u
f.
The Omaha Sunday Bed
I I I Ml I
THE OMAHA DEC
Best West
PART III.
HALF-TONE SECTION
PAOE8 1 TO S
i
VOL. XXX VII NO. 6.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 28, 1907.
SINGLE COPY FIVK CENTS.
NEBRASKA GALLANT VESSEL AND ITS FIRST COMMANDER
Sailor Man of Long Experience and Approved Mettle Has Been Selected to Command One of the Finest Battleships that Ever Rode the Waters Under the Stars and Stripes '
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A8TOCKILY-BUILT man above the age of 60, with a strong,
earnest face, Bald it was one of the proudest moments ot
bis life wben ho was assigned to the command of the new
battleship "Nebraska." Earnestness was written all over
his face, and Reginald F. Nicholson, as commander of the
Nebraska, undoubtedly felt what he expressed, when he said: "I
hope that the Nebraska under my command will give a good account
of Itself in whatever position it may be placed." i
Captain R. F. Nicholson, a resident of the District of Columbia,
Hi present second assistant to the chief of the Bureau ot Navigation,
expects to Join the new battleship on August 1, at Seattle, and in
the event of the Atlantic division not going to the Pacific as recently
contemplated by the naval strategy board, he will bring the "Ne
braska" to the Atlantic.
Captain Nicholson entered the Naval academy and was grad
uated in the class of '73. His family is one of sailor men. His
father, Somervllle Nicholson, attained to the rank of commander
when he retired, while his grandfather, Augustus Nicholson, was
quartermaster in the marine corps from South Carolina. There is
probably no man in the navy today who has seen more kinds of naval
service than has Captain Nicholson, and It is doubtful if any man
has had less unemployed service as they call It in the navy since
his graduation in '73 than has "Reggy" Nicholson, he having been
engaged In the duties of his position during all the years since his
graduation with the excor-tion of eight months' unemployed service.
He Is one of the youngest of the battleship commanders, having
Just turned 65, but his splendid record Is an earnest of what may be
expected of the -Intrepid officer who received a battleship command
before he was made a captain, an unusual distinction in the navy. ,
Navigated the Oregon on Its Run
Wben the battleship Oregon made Us famous run around San
FranciBco Captain Nicholson, then a lieutenant commander, was its
navigator Captain Clark, now a rear admiral, was its commander,
but to Nicholson Is the credit-due for having made that tremendous
run which received the applause of 80,000,000 of people during the
Spanish-American war. It was on March 9, 1898, when the Oregon
was sent out of the Bremerton dock on hurry orders to proceed on
the first step of its Journey around the Horn. War had not yet been
declared, but the country was In a high state of tension over the
Maine incident. Within ten days its sailing orders, sealed, were
received and on March 19 the ship turned Its nose out of the Mare
Island navy yard, no one outside of the naval board knowing its des
tination. When the orders were opened and they became known to
the' officers there was excitement on board ship, which was one of
the new battle monsters of the navy. The trip down the west coast
was a- remarkable one and stands today In the naval annals of our
country as one of the most brilliant achievements in our history.
It was the first American war ship ever sent on such a Journey. The
ship passed through the Magellan straits and up the east coast, ar
riving at Jupiter Inlet, Fla., May 22 about sixty-three days after
leaving San Francisco Bnd two days later It Joined the famous
"flying squadron," then off Cuba waiting for orders to strike.
Captain Nicholson has seen all sorts of service. He has seen
fixity on the old Ball-driven vessel, on the modern cruiser, the gun
boat and battleship. He has had service in the hydrographlc de
partment and the Various mechanical bureaus of the navy.
On July 1, 1904, as commander of the new cruiser "Tacoma,
Nicholson started out from San Francisco to Join the. North Atlantic
fleet. On that trip he went around the Horn because of the heavy
lee In the straits and arrived at Norfolk about four months later.
