The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-10
THE NEW SHIP LAUNCHED
THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHRIS
TENED AT CHESTER.
The Vessel to be Ready for Service by


fully launched at Chester, Pa, yesterday,
A bulletin announcing the launching, which
took place few minutes before l O'Clock,
was received by Agent Anderson and was
posted at the Ocean steamship company's
Office. The Birmingham party which left
here last Tuesday went over to Chester from
New York yesterday morning in special
train and arrived there at noon.
A Chester dispatch to the
MORNING NEWS gives the details of the
launching The visitors were met upon
their arrival at Chester by John B. Roach,
senior member of the great shlp-building
firm of John Roach & Son, who conducted
the party aboard the new steamer, yet rest
ing upon the stocks, ready for launching
INTO THE BLUE DELAWARE.
At IL so O'Clock the mammoth iron hull
glided gracefully into the blue waters OF the
Delaware amidst the cheering of 600 spec
tators. AS she left the ways Miss Pauline
Caldwell, attired in sailor costume, broke
the bottle of wine over the ships bow, and
recited in sweet tones:
go, good ship City of Birmingham,
Proud princess of the sea,
Another bond 'twixt south and north
or trade of amity."
In behalf OF the city Of Birmingham, Mr..
Frank V. Evans, in a short, well chosen
speech, presented the colors Of the new ship.
His speech was highly complimented and
produced uproarious applause. A. r.
tawton, Jr., ESQ, of Savannah, responded
on behalf of the Ocean steamship company
in few eloquent words. At 2 o'clock Mr..
Roach entertained his friends with q
sumptuous banquet at the Hotel Cambridge.
At the banquet General Manager Belknap
announced that about the same hour the
last spike was being driven on the new road
linking Birmingham to Savannah.
GUESTS AT THE LAUNCHING.
The following were among the visitors at
the launching: NJ. S. Belknap, general
manager Of the Central system; Gen. G. M.
Sorrel, general manager Ocean steamship
company; e. f. Denniston Of Philadelphia,
A. r. Lawton, Jr., ESQ.,, of Savannah,
Gen. E. P. Alexander. T. NJ. Cunningham,
secretary and treasurer Ocean steamship
company, w. F. Shellman, traffic manager of
the Central system; J. A. Macdonald Miss
Annie Shellman, Mrs. Shellman, Col. w.
d. Mann of Mann's boudoir car company,
New York; Frederick Eady of New York,
Mr.. Walker, agent of the ocean steamship
company; J. NJ Stettenheim and wife of
New York, Isaac Rice and wife of New
York, Mr.. Blur of New York, DR.. H. M.
Caldwell of Birmingham, Mr.. H. M. Cald-
well of Birmingham, Miss Beatrice Cald
well of Birmingham, Miss Pauline Caldwell
of Birmingham, Mrs. George R. Ward of
Birmingham, w. J. Cameron of Birming-
ham, F. v. Evans of Birmingham, G. J.
Haden of Birmingham, B. Myrick of
Americus, u. B. Harold and wife of
Americus, B. w. Strausberger of the Savan-
nah MORNING NEWS and New Orleans
Times Dew ocrdt, Mrs. Bronnick of New
York, M. J.O'Brien, general superintendent
of the Southern express company, New
York; W. S. Chisholm, vice president of the
Plant railway system.
THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM.
The City of Birmingham was contracted
for last fall by the New England and Sa-
vannah steamship company to meet the
wants and growing business of the COM
pany and to carry Off the traffic offered
by its rail connections. The vessel will be
ready to go on the route by Aug. /, in time
for the fall business, and will run either to
Philadelphia, New York or Boston as may
be required.
The new vessels dimensions are as fol-
lows: Length moulded, 300 feet; length
over all, $50 feet; breadth, AZ feet inches
depth Of hold from base line to sparr deck,
20 feet inches. She has three full decks
and hurricane deck extending from fore
mast aft over the whole ship. and also top
gallant forecastle; the iron bulwarks along
to the hurricane deck. She has three large
cargo ports on each side and two over all
matches. A deck house 20 feet wide by 100
feet In length is erected on the spar deck
which affords accommodation for offices
and all other rooms necessary on a first
class freight steamer. The after part of
the house is used as a package and express
freight room. The captains and deck
officers rooms are on the hurricane deck aft
of the pilot house.
THE VESSELS ENGINES
The ship has two masts, and will be
schooner rugged, carrying all the usual sails.
Her power consists of triple, expansion
engines. The diameter of the high pressure
cylinder is "a inches, of the intermediate 80
inches, and of low pressure 63 inches. The
stroke of the piston is 3 feet inches. Steam
is furnished from four Scotch boilers built
of spang steel. The diameter of the boilers
is 10 feet inches and length ii feet. Each
boiler has two corrugated furnaces with
total grade service of les square feet,
and working pressure Of 160pounds to the
square inch. The propeller wheel is the
Hirsch pattern, Is feet in diameter and Is
feet 6 inches pitch The engines are fur
nished with all the modern improvements,
such as the Sinclair Stuart's patent grease
and grit extractor, L. Katrenstein'S metallic
packing, the st. Johns patent piston pack
ing, etc. The donkey pumps are furnished
by George F. Blake, and the large fire
bilge and wrecking pump by NJ. 7. Davi
son. The vessel is also furnished with
Sickel's latest improved steering engine,
and the latest Improvement in steam
windlass and capstan. The hosting
machinery is similar to that now In use by
the "Chattahoochee," and consists Of two
pairs of elevator engines working from the
lower hold to the main deck, also four
single drum hosting engines working from
hold to spar deck.
TO CARRY PIC IRON.
She has pig iron eleva-
tor Tor carrier) system which will take pig
iron from the lower hold and deliver it ON
the wharf automatically at rate of 35 tons
an hour.
The ships carrying capacity is 1890 tons
dead weight Her cotton carrying capacity
is about 1000 bales. Her mean draught
when loaded Is 1917 feet. and her speed is
III knots an hour. She will cost complete
$30O,000.
The Ocean steamship company is now en-
pertaining plans and studies for still further
additions to the feet to provide ample room
for all local wants as we'll as through BUSH
ness. The next new steamer will
be called the Kansas City, and she will
probably be built In time for next years
business.
To Drive the Last Spike.