Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1891-12-05

THE NEW 1ORK BEFORE THE LAUNCH.
including the vice president and Mrs.
Morton, Secretary Tracy, Secretary No
BILE, Secretary Rusk, Miss Rusk and
numbers of their friends, besides sena-
tors and congressman.
Among the New Workers present,
headed by Captain Ambrose Snow,
president of the New York board of
trade, were such substantial commercial
and financial pillars as James Talcott,
William Irwin Martin, Judge William
Henry Arnoux, George l.. Pease, Gen.
eral Ferdinand P. Earle, Seth E..
Thomas, G. Waldo Smith, Lloyd |. Sea-
man, William D. Stewart, William
Brookfeld Jordan L. Mott, George l..
Norton, George j. Seabury, John F.
Henry, William H. Wiley, James HI.
Seymour, Aaron Vanderbilt, E. S. A. de
Lima and William Fl. Webb
The President Could Not Attend.
Disappointment was felt when word
was received that President Harrison,
who had hoped to see the launch, would
find it impossible to spare enough time
from his annual message to attend. The
regret caused by this announcement was
leavened some what by the presence of
Mrs. Harrison and other members of the
White House family.
Invitations numbering nearly six
thousand were sent out, but not much
over half that number attended. The
yard was thrown open to the public,
and countless vessels were drawn up in
front of the great warship. The specta-
Gle of the assembled hosts, crowding
into every point of observation, was a
thrilling one An immense pavilion had
been erected, with seating capacity of
1000 persons, from which an excellent
view of the launch was obtained. The
guests of honor assembled on large
platform built around the PROV of the
new warship.
Into the Waters of the Delaware.
Promptly at 2 o'clock 500 workmen
began hammering away at the blocks
from under the New York. When this
was done the steamer rested on two
CREASED logs. The knocking away of a
few wedges was the last act, and the
logs, feeling the tremendous weight
of the ship, slipped from each other
and down into the water glided the
mammoth cruiser. At this interesting
moment Miss Helen Clifford Paige, the
daughter of j. Seaver Paige, of New
York, broke bottle of champagne on
the PROV of the gigantic war vessel, at
the same time saying II christen thee
New York" 1t was exactly 2:41 when
the mammoth war vessel slid into the
water amid the plaudits of the multitude.
After the christening ceremonies the
visiting guests were invited to a grand
banquet given by the Cramps.
Dimensions and Armament.
The dimensions of the new cruiser are:
Length of water line, $50 #. 6.5 in. (;
breadth of beam, GA it.; mean draught,
% fit. 3.5 in; displacement, $3.50 tons;
maximum speed, 20 knots; sustained sea
speed, 1875 knots; complement Officers
and mem, ATS; bunker capacity, 1900
tons; coal endurance total capacity, 49,
600 miles.
Her coal endurance is calculated at
ten knots, and she is to steam twenty
knots an hour. Under natural draught,
and at that speed, and not allowing for
barnacles, she can circumnavigate the
globe.
Her buoyancy and stability are pro-
tected by partial belt of nickel steel
armor, another of water excluding ma
terial and a protective deck. In addi-
ton to this she has three other COM
plete decks and flying deck or bridge,
upon which the boats will be carried.
The armor on the protective deck is of
varying thickness at different parts of
the vessel. 1t extends four feet nine
inches below the water line amidships,
and one foot above it, when the vessel
is at her normal draught. At the center
of the ship this deck slopes and is there
covered with an additional thickness of
three inches.
The New York will carry six eight
inch breech loading rifles, twelve four
inch rapid fire guns, eight six Founders,
four gatlings and six torpedo tubes.
One peculiar feature of the new
cruiser is her great collective horse
power, which is $4,000. This is 5000
more than that of any vessel now in the
navy. There are four separate engines,
each having a power Of 1880 horses.
Two of these work the shaft for the
starboard screw and two that for the
port. 1t is so arranged that these en-
gines can be disconnected and the vessel
allowed to cruise under half power.
The New York will be fitted out as a
flagship and will have every modern
convenience, including artificial ventila-
ton, complete pumping and draining
arrangements and an electric light plant
of 10000 amperes capacity, furnishing
electricity to 700 incandescent lights,
Her cost to the government is nearly
c3 CC0 000