The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-02
BIGGEST war \ !
ship PLANNE|
KEEL FOR LEXINGTON WILL b
LAID AT QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS
WITHIN SIX MONTHS.

Quincy, Mass, May 30v- The Keel
of the worlds biggest warshipy will
be laid down here within ths next
six months. The battle crusisr Lex
ington, combining in degree Unequal
ed by any ship of war now built or
building the qualities of powerful
armament and high speed has taken
form in drawings and awaits the ar
rival Of materials to be advanced from
the hands of the architect to those of
the builder.
BY fall, it is estimatedf the prospec-
tive queen of the United States navy
will become a ship under construction
instead of an ambitious Rfan.
The Lexington is the name of the
ship of a class of battle clusters which
years a fleet of six big gun fighting
ships unmatched by anything then a.
float Her sister ships, the Constella-
ton, Saratoga, Ranger, Constitution
and United States, are also under cor :.
tract They bring names out of the
old navy with which to develop for
the first new capital vessels of the post
war fleet traditional background for
fresh exploits.
With the others of its class, the Lex
ington will be a whale of ship. 1t
will displace 43,20O tons and will aaAye
the power of 10000 horses. ~ ineA
sured in mechanical terms. It's
length of STA feet is within 46 feet OF
the Leviathan, monster PASSENGER
liner. The 1014 feet of width of he
Lexington will make that floating I'm
platform broader than any passeyer
ship.
The Lexington which is to be equed
with electric drive will attain SEQ
of 35 knots. This cruiser speed, ~
er than that of many destroyers, be
object of much of the designing lat
entered into the creation of the lex
ington class Armor will be sac ficed
to make possible the 35 knot tpeed,
the main belt being only five inches
thick at it's maximum as compared
with the IL 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 heavier charge over a.
greater distance than any battleship|
for which the plans are known.
The Lexington in action will speak
with voice of 16 inch guns, of which
she will have eight. The navies CT
Great Britain, France and Italy con-
tain no gun greater than Is inches and
that of Japan includes 16 inch guns
only on battleships of which are now
under construction. Unlike the Ir 'ad-
nought class reliance on big guns ex-
clusively, the Lexington will carry 16
6 inch guns as secondary arment.
Taking a page from the naval les
nns of the war, the designers of re
Lexington have equipped the ship with
four anti-air craft guns. eight torpedo
tubes four of which are submerged
and four on deck and with means of
defense against eraial bombs and
aerial topedoes. Defense against sub
marine torpedoes will be obtained
through fore and aft topedo defense
bullxheads. by which the stability OF
the vessel will be preserved no matter
where she is pierced. Under any con-
ditions but an explosion. it is claimed
the Lexington class of warship should
prove unsuitable.
An indication of the Lexington's
greatness is afforded by comparison
with British warship Hood which
when it is floated will be the biggest
ship in the British navy and afloat.
Lexington Hood
Speed 5.knots 81 knots
Displacement 43,2Oo tons 1920 tons
Length STA it. $50 #
Horsepower 100000 $4,000
Big guns s, 16 inch s, Is inch
Main armor inch IL inch
Drink Refs Special when
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