The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-20
LAUNCHING OF THE GUNBoArs.
The Nashville and Wilmington Slide
From the Ways

mington to-day was made the occasion
Of an unusual naval demonstration Ad-
miral Bunce assembled the North Allan
/ tic squadron in Hampton Roads opposite
the ship-yard and Secretary Herbert, with
a distinguished party. coming from Wash
ington by special steamer to participate.
Ashore and afioat profusion of flags and
large crowds of people made a brilliant
spectacle. The event was remarkable as
the first instance on record of two war
ships being launched on the same day
from a single set of ways. The vessels
had been constructed one ahead Of the
other tandem fashion, upon a continu-
Gus incline, the Nashville being the near
est the water, with her bow a few feet
from the Wilmington Both vessels took
I the water stern foremost.
I christen thee Nashville" AS these
WORDS were uttered in a clear musical
voice the gunboat named after the Ten
nessee city started down her ways this
morning a the yard of the Newport News
Shlpbuildtng and Dock Company, where,
at 9;SS clock, the last fiber of the beam
which held the vessel in place was sew
cred by saw. Miss Emma Thompson,
daughter of Joseph H. Thompson of Nash
vile. gracefully east at her bow a beau
uiuliy decorated bottle of champagne As
/ the next instant the sparkling contents of
the bottle were streaming down the sides
or the gunboat. In a few seconds the
stern Of the vessel struck the water and
the waves. As the Nashville plunged into
the river the tumultuous cheering of the
vast tnrong in the ship-yard was drown
ed by the screcching steamboat whistles,
which welcomed the vessel to her natural
element.
After floating out into the river short
Instance the Nashville was tOwed to her
pier by tug and preparations were az
once made for launching the Wilmington
senator Gray's daughter, Miss Anne b.
Gray, stood on the platform at the vessels
DOW ready to perform the pleasant duty
OF sponsor; When the exciting moment
came she broke bottle of wine on the
bow of the gunboat and murmured Ills
Christian name. The vessel sped down
the creased ways as graceful as a swan.
receiving an ovation similar to that ac-
corded TO the Nashville. The voyage or
$40 teet was brief but it was the long
est ever made in this country by yes
SCI on heI launching trip. She was COINS
at a speed of eleven knots an hour when
she struck the water. Her stern settled
ana rose again, while the bow bowed her
Al the banquet which followed the
iaunch' the Rev. Mackay Smith Of Wash
inston responded to the toast THE Pres
| ldent,' and referred to the chief eXecu-
| 1--WE as model of patriotism, a true
husband and kind father. and to Mrs
| CIeEeland as the honored wife Of an hon
! ored American, and woman whom all
Americans adored.
Secretary Herbert in responding TO the
| toast, THE American Navy" reviewed
| the great achievements of its more prom
| lnent persons, paid high tribute to the
y
| Ship Building Company for the good
! work 1t had already turned out toward
! the establishment of the new navy, and
! predicted for the plant a great and pros
| porous future.
President circuit of the Newport News
| Company warmly thanked me secretary
! Tor his kind sentiments, reviewed the
history of the work, and read congrat-
| ulatory telegram received to-day from
| G. +. Huntington, who is now in CallfOr-
mia, in which that gentleman wished we
| guests of the company to understand
| that the Newport News yard in serving
| the government, desired to make sure Of
| turning out efficient work even at the
expense of profits.
Congressman Washington of Tennessee
| delivered an impromptu address in re-
| Spouse to the toast. Nashville" which
| bristled with patriotism and eloquence
and was received as the feature of the
Maj. Jeffries of Wilmington, Del. re-
| sponded feelingly to the toast whining
| ton"
Other brief addresses were made. oc-
| cupying the time until 3 p. m, when the
! guests from Nashville, Wilmington and
! Washington were taken out to the differ
| ent vessels OF the squadron, where they
were royalty entertained by the respective
| officers, and several impromptu dances
were given on the decks of the vessels. At
| Fortress Monroe, where the early evening
| was spent in social intercourse and
/ dancing. At 10 p. m the steamer Newport
| News, with the friends of Secretary Her
| bert and President circuit on board, left
there on the return trip to Washington.
| Secretary Herbert has ordered the
white squadron to sea on Monday next for
| a weeks target practice.
The Nashville is a light-draught, twin
/ screw gunboat designed for the usual
/ duties of cruising naval vessels. In coast
work her moderate draft of water will
enable her to enter many. ports that
most men-of-war are excluded from on
account of their greater draught She is
| 220 feet long on the water line, with 3S
| feet beam. At her normal draft of II
] feet. disbursement
| is schooner rugged, with two smoke pipes
and her total coal bunker capacity is
She is provided with two types of boil
| ers-cylindrical and water-tubular. She
| will be able to cruise without coaling
! for long periods at moderate speed, using
! her cylindrical boilers only, being able
| to rapidly increase her speed to its ex-
IRENE limit by starting fires under her re-
made to secure over IA to Is knots an
| hour, that being sufficient for the dHties
| required of such a vessel.
The engines driving the twin-screws are
of quadruple expansion type, so designed
that the low pressure cylinder can be
disconnected when the vessel is cruising
under ordinary circumstances When
running at full power. the high pressure
cylinders receive steam from the Yarrow
boilers directly while the two cylindrical
boilers supply steam to the receivers be-
tween the high and first intermediate CYL
inders AT moderate speeds the low pres
sure cylinders being disconnected steam
can be supplied to the two triple expan-
sion engines so formed by either of the
batteries of boilers.
The main battery consists of eight four
inch, breech-loading, rapid-fire guns. Four
of these guns are on the upper deck and
two one-pounder rapid-fire guns, and two
Calling guns. There is one fixed torpedo
tube mounted in the bow an6 one search
| light, placed just above the pilot house
forward of the foremost.
The Wilmington has been built for en-
tirely different service. Although in ev-
cry respect a perfectly safe sea-going yes
sci, the Wilmington and her sister ship
the Helena, whose launch will not take
place for several weeks, are designed es-
pecially for river service. II is frequenr-
~ necessary to send gunboats on foreign
stations long distances up rivers to afford
protection to American citizens, such yes
sells of necessity being of light draught
Sometimes the difference of a foot in
draught means the success or failure of
such an expedition.
On the Aasiatic station, the paddle wheel
steamer MonOcacy has for many years
rendered valuable assistance to American
missionaries and other citizens in China.
at times going up Chinese rivers a thou
sand miles from the seas and merely by
her presence preventing riot and danger
to foreigners of every nationality in China
In external appearance the Wilmington
resembles a small batfleshjD ha,-ipo-