Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-25
LAUNCH OF THE HELENA
Ceremony to Take Place ct Newport
News Wednesday.
A GunbOat for River Service-Novel.
ties In the Design-Sister Ship
to the Warrington.


here next Wednesday evening for Newport
News, Va, to witness the launch of the
light-draught gunboat Helena at the yard
of the Newport News Ship Building and Dry
Dock Company on the following day. This
party will include Assistant Secretary Nc
Adoo Of the Navy Department, the two
Senators from the state of Montana, prob
ably all of the representatives of that state
in the lower house, and a number Of promi-
nent naval officers. They will be Joined at
Newport News by the mayor Of Helena and
a party of fourteen ladies and gentlemen
from the state of Montana, acting as a spe-
cial escort Of honor to Miss Agnes Belle
Steele, daughter Of the mayor Of Helena, to
whom has been assigned the distinction Of
christening this latest addition to the navy.
The Helena is one of three gunboats au-
thorized by act of Congress approved March
3. 1898, the two others being the gunboat
Nashville and the gunboat Wilmington, both
OF which We're launched on the 18th of Oc-
tober last. All three were constructed by
the Newport News Company. at an indi-
v.dual contract price of $2S0,00O The
Helena is a sister ship to the wilmington,
and differs materially In general charac-
teristics from the Nashville. The latter is
Eght-draught twn-screw sunboat, de-
signed for the usual duties of cruising naval
vessels. She carries a large amount of coal
and is provided with machinery of the most
economical character, so that she will be
aDie 10 make long sea passages.
Like the Wilmington, the Helena has been
built for an entirely different character of
service from that for which the Nashville is
intended.
Designed for River Service.
Although in every respect perfectly safe
sea-going vessel, the Helena and her sister
ship are both designed especially for river
service. 1t is frequently necessary to send
warships on foreign stations long distances
up rivers in order to render assistance to
American citizens whose lives and property
are IN danger. Vessels for use in such
emergencies must of necessity be of very
HSht draught. Sometimes the difference of
FOOT only in draught will mean the sue
cess or failure of such an expedition.
On the Asiatic station the old 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
Thousand miles from the sea, and by her
mere presence preventing riot and danger
to foreign residents. The principal REQUIRE
ments of a vessel for such service, accord
ins TO distinguished naval officer recently
In emma, are large, roomy, wel-ventilate ed
quarters, III order to harbor refugees whom
she Will undoubtedly be frequently called
upon to assist and also to enable the YES
sci TO carry as large a landing party as
possible from other ships of the SQUADRON
III case of mob attack on American citizens
at any of the many shallow ports on the
Asiatic station.
Naval experts say that these require
ments are fully fulfilled in the case of the
Helena and Wilmington. Each is 80 feet
3 3-4 inches long on the water line, and
2J1 feet 10 inches long over all, with a
maximum beam of 40 feet, and depth
from the fiat keel to the top of beams of
upper deck of p feet inches. The Helena
has displacement OF 1881 tons, with a
mean draught Of 8 feet. She is expected
TO develop a speed of thirteen knots. Her
Ii n
appearance she will resemble a small bat
Tie ship, as she has a large military mast
with two military tops, similar in all re-
spects to the mast on the big battle ship
IOWA. me tops will serve to command the
banks of a river or the houses in any town.
wherever the vessel may be called upon to
act in the interest of the United States A
coming tower on the mast Just below the
hrst military top enables the ship to be
maneuvered at height of forty-five feet
above the water line.
,- The Quarters.
The space available for quarters is very
| large and affords berthing for many addi-
uonal men besides her crew. To facilitate
The landing of large body of men she is
provided with ships boats of an unusual
size, her steam cutter and sailing launch
being each thirty-three feet long, or as
large as those supplied to the heaviest bat
tie ships. The machinery consists of triple
expansion twin screw engines. There are
SIX single-ended return fire-tubular boilers
WORKING at $50 pounds steam pressure The
total coal bunker capacity is about 2SU
| tons.
The main battery consists of eight four
inch breech-loading rapid-fire guns. Four
OF these guns are on the upper deck and the
remainder on the gun deck. The axis of the
upper deck guns is nineteen feet above the
wafer line, and that of the gun deck about
eleven feet, a remarkable height for a YES
| sci OF this size. 1t is expected that they
can be used effectively in the toughest
| weather. The guns on the gun deck are
| protected by armored sponsor plates built
| into the hull of the ship. The guns on the
| upper deck are protected by shields, mount
| ed on the gun carriage itself. There are
| also TOUR six-pounder and one two-pounder
rapid-fire guns and two gatling guns The
slx-pounders on the gun deck are protected
! by armored sponsor plates: All the armor
| is OF nickel Steel There is a searchlieht
placed Just above the pilot house and for
ward of the foremost.
Two Ruddcrs.
In order to provide free flow of water
to the screw propellers. the after body of
the vessel has been largely cut away. and
two rudders are provided, one ahead of the
other, In the middle line Of the vessel
Ihis arrangement, together with heavy
braces, which are fitted just abaft the after
| rudder, makes it possible, without damage
10 the rudders to run the vessel into a
DAAif> oiio act Hef Swing around with
the current. when it becomes necessary 10
turn in narrow channel This popularity
of construction gives the craft a rather
novel appearance, for a warship, but is ex-
pected 10 be OF great assistance in the nayf-
cation of the narrow, winding rivers of the
Chinese empire.
The Newport News Company has become
a formidable competitor in the construction
OF naval vessels. In addition to the three
gunboats already referred to, it has Sc
cured the contract for the construction OF
the two large battle ships Kearsarge and
Kentucky The work on these will tax
the capacity of the shipyard severely, and
If successfully accomplished will demon-
strate that the plant has no superior in the
United States.
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR CEREMONIAL,
The Eminent Grand Masfer tn Ra nj