Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-29

A few minutes before 1 o'clock the
hurly-burly OF sounds that had been
arising from beneath the keel Of the YES
sci ceased. Then a period Of comparative
silence and anticipation followed. Mr.
Henry CramD, as ne has done on many
another similar occasion, recited his last
admonitions to Miss Drake as 10 the best
means of shattering the bottle upon the
ship.
"sHE STARTS, SHE MOVES"
Then the peculiar Kissing sound made
by q saw cutting through wood came UP
from near the ground, and In briei
space the "shoe-piece" was cut through,
and the big hull started down toward
the river. As IL began to move, at ia
o'clock, Miss Drake swung the bottle
by its steamers, and. as the glass crashed
against the keel moving above her head,
and the champagne bespattered the side
she exclaimed. Il chrlsten thee, Iowa"
The hull slipped smoothly and gently
into the river. and as II fioated out on an
even keel the big siren whistle Of the
Massachusetts was turned loose, and
made din that was exceedingly effective,
but still more trying on the ear-drums OF
every one in the vicinity. Tugs screeched
and whistled. people cheered, and those on
the christenlng-stan congratulated each
other on the success of the launch.
The men aboard the Iowa let so two
boW-anchors when the momentum she
had received in the passage down the
ways had died away, and brought her up,
head down the stream.
After the launch a luncheon was served
in the mould-loft. At this luncheon
poem. by Major 5. H. VI. Byers, of Iowa,
was presented TO the Messrs. Cramp.
1t was entitled, "The Launching Of the
Iowa There was no speech-making, as
the crowd in the room where the lunch
was served was so great that this for
mallty had to be abandoned.
After the luncheon the Washington
party returned to the capital In their spe-
cial tr''~
WI iowa is larger than the In
diana. Beg armor and armament will
both be lighter than those Of the latter
vessel. Despite this, whom completed.
the Iowa will be the most formidable
fghting-machine afoat, from her all
round capacity as an effective ship OF
war.
After the authorization OF the building
OF the ship. the Bureau Of Construction
OF the Navy Department prepared the
plans and specifications of the vessel,
was awarded to the Cramp Company, on
February IL, 1898, and until she was
launched to-day she was known officially
as "sea-going battleship No. l."
THE SHIPS DIMENSIONS
The dimensions OF the ship are: Length
on the load-water line. 800 feet; extreme
breadth. u feet, 21-2 inches; moulded
depth, 80 feet. 1853 inches; mean draft,
q feet; displacement on normal draft,
1890 tons. and with full coal supply,
about 1880 tons.
The motive machinery Of the Iowa con-
slsts OF two verticai-iuverted. three-cylin-
der, tripie-expansion engines, actuating
twin screws. and is 10 develop 1l,OC0 col
leetive horsepower at III revolutions OF
the screws. The guaranteed speed is
sixteen knots under the usual four-hour
trial conditions, with a premium OF
$4,000 for each quarter knot in excess OF
speed above the contract guaranty.
The armor protection OF the ship con-
sists OF a water-line belt of Harvey.zed
nickel-steeI. fourteen inches thick on
twelve inches OF wood backing extending
over a length OK 1SG feet a.aidships, and
seven feet, four inches wide. taperins
below the water-lne TO six inches thick
at the lower edge The ends OF this
belt are joined by athwart-shlps belts OF
12-inch Haryeyized nlckel-steel, worked
dagonally from each side to a segment
Of a circle In the centre corresponding
with the radius OF the superimposed re-
doubts or barbettes At each end OF the
arnored citadel rises barbette Of i5-inch
Harveyized armor, the after-barbette be-
ing feet, inches high, and the for
ward one i6 feet high. These barbettes
support the main revolving turrets and
protect the turning and loading gear.
The main turrets are arn.ored with Il
inch plates, and have an inside height
Of 10 feet, inches. from the tops or the
gun-supports TO the under side OF the
covering plates.
Above the water-line belt Is worked for
100 feet OF the length amidships a case
ment OF finch armor, with diagonal ends
Joining the main barbettes on either side
and forming an upper citidel, from each
or the four corners OF which rises
barbette of S-inch armor. surmounted by
a revolving turret 8 IL inches thick. The
armored coming tower is 7i-2 inches
thick, feet inside diameter, and feet.
inches high IN the clear.
The main battery OF the Iowa consists
OF four l2-inch breech-loadiEg rifles,
mounted In pairs, in the two main tur-
rets: eight s-inch breech-ioading rifles,
mounted In pairs. In the four turrets at
the corners OF the easement; six 4-lnch
breech-loadlng rifles mounted In spon-
sons. or with shields. and twenty-five
rapid-fire and machine guns. The axis
OF the forward pair of Pinch and all OF
the S-inch guns Is twenty-six feet, and
OF the after-palr OF 12-inch guns eighteen
feet above the load-water line. 50 that.
with the stability due to her great beam.
she can fight her whole battery in any
weather.