Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-03-23
THE GARzOG EDINBURsKI.
How they christen ships in Russia


Con the 10Th ult., as the correspon-
dent OF the London Times writes, the
Duke of Edinburgh christened by his
own name fine corvette building for
the Imperial Navy in the yard of the
Baltic Shipbuilding Company The
corvette, which is to make sixteen and
one-half knots an hour, and is to rival
or surpass the Inconstant, is about half
finished, and is built to replace the Alex
ander Nevski lost year or two ago inthe
Cattegat. The corvette was to have been
called after the vessel whose place she
takes, but will now be set down in the
Russian Naval List as the Garzog Edin-
burski. She will carry seven-foot belt
of armor from stem to stern, in two
strakes, the lower FIVE and the upper six
inches in thickness. The hull will
carry wooden sheeting which will
be coppered. The Garzog Edin-
burski is built in great covered
shed, and for the purpose of the chris
tening carpeted platform, approached
by covered way, had been laid down in
her midship section. The christening
of Russian man-of-war is altogether
different from the ceremonial of Eng
lsh dock yards. No bottle of wine is
broken against the bows, but metal
plate, engraved with the name of the
vessel and of her sponsor, with the date
and with other particulars Over this, in
the case of an iron vessel, throat plate
Tone must be technicaD is screwed down,
and nothing more is seen of the engraved
tablet till the vessel is broken up. The
Grand Duke Constantine, High Admiral
of the Russian navy, the Grand Duke
Alexis, Admiral Krabbe, General Trep-
off, the American Minister, many naval
officers, and a few ladies were present
at this naval christening. The DHke
of Edinburgh and the High Ad-
miral stepped down to sort of hatch
way in the center of the carpeted
floor to where the keel of the Garzog
Edinburski was laid bare. A young
naval officer handed the engraved
tablet on a silver salver to the Duke,
who placed it in the recess cut for 1t in
the iron, after having first spread the
recess with red lead. This was handed
to the Duke in a curious tureen of nau-
tical design, which has been the baptis-
| mai IO0J OF tut huSoldu army olhNC VI
days of Catherine the Great. The Grand
Duke Constantine, so soon as the tablet
was placed, said in loud voice words
eo eouivalent to Success to the Garzog
| Edinburski, and the band began to play
the Russian hymn. The sheet of iron
which was to cover the keel and its
tablet was on hinges, and was held up
at one side by red.shirted shipwrights,
who lowered their gear at the signal
till the plate lay fiat in Its
place above the keel A red
bot rivet was brought and fitted
and a silver hammer handed to the
Grand Duke Constantine, who struck
three blows on the soft iron of the bolt
which was further aattened by the Duke
of Edinburgh, the Great Duke Alexis
Admiral Krabbe, Admiral Popof, and
other distinguished persons. In order
that the Garzog Edinburski might moi
want godmother, Lady Emma Osborne
was called upon, and did her office with
the silver hammer in three remarkably
womaniy blows. Plans and sections
were then inspected, and silver copies o.
the hidden tablet distributed to distin
guished personages, who made prom
enade round the corvette along staircase:
and platforms laid down among the iron
beams and plates of its half finished
| hui" F"