The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-10
THE CRUISER CONCORD'S TRIAL TRIP.
A Dash Down the Ways With the
Usual Shower of Champagne.
Something About the Latest Addi-
ton to the New Navy.
General News from the City by
the Potomac.
rspecial to the Press !

lppCCldi W tAO AiOoosJ
WASHINGTON, March 9.-Tbe launching
of the new United States war vessel Concord
at the Roach yard at Chester. yesterday was
largely attended by members of Congress in
terested in naval affairs. As chairman of
the naval committee, Mr.. Boutelle was one
of the party. The constructors of the Con-
cord asked Miss Boutelle to be the lady to
ehristen the vessel at the launching by
breaking the traditional bottle of wine over
the bow, but the young lady being unable to
60 to Chester was compelled to decline the
invitation.
The christening ceremony was performed
by Miss Minnie Coates, daughter of Mayor
Coates of Chester. and as the war ship
rushed down the ways the time honored
champagne bottle was broken aud Miss
Coates exclaimed:
''In the name of Father Neptune christen
thee Concord"
The new cruiser is named after Concord,
Mass, in honor of the first battlefield of the
revolutionary war.
The Concord was designed and begun un-
der the administration of Secretary Whit
ney. and has been completed under this. The
Concord is a steel, coal protected gunboat of
100 tons displacement. modelled after one
OF the English designs favored by Secretary
Whitney. The Concord is much like the
Yorktown, which is now in commission and
with the squadron of evolution under Ad-
miral Walker in foreign waters. The length
Of the Concord is 23O feet. the extreme length
Of beam is 36 feet, and the mean draught IA.
Unlike the other war vessels that have been
launched recently the Concord slid into the
water with all her machinery put in place.
and will be ready for her trial trips very
soon. Her engines, which are twin screw
OF the triple expansion type. are placed in
separate watertight compartments. The
bunkers are SO arranged around the machin-
cry that the csal will afford some protection
to 1t. The machinery, magazines, and steer
a curving water tight steel deck not quite
half an inch thick. The oval coming tower
Is well protected by steel plates. Watertight
bulkheads divide the vessel into many COM
The yentilating and electric light systems
are OF the best modern sort. Sail power is
furnished to moderate extent.
Under steam power theConcord isexpected
to exceed sixteen knots on four hours con-
secutiYe run with forced draught, and seven.
Is to be half dozen 6-inch breech loading
rifles with suitable secondary batteries.
Within month a sister ship, the Bennipg-
ton, will be launched from the same yard by
the same firm, and both will be ia service by
midsummer. The contract price for each
vessel is $4,000.
3 The yard from which the Concord was
launched is the old Roach yard, but the firm
Is the Quintard Iron Works, or Palmer g. Co.
The work has been divided and sublet on
both the works Tho DalaWara Shiphuiln-
Ing Works has constructed the hulls and the
Quintard Works the engines. The propel-
lers have been manufactured by a firm in
Philadelphia; the iron castings at the Della
mater Works In New York; the Concord's
steel plates by Carnegie, and the Benning-
tons by Spang, both of Pttsburg. The
Midvale Steel Works has made the shafts,
and one or two other well known establish
ments have also been concerned. The same
principle of subletting is carried out by the
Palmer Shipbuilding Company in its contract
for the Maine, the great battle ship now
building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.