Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-21
DUAL LAUNCHING.
Two New War Vessels Added
to Our Naval Force.
Nashville and Wilmington launched,
Saturday, at Newport News
Secretary Herbert and Large Number OF Guests
Present al Banquet.

NtWpDIt NEWss D. w. -A~ch's
600 people witnessed the lnuncing Of the
gunboats Saturday. The Nashville went
off the ways at 9:F o'clock. Miss Emma
Thompson OF Nashville breaking the
bottle Of champagne over IL. The Will
Inington was launched at Il:0s, Miss
Annie b. Gray, daughter Of Senator Gray,
christening 1t.
Their was not the slightest hitch, every
thing going on according to program.
When the Wilmington struck the water,
after going over her $50 feet course on the
stays, her speed was estimated at IL knots
In both instances Secretary Herbert stood
upon one side Of the young ladies christeh-
ing the vessels, and g. H. Orcutt, presl-
dent Of the Newport News Shipbuiidlng
and Dry Docking company. on the other
side After the launch magnificent BAN
qtiet was served The following were the
toats:
"The President" responded to by the
Rev. DR.. Mckay Smith Of Washington;
"Tha Navy" Secretary Herbert; New
port News Ship Building and Dry Dock
company" President G. B. Orcutt; "Fhe
Nashville" Hon. Joseph Washington of
Nashville and "Thc Wilmington, Hon.
Mayor G. II. .Ieffrcys Of Wilmington.
Description OF the Vessels.
The two gunboats launched Saturday
are the first craft designed entirely under
Secretary Herbcrt's administration. They
nre especially intended TO meet the need
for small, easily handled and economical
craft to do police duty in shallow tropical
81 -, 10,
the large cruisers Of work for which they
IRE III fitted Chief Constructor Hichborn
planned TO make them composite, copper
sheathed vessels so that they would not
he Obliged to resort frequently to remote
dry docks, but, owing to the limitations Of
the law, this could not be done and both
the Wilmington and the Nashville are
all-stcel boats
The Nashville is schooner-rigged boat,
and Is interesting because of her peculiar
machinery arrangements. She has twin
screws and two sets of quadruplc cxpan-
sion engines. The cylinders of these are
arranged in fore and aft lines, with the
tow pressures towards the bow. Tho pur-
pose Is to discOnncct these big cylinders
by shaft coupling when the vessel is on
ordinary cruises mailing the engines triple
expansion, and rs thus arranged they can
I've worked with small consumption of coal
mt about eight knots speed. by coupling
the low pressure cylinders with the others
the speed may be run mp to IA knots,
though at the expense Of much more coal
At cruising speeds an economy closely ap
proximatc to that of careful merchant
steamers Is expected A further economy
and simplicity is effected by driving the
main air pump directly from the main
engines, keeping in reserve small indie
pendent pump for use with high speeds.
A curious arrangement Of boilers has
been adopted to meet the needs of the al
tentative quadruple or triple expansion
system There are four tubulous and two
cylindrical boilers With full power and
speed all of the boilers will be used, the
fabulous supplying steam at 80 pounds to
the high pressure cylinders and the shell
boilers supplying steam at 100 pounds to
the first intermediate cylin to meet it.
At crushing speed either set of boilers
may be used alone. The maximum horse
power will be 100 Aside from these novel
machinery arrangements the features of
the Nashville are as follows: Length 220
feet, breadth 80 #. 3 in, displacement 1871
tons, complement $50 men; battery, four
rapid fire 4-iuch rifles on the main deck.
four of the same in arnore1 sponsors on
the gun deck, and number of l-pounder
and Calling guns.
The Wilmington's peculiaritics, are in
the hull. She is only 81 tons larger than
the Nashville, but she is full 30 feet longer
and nearly two feet broader, being go feet
y inches long by 20 feet inch broad.
This Is accounted for by the fact that she
draws only nine feet Of water, being spe-
cially designed for service in the shallow
Asiatie rivers. She has no sail power, but
has one big military mast in the shape of
u conieal steel tower, containing spiral
staircase, and carrying two Calling and
two one-p FOUNDER Hotchkiss guns. The
vessel has twin screws and double rudders,
ensuring quickly turning in narrow chan
nels. and to protect them against fouling
and damage from the banks or drift the
hull is shaped astern into two long tun-
nels This gives u great breadth of hull
astcrn, which affords large berthing
space. augmented by covered deck ex-
tending aft two-thirds of the vessels
length.
Both vessels are fitted with electric
lights, electric fans and refrigerating
plants to make them comfortable when in
the tropics.
The Wilmington has an ordinary ar
rangement Of machinery, six she'll boilers
furnishing steam to the two triple eXpan-
sion engines. driving the vessel mt 10
knots maximum speed. The battery is
substantially like that of the Nashville.