There was no occasion for hurry on that trip and the vessel tra
versed much more water than was necessary to make the direct
Journey, but he was on a hunt for a merchant vessel known as the
"Connemaugb," a British ship that was missing In South Pacific
waters. The search lasted for several weeks, but the ship was never
sighted and to this day no word has ever been heard of either ship
or crew, remaining as It does one of the unsolved mysteries of the
deep. Another mystery Captain Nicholson undertook to solve on
that Journey was the location of a new Island that had been reported
as seen off the southern South American coaBt. Several weeks were
pent In this search, but the Island was not to be found.
Vessels He Has Commanded
Captain Nicholson's first command was that of the "Farragut,"
and afterward the "Tacoma," the "Jamestown," and lastly, the
"Brooklyn." While he was born in North Carolina, much of Cap
tain Nicholson's life has been spent in Washington, D. C, when not
at sea, having been appointed from the District of Columbia to the
academy. His shore and sea duties were equally balanced on
July 1, be having spent eighteen years and seven months at each.
His sea service Includes that of a captain's clerk in the civil war.
He was a mere boy at the time and only 13 years old at the close
of the war. Personally, he Is one of the most charming of men and
Is a universal favorite in naval circles, and the "Nebraska" could not
have had a more sterling captain assigned to its command than Cap
tain Nicholson, who hopes that the crew of the Nebraska may be
largely enlisted from that state, having bad a letter recently from
Lieutenant Commander Slgnor, now on recruiting duty In Omaha,
stating that be was offering inducements to the young men of Ne
braska to Join this splendid battleship of the United States navy a
battleship which, according to the board of inquiry, la the most effl
lcent fighting machine of the day and of Us type.
Congress, la March 1899, appropriated money for three as-
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UEGINALD F. NICHOLSON. TJ. S. t
going coast-line battleshfps carrying the heaviest armor and most 19,000 Indicated horse power, having a stroke of four feet, running,
under conditions of maximum speed, at about 120 revolutions per
minute. The steam necessary to this power will be supplied at a
pressure of 260 pounds per square Inch by twenty-four Niclausse
wnter-tube boilers, placed four ia each of six Independent watertight
compartments.
Armament of the Nebraska
The Nebraska will carr four twelve-inch guns, Torty calibers In
length, mounted by pairs In balanced turrets, one turret being lo
cated forward of the superstructure and the other aft, and each hav
ing a total arc of train of 270 degrees. Of the eight eight-inch guns,
forty-five calibers in length, which will' be carried on this vessel, four
will bo mounted by pairs In turrets, superposed upon the twelve
inch turrets above mentioned and four In two broadside turrets
slightly forward of amidships, the amidshlp turrets having a total
arc of train of 180 degrees. In the Nebraska there will be a broad
side battery on the gun deck of twelve six-inch rapid-fire guns, fifty
calibers in length, mounted six on each side, each with a total arc
of train of 121 degrees. The secondary battery will consist of twelve
many antagonistic qualities essential to a perfect fighting machine jhree-inch fifty-caliber rapid-fire guns, twelve three-pounders, semi
have been compromised and Incorporated in proportion which ex- Rtomotlc; eight one-pounders, heavy automatic; two thirty-caliber
perlence seems to have pointed out as the most desirable and effl- machine guns and six thirty-caliber Colt automatic guns, all mounted
cient. To begin with, these battleships will have a speed of at least in commanding positions and having large area of Are. The Nebraska
nineteen knots, which compares most favorably with any battleshlpa wm also be fitted with submerged torpedo tubes,
nnder construction abroad, as well as with any in the projected stage. The magazine will be specially fitted to enable It to carry, with..
