Battleship Nebraska is a First-Class Vessel
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SCENE IN TITE GREAT SITED AT THE YARDS OF THE MOHAN SHIPBUILDING COMPANY, SEATTLE, WHEN TUB FIRST rLATES FOll THE NEBRASKA'S
KEEL WERE HOISTED INTO POSITION ON JULY 4, 1902.
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GOVERNORS SAVAGE AND M'BRIDE DRIVING THE FIRST RIVETS IN T1H3
KEEL OF THE BATTLESHIP NEBUA&KA ON JULY 4, IWi.
IIEN the battleship Nebraska
eventually pokes her nose Into the
blue waters at Puget Sound and
J?jri31 heads for tho broad Pacific on her
lC"ft?fJ trial trip, there will have been
added to tho navy of the United States
one of the finest fighting machines afloat.
The Nebraska will be a little more than
a fighting machine, for she is designed on
racing lines, and it will take a right smart
cruiser to get away from her. All I.i ull,
she will be a most formidable antagonist,
no matter from what aspect she is viewed.
Here are the general dimensions and de
tails of the vessel: Displacement, 14,9iS
tons; speed, 19 knots; horsepower, 18,000;
bunker capacity for coal, 1,000 tons; length,
425 feet; beam, 76 feet 2V4 Inches; draught,
23 feet 9 Inches. Her protective armor
will be: Belt, 11 inches; turret, 11 to 10
inches, and C4 to 6 inches; barbette, 10 and
6 Inches; deck, flat, 1-12 Inch; deck, slopa,
S Inches.
The offenslvo power of the ship will bo
something terrible. Her main battery will
comprise four 12-lnch forty-caliber guns,
which means the guns will Im forty feet
long; eight 8-lnch forty-five caliber (thirty
feet long) guns; twelve 6-Inch fifty caliber
(twenty-five feet long) rapid-fire guns. Tho
secondary battery will have twelve 3-lr.ch
rapid-fire guns, six automatic guns and
two machine guns. This makes a total
sixty-six guns that will be mounted on the
Nebraska when it is ready for sea. In ad
dition, the ship Is to be equipped with tw
submerged torpedo tubes. With this arma
ment and the high speed Intended she will
be a most f rmldable foe.
The crew will consist of thirty-seven of
ficers and CCS sailors und marines.
The keel for the Nebraska was laid at
tho yards of the Moran Ship-building com
pany, Seattle, Wash., on July 4, 1902. At
that tin an elnborate ceremony was tib
served. The shipyards were decorated In
the most patriotic manner, and the great
shed under which the battleship was to
be built was made a handsome place for
the ceremony. Governor McBrldo of Wash
ington, acting as host for the occasion,
made Governor Savage of Nebraska and bis
party welcome, snd each governor made
an address. Officers from United States
ships in the harbor took part In the cere
mony, which was concluded by hoisting
the first two great beams of the keel Into
position, while Governors Savage and M
Brido drove home the first rivet. And tbua
the actual work of construction was bo
gun. Some vexatious delays havo occurred
slnco then to retard tho work, but tho
Messrs. Moran havo now invited Governor
Mickey of Nebraska to be present on Fri
day, October 7, to take part in the ct re
monies attendant on the launching of tho
Vessel. Governor Mickey and a party of
Nebraskans will leave Lincoln next week
for Seattle to be present when the great
ship slides down the ways and Into ths
"drink" to enter on her mission.
The Nebraska is one of fifteen first-class
battleships that were projected for the
"newest navy" three years ago, several
of which have already been launched. Six
of these, the Louisiana, Connecticut, Vcr.
mnnt, Kansas, Minnesota and New Hamp
shire, will be larger than tho Nebraska,
having a displacement of 16,000 tons, but
will be slower and have less powerful
engines, having but eighteen knots speed
and engines of 16,500 horse power. In
armor and armament they will exreed any
thing afloat. The Nebraska is a sister
ship with the Virginia, Gforgin, New Jersey
and Rhode Island, and will be tho peer of
anything that floats except tho six men
tioned, and will be speedier than either of
them. The Mississippi and the Idaho will
have 13,000 tons displacement and a speed
of seventeen knots, and the Missouri and
Ohio will be of 12,500 tons with a speed of
eighteen knots. Four, the Washington,
Tennessee, North Carolina and Montana,
will be armored cruisers, with a displace
ment of H,5o0 tons and a speed of twenty
two knots. The next six, the Pennsylvania,
Maryland, West Virginia, South Dakota,
California and Colorado, are armored
cruisers of 13.CM) tons and twenty-two knots
speed. Tho St. Louis, Milwaukee and
Charleston are seml-armorcd cruisers of
9,7u0 tons displacement and twenty-two
knots speed. The Denver, Des Moines,
Chattanooga, Galveston, Tacoma and Cleve
land are protected cruisers of 3,1'nj tons
displacement and sixteen and one-half
knots speed. The. lili niingham, Chester and
Salem are scout cruisers of 3,750 tons and
unstated speed. In addition to these a
great tnany smaller craft are being con
structed for the navy. When all are com.
pleted, Including tho two great vessels
provided for by tho lust congres.", the
United States navy will rank third in ton
nage, only Great Britain and France being
ahead, while in point of eflli b ncy it Will
stand where It has, llrst. When one thinks
that the Japanese navy, of which so much
has been heard lately, cunslsted at the
beginning of the war of seven first-class
and ouu tUiil-claa UaUlcahii-H uud eight
first-class, four second-class and fourteen
third-class raisers, the value of the United;
Slates navy In 1907, with twenty-tlvo first
class and eleven tliird-elas.4 battleships,
fifteen lirst-el.is, three si cond-clanst and
tw nty-ono llilrd-cluta crulaciB, can bu estimated.