Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-04-01
IOWA is LAUNCHED.
Triumph OF Modern Naval Arch
lecture SlidaS Off the
WaVS

Philadelphia, Pa, March 2S.-The
Iowa, the fourth and last of the first
class battleships authorized by Congress
several years ago, was launched at
Cramps shipyard at Kensington today
amid .he enthusiastic cheers of over 90
900 SPECTATORS. Among the guests was
a large party from Washington, headed
by Secretary Of the Navy Herbert while
Gov. Drake headed the Iowa contingent,
which was not as large as had been eX-
pected, the Legislature having declined
to make an appropriation for the dele
cation. The vessel was chriStened by
Miss Mary Lord Drake, daughter Of the
governor, and smoothly took the water
from the ways
It was shortly after 1 o'clock when
the last tie piece holding the monster to
the ways was knocked off and the ire
mendous hull gave a culver. The COM
handing figure of Miss Drake standing
on little raised platform was seen.
Under Henry w. Cramps direction she
rested one shoulder against the hull and
then as it began to glide away she
swung her right arm and smashed the
proverbial bottle square Oh the vessels
nose The bottle she broke contained
champagne and not water from either
the DeS MoineS or the Schuylkiu river
which some Hawkeye state prohibition
lists wanted used. She nervOusly muir
INJURED: Il christen thee Iowa" but no
body heard her, because at that moment
the factories and steamboats, let loose
their whistles and the multitude gave
vent to its frenzied roar of enthusiasm.
And the racket kept up until the Iowa
had gracefully courtesied TO the tribute
in mid-stream, swung around and cast
anchor Everybody on the bow platform
shook hands with everybody else there
and then went into the long mould loft
for luncheon and more Fluctuations.
The Iowa, the keel of which was laid
two and a half years ago, is the fourth
battleship to be owned by the United
States. She has been constructed for sea
purpose, the first three built the 1ndi-
ana, Massa chusetts and Oregon, being
coast battleships. The Iowa is Of 1000
tons greater displacement than her sister
ships and several feet longer and broad
en- The hull is Of steel with a double
bottom and close watertight subdivision
to ten feet above the water line. Her
battery is to consist Of four 12-inch
eight 9-inch and six 4-inch breech-loading
rifles. twenty 26-pounders, four l-pound-
Crs. four Cuttings, and one field gun.
Compared with the Indiana, the Iowa
has greater length, greater beam, in
creased length OF outer line belt and
greater coal endurance and speed to-
Gcther with the ability to work the for
ward 12-inch guns IN almost any condl-
ton Of sea. The magnificent electric
lighting plant, weighing forty-tive tons,
viii afford means to discover the enemy
or guard against the attack of torpedo
boats. She will require Il complement
of nearly 500 men, or greater than that
of any preceding warship Of the new
navy. The Iowa is constructed under
the act of July 10, 1852, which made
provision for one sea-going battleship of
about 5000 displacement, to cost, exclu-
sive of armament and speed premiums,
rot more than 100000. The details
of the construction have been in the
hands of Chief Constructor Wilson and
Engineering Chief Melville, the famous
Arctic explorer.