1HCIl
guns only on battleships of "a knots
speed which are now under construc-
tien. Unlike the dreadnought class
reliance on big guns exclusively, the
Lexington will carry is six-inch guns
as secondary armament.
Taking a page from the naval les
sons of the war, the designers Of the
Lexington have equipped the ship
with four anti-air- craft guns. eight
torpedo tubes, four of which are sub
merged and four on deck and With
means of defense against aerial bombs
and aerial torpedoes. Defense against
s1bmarine torpedoes will be obtained
through fore and aft torpedo defense
bulkheads, by which the stability OF
the vessel will be preserved no mat
ter where she is pierced. Under any
conditions but an explosion, II Is
claimed, the Lexington class Of war
ship should prove unsuitable.
An indication of the Lexington's
greatness is afforded by comparison
with British warship Hood, which
when 1t is. floated will be the biggest
ship In the British navy and afloat.
Lexington. Hood.
Speed 35 knots. 81 knots
Displacement. 200 tons. 41.2O0 tons
Length. ..... 874 feet. $50 feet
Horsepower 10000. $4,000
Big Guns 8 16-inch. 3 15-inch
Main armor. 5-inch. l2tnch