Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-11-05
SHE TOOK WATER.

SHE TOOK WATER.
Launch of the Two-Thousand Ton Steel
Cruiser Detroit at Baltimore, Md.-De-
scription of the Vessel and Her Mates in
Course of Construction-Practic an
Unsuitable Ship.
BALTIMORE, Md, Oct. 2e.-The steel
cruiser Detroit, the largest vessel ever
constructed in a Baltimore shipyard,
was launched from the Colum bian iron
works at $40 o'clock yesterday after.
noon. She slid into the water grace
fully and without hitch.
The vessel presented a beautiful APP
pearance lying on the ways, gaily be-
decked with bunting. From her bow
flew the union jack, and at the stern
the American colors were proudly un-
furled to the bre exc. A rope was
stretched 90 feet above the deck from
bow to stern and the colors making up
the international code of signals were
floating from it, reaching the entire
length of the rope.
At the bow of Uncle Sans new YES
sci a stand was erected for the use of
the little sponsor, Florence N. Master,
the 4-year-old.daughter Of the president
of the Columbian iron works, and her
attendants. The sides of the stand
were hid from view by the flags of vari-
Gus nations, gracefully draped.
Until the last minute it was expected
that Secretary Tracy of the navy and
other heads of departments would ar
rive from Washington to witness the
launch. They did not, however, put in
an appearance. There was a great
crowd present nevertheless, who
cheered the handsome vessel as she
left the ways.
The Detroit is one of three sister
ships of 2,0O0-tons each, for which bids
We're accepted in November, 1889. 1t
is point of interest that this 2,OO0-ton
vessel is almost identical in displace-
ment with the two Gillian cruisers
Presidente Errazuriz and Presidente
Pinto, built in France, of which so
much has lately been heard. The
CHILEAN craft are, however, rather
longer and narrower, having length
of 26S feet and breadth of 35l feet,
whereas the Detroit and her mates are
257 feet on the load water line and have
an extreme beam of 81, with a mean
normal draught of Az feet. The lat
ter also are only guaranteed to make
seventeen knots an hour, whereas the
CHILEAN vessels are nineteen-knot ships.
The chief interest of scientific peo-
pie is conferred in the outcome of the
speed trials, in which the new cruisers
are expected by the builders to earn
the handsome premium of S150000
Congress limited the cost of each of
L. -
guaranteed speed of seventeen knots.
Certain allowances will, however, per-
NIT the contractor to receive an addi-
tional $3.50, 900 on each vessel if nine
teen knots should be made.
A failure to reach sixteen knots re-
jects the vessel. The Detroit and No.
9, which will be LAUGHED in a few
weeks, are what are termed twin
screws coal-protected cruisers. Both
have a watertight deck extending the
entire length of the vessel. They have
an extra long forecastle and poop deck.
under the ends of which are spaces al
lotted for working the broadside
guns and torpedo apparatus. The
Detroit has what is termed an open
gun deck, the poop and forecastle decks
being connected by bridge extending
fore and aft. There is extended
through the principal part of the YES
sci center-line vertical bulkhead,
which not only helps to support the
water-tight deck, but adds great
or backbone to the vessel.
1t also divides the vessel into water
tight compartments.
Especially interesting is the Golfer
dam protection along the entire ma
chinery space, to be filed with cellulose.
The Detroit will be the first vessel in
our navy to carry this water-excluding
belt, whose efficiency has been practi-
cally tried in several navies, and
notably of late in the Danish vessel
Hekla. Cellulose is manufactured from
the fibers of cocoanut husks, and has
the property of absorbing eight times
it's weight of water. The French gov
proved by tests that ships
built with lining of cellulose would
be practically unsuitable. There will
be 500 cubic feet of cellulose in the cof-
fer-dams in the Detroit. Her sister
cruisers, 9 and II will be similarly
fitted