Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-03
ANOTHER DESTROYER.
The Most Formidable of Them All Is
Successfully Launched.
SHE is CHRISTENED NEW YORK,
Built to Prey Upon the Commerce Of
Nations at War With Us.
HER DIMENSIONS AND her DESCRIPTION

PHI1ADELPHIA, Dec. 2-This afternoon
the United States armered cruiser New
York was launched from the Cramp ship
building ward. There were fully $4,000
people present, including the Secretaries Of
the Navy, Treasury and Interior Depart
ments. ...
Two platforms had been erected, one
directly beneath the bows of the cruiser
and the other on an adjoining wharf. The
christening party, headed by Mr.. Cramp,
Secretary Tracy and about $50 specially in
vited guests, made their way toward the
stand beneath the bows OF the cruiser. The
other stand was crowded with about 5,0Oo
people, and after those who had cards had
been admitted the gates were thrown open
and about Il, 600 people in all were collected
to see the New York go off
After Secretary Tracy, Miss Page and the
balance of the party had taken their places,
Constructor Lew.- Nixon began to make
preparations .or the launch. The sheering
that held the cruiser in shape was knocked
away. Mr.. Nixon gave warning call to
Miss Page, the great steel hull trembled
from stem to stern, and then began to move
down the tallowy way. Just as the cruiser
started Miss Page struck the gayly rib
boned bottle she held in her hands against
the keel that was slipping by her. close
above her head, and as the wine flowed from
the broken bottle she cried out: "G christen
thee New York;
Distinguished Visitors Present.
After the launch collation. was served
in the mold room of the yard. Secretary
Tracy, before returning to Washington, ex-
pressed himself as greatly pleased at the
success attending the launch. Fully 5000
invitations were sent out but President
Harrison, Secretary Blaine, Secretary Rusk,
Governor Hill, Governor-elect Flower and
Governor Pattison were forced to decline
the invitation to be present owing to the
pressure of business upon them.
Among the guests were Secretary of the
Navy Tracy, Secretary of the Treasury Fos-
ter, Secretary of the Interior Noble, Post
master General Wanamaker. Assistant Sec
retary of the Treasury Gilkinson, United
States Senators Manderson, Frye and Haw-
lev: the Naval Committees of the Senate
and House, headed by their Chairmen, Sen
ator Cameron and Congressman Boutelle;
Admiral and Mrs. John 6. Walker, Lieu
tenant Charles o. Allibcne, Lieutenant and
Mrs Seaton Schroeder, Lieutenant Frank
S. Denny, Chief Engineer of the Navy Mel
Nlllt, SOullDauutE allu MIS- v" 1On,
Naval Constructor Thomas E. Webb and
Captain and Mrs f. Y. McSair; Captain
w. H. Bennett, Commander r. D. Brad
ford, J. Seaver Page, Miss Page, William
Burdett-Coutts, Naval Constructor w. L.
Capp, Andrew Carnegie, Appraiser Cooper,
Commodore John S. Dickerson, Chief En-
gineer A Z. Morley, Colonel Elliott F.
Shepard, Miss Shepard, Chief Engineer
Stevens and Adjutant General Josiah Pot
ter, of Governor Hills staff.
She Is a Commerce DESTROYER.
Although essentially commerce de-
stroyer, the New York will be able to hold
her own with all but the heaviest line of
battle ships and return shot for shot with
hem in action. The new cruiser is the
e pecal pride of Secretary Tracy, and he
Il.ls watched her rise from the ways with an
interest that no other vessel in the navy has
excited in him. She will carry battery of
6 Sinch breech loading rifles, II 4-inch
rapid firing guns, s 6-pounders, Gatlings
and 6 torpedo tubes Two of the S-inch
guns will be mounted in barbette forward on
the upper deck, and two in similar barbette
aft, while the remaining two will he carried
in hroadside amidships on the upper deck.
Following are her principal dimensions:
Length on the water line. $50 feet 65
inches; breadth of beam, Ga feet; mean
draught, % feet 3.5 inches; displacement,
$3.50 tons; maximum speed, 20 knots; sus-
tained sea speed, 1875 knots; complement
officers and men, AS; coal endurance (total
capacity), $4,000 miles She will be 1,5O0
tons heavier than the Maine and ], $50 tons
heavier than the Texas Compared with
English ships of the Agamemnon, Ajax and
War Sprite class, the New York is faster
bv three knots than the swiftest of these
vessels and her radius of action is 5000
miles greater She has the advantage also
in broadside and turret armor, which,
being of nickel steel, will offer greater re-
sistance
Her Armor Is Amply Protective.
She will be twin screw vessel propelled
BY four separate engi aes, each having a
power of 4, 500 horses, The electric light
plant will have capacity of10, 900 amperes
and will include 1000 incandescent lights
In addition there will be four search lights
so inches N diameter, all of which can be
controlled from the bridge and coming
tower On the broadside the New York
will be protected by one partial belt of
armor, another of water excluding material,
and complete protective deck. The pro-
tective deck will be covered with two
courses of plating, having thickness of 3
inches amidships and 2I% inches forward
and aft. Amidships the slopes are covered
with an additional thickness of inches,
and the entire space between this and the
skin of the ship is filled with cellulose to
exclude the water In the wake of the
machinery spaces a belt of thin armor is
worked between the protective and berth
decks. The total thickness of metal on the
sides throughout this space is 5 inches.
In addition to this protection the coal
will be slowed on the armor deck, forming
an additional safeguard against serious dam
age near the water line. The barbettes are
ten inches thick and the conical revolving
shields on the gun seven inches. The slop.
ing armor between the upper and gun decks
beneath the barpettes is five inches and the
ammunition tubes below of the same thick
ness. In addition to the protective deck
the New York will have three other COM
plete decks, a large flying deck. or bridge,
upon which all of her boats will be carried,
and two military masts, which will be fitted
with double fighting tops for machine guns
Having a free board of 20 feet from the
water to the upper deck she will be able to
fight her guns and maintain her speed in
sea way that would render smaller ships
helpless.
WHEN your liver is out of order use DR..