The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-10
TIE COLUMBIA. 4.

champagne, galy decorated with q hano-
painted picture of the cruiser aud red,
white and blue silk streamers, upon the
cruisers PROV, and the new mem
bsr of the navy gracefully slid from
the WAYS and beautifully settled
in the water, As the stern struck the river
every whistle in the vicinity began Shrek
ing. and the paudemonium continued for
some minutes. The Columbia's anchor was
cast when the middle Of the river was
reached.
Among the christening party who
mounted the aag.covered stand at the bow
of the vessel were Secretary OF the
Navy Tracy, Vice-President Morton
and Mrs. and Miss Helen Morton.
The ladies carried la-ge bou-
duets Of roses, and 81. Cramp, OF the ship
building firm. stood at the side OF the fair
christener as pronpter. There were also
several hundred persons from Washington
New York and elsewhere on the platform.
While no invitations were issued by the
firm Of William Cramp'& Sons, the yard
was early thrown open to the public and all
were made welcome. From Washington
came small but distinguished party OF
officials, including Commodore Norman Il.
Farouhar, Chief of the Bureau OF Yards
and Docks; Commodore George De-
vey, OF the Bureau Of Equipment;
Commodore Francis s. Ramsay, Bureau OF
Navigation; Commodore William M. Fol-
ger. Bureau of Ordnance; Chief Construc.
tor Theodore D. Wilson, Of the Bureau OF
Construction and Repairs; Paymas5er- zen
erai Edwin Stewart and Captain john A.
Howell President Of the Steel Board.
Fifty thousand people watched the launch
inp from the ward and neighboring docks,
and, in fact, from every vantage point.
The Columbia is named in honor OF the
capital of South Carolina She is Of class
that takes the name of city. In view OF
the near approach Of the Columbus Centen.
piaI. Secretary Tracy thought that the name
might have a double significance.
Description Of the Vessel.
Cruiser No. I2 when completed, will not
only be triumph Of shipbuilding, but will
embody all the essentials OF propulsion,
offensiveness and defensiveness which have
long been recognized as combining the fac
tors necessary to a maximum efficiency IN
naval architecture. She Is termed 't1e
7OOO-ton, three-screw commerce destroyer
in the Congressional Appropriation bill.
She is primarily designed for speed, for
her chief function will be to sweep an
enemy's commerce from the seas. 10 do this
she must be able to overhaul in an ocean
race the swiftest passenger steamships. The
trans Atlantic record being five days, nine
teen hours and five minutes. she must break
it down to five days and fraction OF an
hour. A combination OF perfected ma
chinery such as has never before been de-
signed will accomplish this end.
The cruiser is full Of intricate mechan-
ism and has ten boilers six Of which are
double ended, 15k feet in diameter by ak
feet long. Two others are 11H feet in di-
ameter by 1SA feet long, and the remaining
two, which are single ended, are ten feet IN
diameter by eight feet long.
The boilers are made Of steel and carry a
pressure Of 100 pounds. Eight OF the largest
are built in air and water-tight compart-
ments. into which is forced a draught Of 216-
500 cubic feet of air per minute when run
ming at full speed.
The engines are three in number, co nsist-
ing of vertical, triple.expansion cylinders,
each of which develops 7OOo horse power
and drives a separate screw. Under full
nress,,re. each Of the three screws should
turn at the rate Of 1923 revolutions per min
ute. Ninety revolutions was the ma ximum
NJ Tho City of Paris The cruisers shafts
era made of forged steel 1875 inches In d.
ameter.
The vital portions Of the vessel are nroT
+ooto6 hv an armored deck 4 inches thick
on the slopes and 21S inches on the fat The
o1,n deck will be minutely suodivided oy
coal hnnkers and store rooms. The buukers
not nsed for coal will be filed with patent
substance OF such solidity as to form wall
< feet thick, and having all the advantages
of an inner and supplemental armor.
In the event of an emergency ths paoen6
substance, the nature OF wnlcn IS kepC serteI
co., ha nsed for fuel. Forward and abaft OF
tba coal bunkers the cofferdan will be filled
With water-excluding substance similar 10
woodite.
1nachine guns the ships sides Will oe ar
rnored With four and two inch plating. The
siT-inch guns, which are four in number,
will he mounted on the open deck and pro-
tected by heavy shields attached, as IN the
new ships, to the gun carriages oooo
The coal capacity Of the cruiser Is aovV
tons. At ten knots speed per nour 1ols VIII
give her an endurance OF lO9 Gays, ra1ius
Of action of 26, 240 knots, and sne ~ WIN oe
able to steam around the world IN iu9 uays
without recoaling, thus oreahng all recofaS
for speed, economy and capacl1V; -
The batteries of the cruiser will consist OF
fonr six-iuch breech-loading rifles, twelve
siT-nounders, rapid firing; two machine
p1,ns cne field gun and six torpedo 1uoes.
She will have two signal masts.
The new cruiser is eminently superior 70
onv other war ship in the world. The 6iaKe,
the the finest ship in the British navy, Is the
ne1ss It was Stipulated in the contract with the
crsmns that the vessel, in all its parts,
should be of domestic manufacture.
A sister ship, Cruiser No: l3. is construct
ing b7 the Cramps. Her contracs was
awarded August II, 1891: the Cram PISS pla
being 50, 745 900. less s55 whlce t;os s1ey y
Character, except that No. 1s will carry