Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-31
DOUBLE LAUNCHING.
Tia Grand Duchess and the Helena
Take The Water.
,oyU BEHAVE HtN'
o,,cr Great nay az Newport News
.,d Another Triumph Tor '"'
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES a''"
Incidents.
incidents.


>.,vpoer NEWS. VA. January %
.e.,..,i,- Another addition TO "C''
s..... r,o, the euuboat Hciona-""o '''e
'''' r..t.., and finest co"s'"lSc
.....orrcr steamer ever consul 49, 49,.
.... ,orn,,v-thc Grand puchesse' o. '''
,,.,. Limo. were launched at 'ne N'"
4 >,,. shu-yarI tms morning III
n .,.. OBJ. an almlI.ng crowd 'na'
H., a.. least co1 The day was an
,... for launching. ANA ass carry
..lo,e hc streets were thronsed
4 ..,f. 81, cagcr expectation OF one
a ~ Che greatest events ever -,
Oh. cy OF Newport News Ihe
,...-. and fashion Of the place tnrneu
ru force. and large parties
& .. o.r,r cities and The surrounding
a ....-y came by rail and boat TO dc
..- fl, M. beautiful and superior pro-
..ts o, the Newport News ship-buli"-
49, and Dry-uocl Company.
r.. GRAND Duchcssc was The first TO
.. i.,ncnoi ANA shortly before the hour
,.. upon for the b.g liner TO leave the
,.,s Miss Nellie S. Eldridge, Of Bos-
for Mass. assembled the platform %.
laror accompanied hy a number Oh
DISTINGUISHED persons. VINO had Deeh 'l-
vHol to bc rr sent ON inns or'"f.'..
,r.a traditional bottle of champagne was
handed to her; and while the "olN
.n.u were removing the supports
.uaitod The exciting moment when 'ne
rIv nuu would move Finally. 'i ''''
lilo last fibre of the planks when li,
vented the vessel from moving was
severed by the saw and inc M"h'.I
..rL stately steamer started OFT
soning descent down the ways o 'ne
noble waters of the James 49,
simultaneously the fair sponsor 49,
tIon the bottle Of champagne ana sIdce-
'uIy dashed it against tAe moNins
.ng. az the sane time eNclailnin5 ll
I-trct musical voice. 'l chIi1teH '"V'
Strand Duchesset
ONE MIGHTY CHEER
tb, sro,ffirr wine trickled down
,,,. eide Of an. vessel tine immense con-
sourso of excited people gave vent TO
one mighty cheer which seemed 10 en-
courage the marin. drDulanle ds S"D
gIdcd slowly gracefully. and, needless
to say. satisfactorily down tne Wen
creased ways and proudly entered the
river. AS she touched the water the
crowd again sent up cheer ai'er eheeI,
tho biz steamers lying 10 az the piers
save am exhibition OF their blowing pow
cre and the little TUGS not 10 DE
outdonc. scrceched and footed a noisy
welcome to the newcomer.
The steamer Heated graceinhY ana
inoy8rtiy oIt into the stream Tor "a snort
distance. and was then towed 10 the
pier hy two of the Chesapeake ana ONO
t-r
one novel feature in connection with
tro launching OF the Grand Duchcsse
was the fact that Mr.. III. Il. Plant.
Uo president of the company that
Owns the ship. withheld the name
.noscn by him from the public until IL
was announced az the chrlslehihe just
as the words oIana buchesSe were
uttered by Miss Eldrdge inc name was I
exposed on polh the poit- ana s'ai uo"l"-
tides by means OF Hl"Se shutters /
nelhs cropped I'" tn' a''lo C'lE /
boards on Whicn We're panied 'le WoiDS /
"nioh lNous''i.u7 oil yves ia" ~ ana
- ,.,.,. ,.,,r, l.r-,-Do.r
N'N '''-
AS soon is tne rant Liner touched lhe
wafer large force Oh men az once
proceeded 10 ihe ways where tne gum
"'al ii,i'N" was s'ppo, yea ana CON-
.4'Nct1 removing the DUCKS mat Helu
H P'aC'' i"V r''7.7 on "oloI
.''h litH pia.s OF '"e lia'ioIii' anu
nl lo.a9 everything was iedlF TOT the
ii,i event or the uouDie itunchihs. MISS
agnes steele oa-shlei OF Mayor ateele,
or iiti-Ha' Mohl' proudly STOOD az
me BOWS or the vessel in ANTICIPATION
OF me peasant task Whch hai been
assigned 10 her Ihe sounds OF knocking
u"'.i inc p'"l clta'l, anu ,ne crowns
wore N"-Nti li expectation ~ inc sIalihB
''" az worn "H tHe OD7 u "'.i1s
n'iiila was h.aI'. al Iu''' lHe Wni'e
'Ii '-'' anu. 90 .re 7aiie 'iihe' MISS
H'''I0 3" W., oi'-l lAe polue OF c.4Al-
i'-"' "i'' '"f".I Do a5ail9t lut DoM'
t'ioNlciN1 u. Dnil. teilihg name lh uls-
'-.t 'oNl.' ne HeleHa bendNrd very
i.' ~, ana look To- me wafer Tor the
.'-l lne ln manner that wen deserved
HIAh'E cA'ei. OF appioFal tnat
".i' accorded hef. INC river craft again
'.' use OF lheir only sounuing-poWers
.'i "lco-AeI me blnDodt I'D NOISY
manner
ENTIRELY or STEEL
The new plant-lJne steamer Is bur
entirely of steel Her dimensions are as
fnIuWsN Length over all 4Of feet. length
between pcrpcrdicul.rs. sso feet breadth
o. beam. ID feet S inches. depth 81 feet 4
ineh.s from top OF deck TO the base line.
,H. hIs a. water bottom extending from
tor stuMns-box lulllhoad TO her collision
aaIhhead. and also numerous water-tight
'iiNhgads. Her three continuous decks
ma dI tho houses Will be Of steel. The
stern ana ruacer frames are of the best
Nsi Steel the wldcr stock being of the
Ha.d compressed steel, manufactured
the Bethlehem lron-Works, Of Penn
''o'''. IAe steering gear consists OF a
,.,..,'. ' '',''.' ~ ,.i",,l ~ '.ieil1leI,