The Nebraska will be propelled at this high speed by twin-screws absolute safety In all climates, the new smokeless powder. Provision
driven by we Coar-cyUader, trlple-expanstoa engines of about wlU be made la the nagaaliMs for the stowage ot at least sixty
powerful armament for vessels of their class, and provided for two
more by the act of June 7, 1900. The Bureau of Construction and
Repair fully carried out the evident purpose of congress, for the de
sign of tho "Nebraska" and class represents five moBt powerful bat
tleships. Of the five vessels appropriated for three were required to be
sheathed and coppered and two without sheathing; Immediately
after being contracted for, however, the Navy department took this
question under consideration and decided to omit all outside sheath
ing and coppering, so that each vessel of the class Is now a counter
part of the other, except for minor modifications Incident to con
struction. The general dimensions and chief characteristics of these
vessels are: ,
Length on load water line 436 feet
Breadth, extreme, at load water line 16 feet 2 V4 in.
Trial displacement, about 14,948 tons
Mean draft at trial displacement, about... 23 feet 9 in.
Greatest draft, full load, about 26 feet
In the 16,000 tons represented in each of these vessels Che
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BATTLESHIP NEBRASKA, UNITKD STATES NAVY.
rounds for each of the twelve-Inch guns. 126 rounds for each of the
eight-Inch guns. 200 rounds for each of the slx-lnrh guns, 300 rounds
for each of the three-Inch guns and a plentiful supply of ammunition
lor tho smaller guns. "
Defensive Qualities Great v
So much for the vessel's offensive qualities. To make its defensive
qualities proportionately great. It will be proided with a complete
waterllne belt of armor, eight feet in with amidships, eleven Inches
thick at the top and eight Inches at tlie bottom, tapering to a unl
form thickness of four Inches at the ends of the vessel. It will also
have a casemate armored belt extending over 245 feet of Us length,
of a uniform thickness of six Inches, rising from the top of thsj
main belt to thcupper or main deck, and Joined at its after end tm
the barbette of the twelve-Inch turret by a six-Inch armored bulk
head, and having at its forward end an armored bulkhead of sis
Inches thickness extending from side to side, thus forming a citadel
or redoubt within which the six-Inch guns will be mounted. Within
this citadel or redoubt, and extending from the forward turret to
the after turret, light armor one and one-half to two and one-halt
Inches In thickness will form subdivisions of the gun enclosures,
thoroughly protecting the guns' crews from flying splinters and frag
ments of bursting shells. The barbettes for the turrets of the twelve
inch guns are to be ten Inches in thickness for that portion outside
of the redoubt or citadel, reduced to seven and one-half Inches la
thickness within. The turrets themselves will be protected by armor
twelve Inches In thickness The .eight-Inch turrets will. In all rases,
whether superposed or Independent, be protected by six inches of
armor, with six and one-half-inch port plates, and their barbettea
will be protected by similar armor. The conning tower and its shield
will be nine inches in thickness, and the armored tube, five Inches
thick, will be of sufficient slr.e to receive all voice pipes, wiring, etc
In addition to the conning tower, there will be, aft, a second tower
known as the signal tower, which will be constructed of five-Inch
armor. From the bottom of the waterllne Hrmor belt there will rise
a curved turtle-backed nickel-steel protective deck one and one-halt
inches thick on the flat and three Inches thick on the sloping sides,
to make assurance doubly sure thnt no projectile of the enemy find
Its way Into the vitals of the ship. As an additional protection to
stability, a coffer dam belt, three feet In thickness and packed to
density of eight pounds to the cubic foot, will bo worked along the
two sides, above the protective deck, for tho entire length of the
vessel.
The material of construction Is the high quality of steel which
has entered Into all the vessels of our navy. The main or upper deck.
In addition to being built of steel, will he the only one upon which
wood is to be laid. The lower decks will all be of steel, covered with;
linoleum. The use of wood in the construction of this vessel will
bTJmited even more strictly than it has been in the later battle'
hips, and all woodwork above the protective dock, except deck
plank, will be flreproofed. Bilge keels and heavy docking keels are
fitted.
