The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-08-14
GRACEFULLY SLID
The Commerce Destroyer Minneapolis
Successfully Launched at Phil.
adclphia,
I'm the Presence or Government ON.
cials and q Crowd OF Other
People.
She Is Expected to BE the Speediest
War Vessel In the World-How
She Is Built.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1A-With cere-
monies that were practically q repeti-
ton Of the observances at the launch
ing of the commerce-destroyer Columbia
q year ago, the Minneapolis q sister
ship, was successfully sent from the
ways at the William Cramp g. Sons
company shipyard here shortly after
800 o'clock p. m. On the former oc-
c~asion, q vice president OF the United
States was in attendance in the person
Of Levi p. Morton, and Saturday, Vice
President Stevenson occupied q con-
spicious place on the Launching stand"
The christening was done by Miss Liz
zie M. Washburn. q daughter Of the
Minnesota senator, with the customary
bottle of champagne.
Large crowds are the rule at the
launching of every government vessel
ut Cramps, but the n Saturday,
which numbered fully 90, 900, exceeded
all previous gatherings. This was due
to the fact that it was a half holiday,
and to the bright weather. Every point
of vantage in the shipyard and on adj
joining property was occupied, to say
nothing of the masses who. from all
kinds OF craft, saw the vessel
Take Her Initial Plunge.
The invited guests numbered several
hundred. the majority of whom came
on a special train from Washington,
which the Cramps placed at the dis
posal OF the secretary of the navy.
Prominent among the attendants, be-
side the vice president, and who were
stationed on the stand at the bow of the
ship, We're Secretary OF the Navy Her
bert and daughter Leila, the latter hav-
ing recently christened the battleship
Massachusetts. and Miss Washburn Of
Minneapolis, Senator and Mrs. Stock
bridge, Senator and Mrs. Henderson,
Senator and Mrs. Cockrell. Congress-
man McAleer, Pennsysvania, Chief
Naval Constructor Philip Hichborn,
Congressman Breckenridge of Ken
lucky, Cogswell of Massachusetts,, Liv-
ingston of Georgia, Myer of Louisiana,
Cummings of New York, Boutelle Of
Maine, the members of the house COM
mittee on naval affairs, and others, in
GLIDING a distinguished party from
Minneapolis, who were invited by Sem
ator Washburn.
Banqueted by the Cramps.
After the launch the guests were
~banquetted in the Cramps Office and
late in the afternoon the return trip to
the national capital was made. The
Minneapolis is the 273d ship that the
Cramps have launched and is the 18th
warship OF the new navy, beginning
with the double turreted monitor, Ter
ror, which was launched in 1884, to
have been launched by this firm. The
Minneapolis weighed 1897 tons when
she left the ways, differing slightly
from the Columbia in this respect. She
viii have ~ per cent more boiler ca
pacity than the Columbia, her hawser
pipes will open from the upper deck
instead of from the gun deck
as on the Columbia, and she will have
two smokesracks, whereas her sister
ship has four. In every other particu.
lars the construction of the vessels will
be identical. The contract price Of the
Minneapolis was o., 500, 900. against
81. 705, 200 for the Columbia. Like the
Columbia she will be propelled by triple
screws, both vessels being designed te
outspeed anything afioat.
When the battleship Iowa and the
cruiser Brooklyn shall have been com
pleted. both ships now being on the
ways, the Cramps shipyard will b.
clear of government vessels.