The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-07-27
1.-THE PIRArep LAUNCHED.



the Columbia.
PHILADELPHIA, July 27.-The new gov
rnment cruiser Columbia, familiarly
nown as "The Pirate, was launched at
80 yesterday afternoon.
Among those present, besides a number
# naval experts, Senators and Represen-
atives, and agents of foreign govern
nents, were Vice President Morton, Sec
etary Tracy, Assistant Secretary of
State Grinnell, Senator Hiscock Commo-
dore Wilson and Naval Constructors
Bowles and Woodward, Mrs. Morton and
Miss Edith Morton.
The last named young lady performed
in graceful manner the act of christening
the new vessel Columbia"
The cruiser is in many respects a unique
vessel and is the fastest commerce des-
troyer ever launched in the waters, and
for the purpose intended, the most effec-
tive engine of destruction the world ever
saw.
She is 400 feet long, has a speed Of 21
knots, is made entirely of American
material and cost 50, 1885, ,000
Cruiser No 12 when completed, will
not only be a triumph of ship building
but will embody all the essentials of
propulsion, offensiveness and defensive
ness which have long been recognized as
combining the factors necessary to a
maximum efficiency in naval architec-
ture.
She is termed "The 7300-ton, three
screw commerce destroyer" in the Con-
gressional Appropriation bill.
She is primarily designed for speed, for
her chief function will be to sweep an
enemys commerce from the seas. To do
this she must be able to overhaul in an
ocean race the swiftest passenger steam
ships between New York and Queens
town.
The transatlantic record being five
days, nineteen hours and five minutes, she
must break it down to five days and a
fraction of an hour.
A combination of perfected machinery
such as has never before been designed
will accomplish this end.
The cruiser is full of intricate mechan-
ism and has ten boilers, six of which are
double-ended, fifteen and half feet in
diameter by 81 IA feet long. Eight OF
the largest are built in air and water
tight compartments into which is forced
a draught of 216, 800 cubic feet of air per
minute when running at full speed.
The engines are three in number con-
sisting of vertical triple-expansion cylin-
ders each of which develops 1000 horse
power and drives separate screw.
Under full pressure each of the three
screws should turn at the rate of 12S
revolutions per minute. Ninety revolu-
tions was the maximum of the City of
Paris when she broke the record. The
cruisers shafts are made of forged steel
1876 inches in diameter Steel is used
wherever possible, hghtness being the
essential to speed.
The vital portions of the vessel are pro-
tected by an armored deck four inches
thick on the slopes and two and one-half
inches on the fiat. The space between the
deck and the gun deck will be minutely
subdivided by coal bunkers and store
| rooms.
In addition there will be a cofferdam
| five feet wide running next to the ships
side throughout her entire length. The
bunkers not used for coal will be filled
with a patent substance of such solidity al
to form a wall five feet thick and having
all the advantages of an inner and supple
mental armor.
Forward and abaft of the coal bunkers tn,
cofferdam will be filed with water er-exclu
ding substance similar to woodite In ON,
wake of the eight 4-inch and machine gum
the ships sides will be armored with I
and 2 inch plating. The six-inch guns
which are four in number, will be mount
ed on the open deck, and protected by
heavy shields attached as in the new ships
to the gun carriages. The coal capacit,
of the cruiser is 1900 tons. At ten knot
speed per hour this will give her an en-
durance of 100 days, a radius of action o
6,240 knots and she will be able to stean
around the world in 100 days without re
coaling thus breaking all records 70
speed, economy and capacity.