Bow view of the powerful U.S. battleship “Indiana”

Colored stereograph of the bow of the USS Indiana. Text on the reverse of the stereograph discusses the considerations that must be made when constructing a battleship for “effective aggressive and defensive warfare,” such as guns and armor, coal intake, and missile defense.

Comments and Context

As printed on the reverse of the stereograph, “A battleship is a wonder of design and construction. Every known device is employed, every branch of human knowledge and skill is laid under contribution to achieve perfection in a thousand details. A battleship must be prepared for effective aggressive and defensive warfare, which means that it must carry the most powerful guns and ammunition known, must have good speed, must be able to travel a considerable distance without recoaling, and, above all, must be protected from serious damage by the enemy’s missiles. The task of those who plan a new battleship is, therefore, a very complicated and difficult one. The enormous weight of the armor, of the guns and the coal that must be carried, cause a large displacement, which again necessitates powerful engines to drive the ship through the water, and the running of the engines requires vast quantities of coal. Add to this the necessity of comfortable quarters for the officers and men, large rooms for storing provisions and the paramount requirement of ample room for handling the guns, and you have an idea how much ingenuity it takes to plan and build one of these floating fortresses.”

Collection

Duane G. Jundt Theodore Roosevelt Collection

Creation Date

1905

Creator(s)

Ingersoll, T. W. (Truman Ward), 1862-1922

Language

English

Period

(1905, March-1909, February) U.S. President – 2nd Term

Page Count

2

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Stereograph

Citation