Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-06
LAUNCHING OF THE SHIP.
Cruiser No. Floated and Christen
The Olympia.


SAN Francisco, Nov. 5.-Cruiser No.
6 was launched successfully at the
Union Iron works at high tide, at IL rs
this morning. The launching was
effected by an automatic device that
liberated the vessel when a string was
cut. At the same time bottle of cham
pagne was broken over the cruiser
prov as Miss Bella Dickie, daughter of
George W. Dickie, manager of the iron
works, christened the great vessel the
Olympia. The weather was fair and the
launching was witnessed bv Is, 600 per-
sons, large mum ber of these, including
many civic, naval and military officials,
being invited guests. Among the latter
were Admiral Brown, Admiral Irwin,
Captain johnson and Captain Reiter.
The vessel is of the protected cruiser
type, exceeding in size any vessel Of
similar type in the United States SER
vice and the majority of her class in
foreign navies. Her length on the water
line is $40 feet; length over all. 344 feet ;
beam, 81 feet mean draught, 81 feet 6
inches displacement, $3.50 tons; guar
anteed speed on trial, 20 knots, with a
sustained sea speed OF 10 knots The
cruiser has coal-carrying capacity of
1900 tons. which, at 10 knot rate,
would carry her $4,000 miles without re-
coaling. Her displacement has beer
increased to introduce new protective
features, including belt of cellulose
matter. which would stop to great ex-
tent the flow of water through any open
ing that might be made in her armor by
a hostile shell. She has three decks, in
Guiding protective deck extending the
whole length of the vessel.
The Olympia has double bottom and
contains $50 water-tight compartments,
the center ones being occupied by pow
erful engines. The turrets and guns are
operated by hydraulic machinery. The
two masts of the cruiser are each fur
nished with two military tops, the lower
ones carrying two rapid-fring guns, and
the upper tops being provided with
Mangin search lights.
The battery of the Olympia consists of
four eight inch breechloading rifles, 10
fve.inch rapid firing guns and six tor
pedo tubes. Eighteen-inch Whitehead
torpedoes are used.
The outer armor of the vessel consists
of steel plates to thickness of from 3
to So inches, the barbettes having a
BuICkutes VI Il lhCIlC5 anu blc IeNOlNlUS
turret of inches.
The cruiser will carry 800 men. She
was constructed under the appropria-
ton approved by Congress September 7,
1888, and will cost, when completed, in
the neighborhood of $1,S00,000. Her
hull was built under the superin-
tendence of Naval Constructor A. w.
Stahl, U. s. N, and the engine and
boilers under the uperintendence OF
Chief Engineer &. f. Kutz, U. S. N.
The contract for the construction of the
vessel was awarded June 10, 1890.
The GROVE of people that attended the
launching exceeded any which has been
seen in that part of the city in which
the Union iron works are located since
the coast defense vessel Monterey was
launched at the time of President Har-
rison's visit here in August,
1891. Several hours before it
was time for the cruiser
to slip off the ways people began to
travel towards the scene, and the reefs
leading to the ship yard was filled with
long lines of crowded street cars and
carriages, and hundreds of pedestrians
A great number of special invitations
had been issued, and there were prob
ably 1000 people in the ship yard alone,
in addition to the many more who oc
cnpied commanding positions on all the
streets and hillsides in the vicinity of
the works, as we'll as on the small
steamers and tugs in the bay. A plat
form decorated with the national colors
was built around the bow of the cruiser,
and on this were the representatives of
the navy and army, and the band of Ad
miral Browns temporary flagship, the
Thetis.
The ceremonies were very brief.
After short prayer had been offered
the last blocks which held the cradle in
position were knocked away, and as the
hull began to move slowly down the
ways, bottle of wine was broken over
the bow and the band played national
air. Great ehouts and hurrahs from the
crowds of people and noise from 100 or
more steam whistles commenced as
soon as the cruiser made the first move
ment and continued until after she
made plunge in the water and foated
easily, less than two lengths from shore.
Pronounced Hopeless, Yet Saved.
From long letter written by Mrs. Ada E.
Burd of Groton S. D., we quote: "Mas taken
with bad cold, which settled on my lungs
Cough set in and finally terminated in con-
SUMPTION Four doctors gave me up, saying l
could live but u short time. gave myself up
to my Saviour, determined If could not stay
with my friends on earth would meet my alb
sent ones above My husband was advised to
tion, Coughs and Colds. l gave it a trial, took
in all eight bottles. has cured me, and
thank God am now well and hearty wo-
man" Trial bottles free at e. Heln7eman,s