The herald., 1893-10-27
LAUNCHING OF THE OREGON,
Uncle Sans Largest Battleship
AfiOat.
A Gala Day at the Union Iron
Works of San Francisco.
Daughters of the Wcbfoot State Par
ticipsted In the Floating and
Christening of the Huge
Iron Monster.
By the Associated Press.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26.-Shortly be-
fore the hour of noon today the battle
ship Oregon, the first vessel of her class
constructed on the Pacific coast. was
launched from the ways st the Union
Iron works in the presence of one Of the
greatest crowds of people which ever
assembled there to witness a similar
event. Representatives of the army
and navy, civil officials of the general
government and of the states OF Califor-
mia and Oregon, and large number of
invited guests were present in the
shipysrd, while on every street and on
every hilleide and housetop from which
o view OF the works could be obtained,
thousands of enthusiastic spectators
were gathered. That part of the bay
directly in front of the Union Iron
works was entirely occupied by great
fleet OF steamboats,, tugs and craft of
every description. All were decorated
with bunting and loaded down with
hundreds of people, eager to witness the
ceremonies. A number OF small gov
ernment vessels were among those lying
in the bay, and at the moment when
the last shores were knocked away and
menced to glide down the ways, hun
dreds of sslutes we're fred, bands of
music played national airs and the
thousands of spectators gave cheer after
cheer, and every steam whistle within a
radius of mile of the works joined in
the chorus. The launch was entirely
successful and the new battleship now
lies in the little lagoon in front of the
Union Iron works awaiting her compile
tion which will be pushed as rapidly as
possible.
A temporary platform had been con-
structed around the bow OF the vessel,
and on this were army and navy officers,
representatives of Oregon and California
and other guests specially invited by
the Union Iron works. Previous to the
launch patriotic airs were played by
band from the Mare Island navy yard,
and some short ceremonies were held,
including the delivery OF prayer and
the reading of poem.
1t was within minutes of IL O'Clock
before the last shore was knocked away
by the workmen. Miss E ugenia Shelby,
representing the City of Portland,
touched the electric button which
started the vessel down the ways, and
an instant later Miss Daisy Ainsworth,
native of the state of Oregon, broke
bottle of champagne over the bow and
christened the new battleship. Miss
Ruth Dolph, daughter of Senator Dolph
of Oregon, was to have assisted in the
christening ceremonies, but she was de.
tanned in Washington by sickness.
The vessel created great wave as she
glided into the bay and caused much
commotion among the craft which had
crowded near the point of launching,
but no accident occurred. The enthusi-
asm which broke forth SO the vessel first
touched tho water ooatir.~sd Tong aIIer
she had foated far out from shore.
The Oregon is what is technically
known as a ses-going coast-line battle
ship, and ia the mos. powerful ship in
the United States navy. Her dimen-
sions are as follows: Length over all,
348 feet; load water line, 500 feet;
breadth, 80 feet inches drawht. "a
feet; displacement, 10,29S tons; maxi
mum horse power, 5000. She will have
a maximum speed of 16.2 knots, and
will carry crew of 460 men. The cost,
exclusive of armament, ia s4,00O,000.
The armament consists OF four lS-inch,
eight S-inch, and four 6-inch breech-
loading rifles, also o secondary battery
OF 20 6.pounders and six 1-pounder
ak torpedoes. The 13.inch and 8-inch
gu ns are mounted in the turreta.
The Oregon's armor is very heavy.
There is bolt of steel from three feet
above the load water line to four and
half feet below it, extending 1856 feet
amidships, protecting the engines and
boiers. Above this belt is another, five
inches thick, extending to the main
deck. From the ends of the 1S-inch
belt to the extrelnities of the deck is
protective deck three inches thick, and
another armored deck two and three
quarter inches thick. The turrets for
the 13inch guns are in two parts, the
redoubt is II inches thick, and above
this is an inclined armor OF the came
thickness. The S.inch turrets are eimi-
larly built, with an inclined armor vary
ing from eight and half to Elk inches
in thickness. There is also complete
system of coal protection cellular sub
Divisions and gun shields. Under the
engines and boilers are four bottoms,
and double bottoms elsewhere. The
coal capacity, at the designed draught,
ia 400 tous. but the bunker capacity is