Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-12
THE NEW VESSEL.
Largest Ever Built I'm an American
Yard.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, November 12-The
St Louis Is chiefly remarkable, in that she
is the first modern merchant-marine struc-
ture of anything approaching her dimen-
sions, built in the United States. She will
also be the pioneer in what promises to be-
come in time a spirited contest between the
present English-built ocean greyhounds and
those which will be turned out from Ameri
can ship yards. When completed, she will
take her place among the vessels owned by
the International Navigation Company,
which include the Paris, New York and st.
Paul. the latter being in process of con-
struction in the yards of the Cramp COM
pany.
The work of constructing the st. Louis
was begun by the builders on July 81 1898,
Just fifteen months and the same number Of
days prior to the launching, which took
place today. More than 1900 tons of steel
have already been worked into the mann
moth steamer, which, when completed, will
exceed in length and tonnage both the New
York and Paris. and equal to that of the
other great transatlantic liners.
Her length over all is 5j4 feet inches;
length between perpendiculars, 80 feet
inches; extreme breadth, Is feet; depth,
moulded, AZ feet; number of decks nve;
depth of water bottom, feet; number of
principal water tight compartments, Il: dis
lance of collision bulkneads, abaft OF stem,
S3 feet.
After the vessel has been towed back to
the docks, the work of putting in her en-
gines will begin. THESE are of the quadruple
expansion type, ana are expected to deyel-
op not less than 10000 horse power. Each
OF the two engines will have four cylinders
of 80, 80, 81, and 100 inches diameter. Tine
piston stroke will be about sixty inches.
The steam to keep the big engines going
will be supplied by battery of six double
ended boilers, each 70 feet long and 10 feet
II 1-2 inches IN diameter.
The steam pressure is expected to be
about 10 pounds to the square inch. The
engines Of the ship, when completed,
will be the largest of the quadruple eXpan-
sion type in the world. The crank shafts,
connecting rods, and steering gear, Will be
made of the finest ingOt steel In order to
come up TO the builders contract with the
owners, these engines VIII have to send the
st. Louis through the water at the rate of
at least 20 knots an hour, under ordinary
seagoing conditions.
The steering apparatus Will be of the
screw gear type with Williamson's steam
and hand steering engine. The hull is of
mild steel of the best quality. The ar
rangcment of bulkheGds and waterproof
compartments is such as to make it prac
tically impossible to sink the vessel. If
in a collision the bulkheads are damaged,
three of the compartments might be COM
pletely flooded and yet the ship remain
perfectly seawOrthy. The same arrange
ment practically insures the ship against
ter to conhne blaze to any one compart-
ment.
Another novel feature in the construction
of the st. Louis is that which has been
introduced for the purpose of avoiding low
tide delays at the haTbOr bars in New YORK
and Liverpool. Her double hull is filled
with water ballast which can be pumped
out IS the vessel nears the end of her
journey, thus decreasing her draught to a
Sufficient extent to enable her to pass over
the bar at almost any tide.
When completed the St Louis will have
accommodations for passengers as follows:
First cabin, 30; second cabin, 300; steer
age,SIO; crew and employees, 100; total 40.
To insure the safety of this multitude the
ship will carry fourteen Chambers coliaps-
1ble life boats, fourteen ordinary life boats,
one cutter, one gig and four metal boats
all on the shade deck. For the comfort of
the passengers there has been supplied i'm
the plans a saloon 10 feet long by 30 feet
wide, which is to be eXquisitely decorated.
over the center of this saloon rises a dome
81 feet long by IL feet wide and % feet
high amidships above the dining room deck
The dining room tables will be set fore
and aft. The normal complement of Of
hcers, sedmen, engine room and fire room
hands and attendants viii be about as fol-
lows: Captain, L; officers, g; seamen, 4S;
firemen, 10: engineers and machinists, 30;
oilers, %; stewards and cooks, l24; stew
ardeSSCS, 10; chefs dCuisine, 2; mall clerks
=; doctor, i; purSer l; prin<er l; total, 3s1.
The gross register of the st. Louis will
be ll,U'b tons and as she slid into the wa
ter today it was G,lOO tons. She will diff
fer materially in appearance from the Paris
end the New York in that they have
straight instead Of clipper stems, and carry
but two tunnels and two masts. A feature
which will be appreciated by the new ships
patrons will be the promenade deck. which
is designed to extend the entire length of
the vessel without a break.