The San Francisco call., 1898-01-21
An Interesting and Pretty Cere- nOny at the Cramps
 Shipyard.
WITNESSED BY DIPLOMATS
Strength of the Big warship That Will Increase the MikadO's Power
 in the Pacific.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 2O.-The un- romantic aspect of Cramps shipyard was changed to-day. when the Japa- nese cruiser Kasagi was launched. True oriental spirit pervaded the event. When the breathless moment came. and the huge ship began to glide down to her first bath, six doves futtered from a basket at the bow, and circling about, scattered flowers on the deck. It was a very pretty piece of mechan- ism and it was not at all incongruous that the chief actor of the allegory should be a charming American girl Miss Helen Long-daughter of the Sec retary of the Navy. Miss Long was merely to have drawn the cord which released the doves and their floral bur dens. but at the supreme moment the cord slipped from her hand, and a workman of the yard instantly caught it and performed the office. This was observed only by those in immediate proximity to the vessel, and the beauty of this unique launch was in no way marred. The Japanese Minister, Toru Hoshi, headed the delegation from the Mikado's court, and apart from those attached to his staff in Washington there were Japanese from New York and Chicago. The American party from the capital was large and nota- ble, including many State officials and their ladies.
 The Kasagi Is the most important ship ever built in the United States for foreign country, and is the first for eign naval craft launched in American waters since the Russian warship Zo- biaOa, in 1878
 The dimensions of the Kasagi are: Length 97412 feet. breadth 4SA feet, depth 90 feet, draught r feet inches displacement at that draught 4900 tons. She is protected cruiser of the second class and like all vessels of her type has no defensive armor, relying on her coal bunkerS, which run POS feet fore and aft of her midship section. to protect her engines, which are entirely below the water line. The motive DOW CT is supplied by two vertical inverted, triple-expansion, four-cylinder engines, driving twin screws and estimated to develop, under forced draft a mean speed of 2212 knots per hour. The boiler rooms contain twelve single ended boilers.
 The batteries of the Kasagi are heav- fer than those on either the United States cruisers Minneapolis or Colum- bia. There are two S-inch rifles on the sides and her armament will, in addi- tion, include four Finch quick firing rifles, a secondary battery of twelve 12- pound quick-firing rifles and six 2-inch Hotchkss guns. There are two steel masts on the Kasagi. These will be provided with fighting tops, in which rapid-firing guns will be placed.
 The contract for the Kasagi was signed with representatives of the Japanese Government December 31 1896. and her building was carefully watched by Commander Katsuro Ma rita, naval attache of the Mikado's legation at Washington.
 Ever since Japan had a navy the custom of liberating doves has been in vogue, and yesterday the release of six doves was intended to symbolize the happy fruition of a great endeavor accomplished through the intercession of white-w winged peace.