The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-27
COLUMBIA HER NAME NOW.
spocEssFUI LAUNCH OF THE RACER
OF THE NEW NlTI

Morton, DeuEhter OF the Nsoe-Ffesident-
I.s,d..,s OF the Launch At Cramps Yard
pruApx1pu1A. July Fabricated cruiser
"a IL. christeped Columbia at Cramps ship
Yard to-day By Miss Morton. daughter OF the
Vice President gave an exhibition OF tho
speed she lie supposed to have In her heels as
,he raced down the ways and slid into the
Delaware. by the terms OF tho contract her
builders must produce In her 21-knot vessel.
with possibility Of q 22-knot capacity. Tho
Columbia showed q 25-knot gait on an in
elined plane creased with 1900 pounds OF
tho best tallow. She made for the stream with
about as much haste and with as little cere-
mony as the average street gamin uses when
he hustles out OF his clothes and makes dive
for the water on q sweltering day.
There was no attempt on the part OF the
Cramps to make the occasion one Of cere-
mony as was the case In last December when
the armor,d cruiser New York was launched.
There was the usual launching platform at
tho bow. capable OF holding about 500 per-
sons. and built for the invited guests. 1t was
decorated with bunting. and those who were
on II were shielded from the rays OF the hot
sun by a broad awning. under which tho
breezes from the river blew half summer
gallo. The vessel itself was more profusely
decorated with Gags than any OF the new navy
vet launched by the Cramps. She stood about
throe feot higher at the bow than did the New
York at her launching. giving her sharper
pitch and greater speed down the incline.
Although there was little ceremony. there
were about 6. 100 persons In and about tho ship
yard when the signal was given to saw the
planks loose and knock out the keel blocks.
1t was q great day for American shipbuild-
ing. Although Of somewhat smaller gross tom
mage than tho New York. this vessel Is to
have greater horse power than any ever built
in America 1t Is the only triple-screw vessel
ever built here. and tho only one Of any mag
nitude. with one exception. eyer built In the
The OCCASION meant more than This for Amer
she . will be The s St tbd in the
the Toutouic is at the rate, Of 2o.ss
speed Tor a voyage is 2O.34 knots; The best
average 2O.0l and 2u.O6 knots respectively.
Tnss ri. ysss nGs q TSss s. Sam s
long nicknamed the Pirate. must go at least
81 KNOTS or her huilders must rny q heavy
Cram Us have built thus far for the new navy
they lave gone beyond the requirements and
80 with this. II they succeed in getting, =
knots or more out Of the vessel it means that
she would beat the Teutonic In a race across
the Atlantic 10y from between four to six hours.
IN stern chase. after catchin sight OF tho
feMtonir. she would overhaul her n less than
being chased nothing could catch her.
- AS the Columbia rested on the ways before
the "un,h;nE her prop, kn"sked away. the
at Cramps. with perhaps the exception oithe
rn here Ike es1 % ny
tbs hull was tainted gray color and tho
om hsr boW snd Ten Eeneah the a bow S
apparatus for raising the vessel hy steam in
the wed aa not tbe ss nr
after he igned the new attic ships to te kept
seniority, and who resigned to become the
constructing engineer OF the Cramps. had
sntFe charge OF the iann en- hG h"a fh ri5s
last. and the hot weather since has been II
source o: constant anxiety to him. Yesterday
day from almost aaybreak until after sunset
he has been In and under the great shin.
that s ,aIiow. ' As As" she M ant on the ways she
represented weight "t n aGoIt s1oo IN tens Ea
%.
either side. were $50 stalwart worAmen
armed with big sticks. which thoy were to use
dent meant, the. cforc. not only a large loss of
property nut a 'cs7 OF human lie. and Lieut..
ness oS so lis r"s con ''' ''
c5?wH S to nts ths yard Go
bia.w flIed with spectators. as were favored
snots on the MASSACHUSETTS, and cruiser No;
named. The ,ircas OF the New York were also
fllied. and in the river were several excursion
rowp"ats. and half DOZEN steam launches.
At $40 o'r, 81 Lien. Nixon gave the word to
ten w,rkmcn To drive tle wedges in their first
sounded ike II rattle of n thousand
pie lGv"rs 1t lasted ten minutes. and
ten minutes. Airan.im" IN" christening party
hnd arttv" at ne r4mlnny's 1ilict Mr..
Mort q AMI two", her daughters Miss Morton
York and bad mot the Nicr-l'rcsilcnt and
secte,arr Tiary Of tn" Navy and Gonsres.S;-
road station in this city. They took carriages
TO the shlryarl.-wh"re they were welcomed
+ iT IL r,' S"cs s m S%S+S WY
for I'll" party through tho crowd. they went Mt
once to hi ehr-tnpg Iiati"rn; Mr.: fHTamr
Cramp, the SECRETARY If the company. and ia"
map who has shown lnore y"aing women now
America escorted Miss Norton ana carried
tho riuhnn- nedeckoi hottie "f CHAMPAIGN" I'M
der hs arm uhc ray T%nt a" %"sI to Hs r"s
Cramp CAV" fun directions 10 Miss Norton rs
70 when. how. and where 70 ii il. nut- Nixon
ing .; ih,. vessel. ami soon the sharp hiss Of
abig saws tooth were heard saving AWAY the
plHhk tnat litiu the vessel litnt 10 me ulllRnIb
Ut tho bow There WIS q cry she's of. land
Miss Morton Iust had tim" enough to reach
forward and deal II resvUnding blow to the
craft and say: y" chri-tcn tho Iu!umL ill.," aS
tn" .ow flashed out u react. The usull.grcat
cieri went ~. arco npnnied rs IN" ioViinG OF
whist, AMI the WAVING Of lnuikrrchlrfs.
secrutary Tracy TOOK OF his hat 20 the new
crau. Mrs MortoG's eyes danced with delight.
an Miss Morton Stood as, gih\riy and Ea!f
As nnished as though she had in some way
pushed the boat of herself. and didn't quite
know how II all hnpu.nol
Tn, Columbia made a record sprint down
the ways. In an instant the smoke began 10
rise from ths hot tal4w. The vessel herself
shook hor hrad n little ms though in uoito
protest t. the vigorous and sancy blow that
The stately daughter oi the Vice president had
given her. and then she dashed Oh by tho
time she ronrhed the water and plunged in
she had lorg, item all about il. and u, she
k!lIprd of the ways sh. MAJ, % the most ig.
nilsd bow vi any OF the vessels yet launched
there Indccd 1t was quito a s,iiE bow. and
NOR" mature than one would expect itom Is
drbGtant,. The tide was running swift ut tho
Hood and caught her and tried to run away
with her The anchors wer" dropped, and
several iugboHts started after thu prize. nj.
tloush thor. WAS no salvage t. 10 gained hut
glory in the effort to capture the vessel. In
pail nm hour she was back ut the pier adlOiu-