Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-24
A Great Crowd Greets Her
at RedOndO.
The City and Interior Towns
Well Represented.
Pasadena, Pomona and Riverside
Send Large Delegations.
Only a Limited Number Enabled to Make
an Inspection Of the Cruiser-Re-
dondo Crowded as 1t Never
Was Before.

There was something like ~, 900 visitors
at the beach, of whom large number
went aboard the Charleston, and in
spected its big guns and handsome
officers and crew. In the evening there
was gr and reception at the Redondo
hotel, by mine host E. W. Root and
Captain George j. Ainsworth, president
of the Redondo company, in honor of
the arrival of the Charleston.
The magnificent warship Charleston
left San Diego Thursday morning, at 10
O'Clock, and steamed slowly up the
coast, arriving at Redondo Beach at l
O'Clock yesterday morning. At break of
day the campers on the beach, and the
citizens of Redondo, bebeld her long
whire hull, lying quietly on the water,
anchored only half mile from shore,
and directly opposite the end of the
wharf
Early in the morning teams of country
people began to arrive, and they took
immediate possession of the wharf and
the gangway to the tugboats and tena-
ciously held it all day, so that when the
inbound railroad trains began to arrive
and unload their thousands, they had to
take second chances on getting to the
Charleston.
By 8 O'Clock the railroad trains COM
menced to arrive, and every half hour
dyring the day fresh stream OF human
ity poured out from the depots down
toward the pier and scattered along the
beach. The wharf was black with peo-
pie, and on the gangwav side they stood
for ten feet thick, of which the ancient
sardine pack is trite but true simile
The cool pavilions were filled with lunch
devouring folks, while the hitherto sad
sea waves were gladdened by hundreds
of happy, shouting, laughing bathers.
There was plenty to eat and drink at
the hotels, restaurants and fruit stands,
so that nobody went hungry or dry, even
if everybody did not get chance to visit
the Charleston.
The day was one such as the Spanish
Americans designate as "como no."
why not? That is, it was one of South
ern California's regular summer days
clear, sunshiny day, a trifie warm in
the interior, but delightfully."- cool at the
And the people came from every
where, the larger proportion, of course,
from Los Angeles. But Pasadena, Po-
mona and San Bernardino, and even
Santa Monica and San Pedro. rival ports
of Redondo, were represented. River
side sent full train load of her grocers,
accompanied by brass band.
A HERALD reporter was early on the
scene, and essayed in vain to open
gangway through the Sardinians on the
pier, but valuing his life more than sue
cess in their direction. Through the
kindness of R.C. Davis, he stole march
on one of the wharf stringers, and by
stalwart hands was gently lifted to the
tugboat, Pelican. Just then steam
launch arrived from the Charleston.
The officer in command held hasty
consultation with Captain Ainsworth
in regard to the reception on the
Charleston, and finally returned to the
ship with Colonel Ainsworth and left a
disappointed reporter. However, by l
O'Clock everything was ready and the
first tug-boat of visitors steamed away
for the Charleston. A lighter lay along
side guarded by solitary marine and
half dozen neatly dressed sailors in
white uniforms and blue round caps, to
assist passengers up the gangway.
Aboard, the visitors quietly dispersed
in different directions viewing with curl
esity every object Of interest. AT each
pOluUd bdllOT WAS 5tdUlUucu, duU pa
tiently answered the thousand and one
nonsensical questions asked them by
every thoughtless passer-by. Several
parties secured sailor-guide, and made
systematic tour of the vessel from
storeroom to ,maintop, and learned more
about torpedos and big guns than they
ever knew before. Officers and crew
were especially attentive, and the visit
ors were delighted. Other than brief
description. of the ship can not be given
here. As she reposes upon the swelling
bosom of old ocean, with long white
hull, bristling with big guns and Sur
mounted with great stack, she presents
scene of beauty and causes the patri-
otic American to feel proud of the
American navy, as revived by the Cleve-
land administration. The dimensions
of the Charleston are as follows:
Length over all, 800 feet; length on
load line, 800 feet; breadth As feet
draft of water forward, IL feet, 6 inches
aft, 10 feet, 6 inches; displacement to
mean load line, $3.50 tons; indicated
horse epower, natural draft, 5000; forced
draft, 1850; maximum speed in knots,
per hour, 1879; complement of men and
officers, 325.
At a speed of ten knots an hour she
can carry coal TO enable ner TO Steam
7476 knots, and at full speed could steam
2O12 knots. She is supplied with COM
pound, triple-expansion machinery.
Her main battery consists of two
eight-inch breech-loading rifles, mounted
at bow and stern on light barbettes
abouth three feet high. Six six-inch
breech-loading rifles are mounted on the
same deck, three on a side, in projecting
sponsors. The secondary battery con.
sists of four six-pounder, rapid fire,
breech-loading rifles. six Hotchkiss
revolving cannon, and four Gatling guns,
Four above-water torpedo or launching
tubes are fitted. Electric lights, search
lights, steam capstans, steam reversing
gear, ETC., are all provided, with a by.
draulic steering apparatus. Ventilation
OF the living and storage spaces is by
the exhaust system. The horizontal
plating of the protective deck is two
inches thick; the sloping sidei
three inches. This deck extends
from stem to stern. On the p Iti ide are
eleven state rooms. Forward of the
ward room and steerage, separated by q
transverse bulkhead, Is the warrant
officers quarters, paymaster's Office
ordnance workshop, ward room, steer
age and warrant officers closets, and
5c !,