Comfort for Officers and Men
It is proposed to make all the vessels of this class flagship, ana)
to do this it is necessary to make provision for the accommodation
(of one flag officer, one commanding officii', one chief of staff, nine
teen wardroom officers, fen Junior officers, eight warrant officers and
772 crew. Including sixty marines, making a grand total of 812. Both
officers and crew will have wash rooms, bathrooms and other sim
ilar conveniences such as will place the comfort and healthfuJne&a
of these vessels very high in the scale.
The applications of electricity on board are very much wider thaa
In the case of any other battleship in existence, with the possible ex
' ceptlon of the Kearsarge and Kentucky. All of the turrets haT
electrical turning gear, and the ammunition hoists, blowers to the
turrets and general ventilation, the general workshop and practically
all of the auxiliaries, outside of the engineers' department and ex
cepting capstan and steering gear, are to be electrically driven. To
provide for the power required for these purposes, there will be
Installed eight engines and dynamos, mounted on combination bed
plates, two having a rated output of 1,260 amperes at 125 volta,
and six with 625 amperes at 125 volts.
In this class of vessels all of the latest approved equipment will
. be provided for accommodation of the officers and crew, the ventila
tion and drainage being of a high standard; the hospital quarters
airy and commodious; the bakery and galleys, with their Issuing
rooms and refrigerating plant, having been worked out with a view
to thorough efficiency; laundry and drying rooms are fitted with the
latest machinery, electrically driven, and the living quarters are
carefully protected by insulation from cold in winter and excessive
beat In summer. Take it all in all, the designs of the Nebraska class
embody the latest developments in naval architecture, and these
vessels will prove most formidable additions to tho fighting strength
of the navy. ,
Silver Service from the State
Within a short time the beautiful silver service bought for the
battleship Nebraska by the state of Nebraska will be presented to
the officers of the ship with elaborate ceremonies, participated la
by Governor Sheldon and his entire staff and other Nebraakans,
Just when this presentation wUl take place has not yet been de
termined, but Governor Sheldon at this time la bending his efforts
to arrange the affairs of state so it will be possible for him to get
away early In the fall. For almost two years the silver service has
been ready for the ship, but the delay In the construction of the
vessel has necessitated tho state keeping it in storage. At this tlxn
the service Is In Omaha at the wholesale house of A. F. Smith,
through whom It was purchased. This gift will draw closer the
hearts of the people of this state to the magnificent vessel which
bears the name of Nebraska, because every man, woman and child
Indirectly contributed toward buying the service. It was not a free
will offering, a subscription taken up among the people, which paid
for the testimonial, but an appropriation by the legislature of funds
which belonged to all the people, therefore all have given.
That Nebraskans are proud of the ship which bears the name
ot their state Is attested not only by the presentation of this silver
service, but when Governor Sheldo- boards the vessel he will be
the third Nebraska governor who has gone to the coast to show the
Interest of the people In this floating fortress. Oovernor 8avage
and Oovernor Mickey, each accompanied by a staff of the state's
representative citizens, have visited the vessel and taken part in the
laying of the keel and its launching. Governor Sheldon and his
staff will see the boat In full commission and doubtless will see the
silver service on the table of the captain and he may put It to use.
Governor Sheldon has not yet officially annnounced that he If
to make the trip, but it Is his wish to do so and he Is tryjng to so
arrange his work that immediately after the state fair, the Journey
will begin. If that date is convenient to the Navy department. It
Is thought that whatever date suits the governor will be satisfac
tory to the department, as the ship Is to remain along the Paclflo
coast.
It was the legislature of 1905 that appropriated the 18.000
to buy the silver service, and at that time, those who recall' the
session, will remember there was quite a difference of opinion re
garding not only the sum to be appropriated, but also the nature of
the testimonial from the state. A large number favored r library,
thinking the sailors aboard would get more use of the library than
from a silver service, which, perhaps, only the officers would see.
The size of the appropriation discussed ranged from $1,000 to $16
000, but finally It was decided that, a silver service of which the
state need never be ashamed could be purchased for $3,000, and
this sum was appropriated. At that time some of the newspapers
(Continued on Page Two.)