Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-27
OUR NEW OCEAN TERROR.
The Columbia Can Catch ANY of the
Atlantic Greyhounds.

Atlantic Greyhounds
PHILADELPHIA July 21-The new cruiser
"Columbia" was launched yesterday from
Cramps ship yard. As she slid from the
ways Miss Edith Morton, eldest daughter
of Vice President Morton, christened her
with gaily decorated bottle of cham
payne. Upon white satin band around
the bottle is q hand painted picture of the
Columbia. Suspended from the bottle
red, white and blue silk and gold
streamers with the names of Miss Edith
Morton, the vessel, the date and the b uild-
ers stamped thereon in gold. Miss Nor
ton will keep the broken bottle as souve-
mir of the occasion. The christening
party mounted the hag-covered stand at
the bow of the vessel On the christening
platform at $50 o'clock.
Notables Who Were Present.
The party included Secretary of the
Navy Benjamin E. Tracy, Vice President
and Mrs. Morton, and Misses Edith and
Helen Morton. The ladies carried large
bouquets of roses. and II. Cramp. Of The
shipbuilding firm, stood at the side of the
fair christener prompter. There were
several hundred persons from Washing
ton, New York and elsewhere on the plat
form. The cruiser gracefully slid from
the ways and beautifully settled in the
water As the stern struck the river every
and the pandemonium continued for some
minutes. The Columbia's anchor was cast
when the middle of the river was reached.
Will BE . Comm cree Destroyer.
When the contract for the Columbia
was let, in October, 1890, the Cramps
agreed to produce vessel which would
sail around the world without recoaling
in 100 days. The plans called for a ship
400 feet long on the mean load line; dis
speed, sustained p knots, and indicated
horse power, 2O,5OO. The ship to
make - knots on her trial trip. Failing
in this she was % be rejected and made
subject to heavy penalty.
What the Cramps Claim.
The Cramps predict that the Columbia
will excel in all points the requirements
stipulated in the contract; that she will
beat trans Atlantic greyhounds like the
Teutonic, Ma jestic, City of New York and
City of Paris out of sight, and that she
will keep up her twenty-five knots for
twenty-four hours at a stretch Her coal
bunkers are to hold 1000 tons, or much
more than those of any other steamshipin
the world. There are ten boilers.
She Has Three Screws
There are three triple-expansion engines,
each of which works a screw-one on
either side of the taldder and the third just
above it. TIese Screws, under high pres
sure are expected to develop 1913 revolu-
lions per minute. This rate exceeds that
of the City of Paris screw by hirty-eight
re volutions per minute Each of the three
shafts is equipped that one. two or
three screws can he used at Will. The
Columbia is protected in her vital por-
tions by an armored deck four inches
thick on the slopes and two and a half
inches on the fiat.
Armament of the Vessel.
She carries no big guns. Those used
are to be of light caliber and out OF sight.
single s-inch gun is to be utilized asa
bow-chaser. Besides this the Columbia
Is to carry four 6-inch Lreech-loading rifles.
eight 4-inch of the same character, twelve
rapid-firipg 6-pounders, six rapid-firing l
Founders, two machine guns, one field
gun and six torpedo tubes. The 6-inch
guns are to be mount ed on the open deck,
protected by heavy shields attached to
carriages. The armament is intended to
be effective for its rapid-firing features.