The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-07

successfully Launched-A Vessel Far
Superior to Any Now I'm our Navy
Description Of the Monster

900 intently interested people, the shrill
salutation Of steam whistles from
many boats and tugs and the strains
Of "The Star ~Spangled Banner" the
first class battleship Illinois was
launched today. The launch was a bril-
liant success in every particular, the
mechanical preparations being per-
feet, the a~ssemblage Of spectators I'm
p~recedented in the history of the New
port News S%hipbuilding and Drydock
Company, and distinguished in per
sonnet. The sponsor Of the vessel.
Miss Mamie Letter, of Chicago, accom-
panied by Governor Tanner, of Illinois.
his staff in full uniform and a crowd
of distinguished C~hicagoans, came up
from Old Point early this morning by
steamer. All the steamboat and rail-
way lines poured people into the port
up to the very hour Of the launching.
Notable among the vessels in the har-
Dor was the Presidents dispatch boat
Dolphin, having on board Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Allen and a
party of Washingtonians. AS the hour
for the christening drew near, the
immense crowd sought points of van
tage around the ponderous steel hull,
lying helplesSly upon the ways, from
which it's initial plunge into the wa
ter could be viewed.
The approach Of the christening par
ty was heralded by cheers and as Miss
Letter and her cOrtege assembled the
gaily decorated platform alongside the
prov Of the vessel all eyes were turn
ed thither.
The hull lay upon the inclined sliding
platform with her bow pointed inland,
as is usual when vessels are to be
launched. While the crowd e~xpectantly
awaited, the keelblocks on which the
hull rested and the shores along her
sides were carefully removed until the
weight rested pom the sliding ways.
The vessel was held then only by the
Oaken planks between the sliding and
the ground ways.
AS these were being severed by the
saw, all eyes were concentrated on the
bow and the reviewing stand, where
the sponsor stood waiting to perform
her conspicuous part in the ceremony.
Suddenly the painted mass of steel
quivered, then slowly and more rapidly
began sliding toward the water. Just
as the motion fairly began Miss Letter,
who had been standing with the chris
tening bottle perched in air. let it
swing sharply against the bow, stimuli
taneOuSly uttering the words: "I Chris
ten Thee, Illinois," Then, amid deaf
ening applause, the waving of banners
and the din of steam whistles, the gaily
decorated hull with more than a hun
dred persons aboard glided gracefully
into the James river and as her bow
cleared the ways, slowly floated out
into the stream.
Besides the many distinguished
Americans present were Captain Pad
get, British naval attached; General
MpStcap 90 Russian naval qttaPhaA
Mr.. Kennedy, Italian naval attachee;
M. BOeufOe, French naval a~ttachee.
The Illinois is larger by 900 tons
than the Oregon; larger than the Iowa,
now the biggest battleship in service,
but she is so designed that she will
be able to enter any harbOr open to the
smaller battleships, while in the mat
ter of speed she will rank with any Of
them. The most striking difference be-
tween the Illinois and the battleships
now in service is the high freeboard
of the former enabling her to fight her
guns from their great elevation above
the water in seas so heavy that the
guns of the lower vessels would be
submerged and useless. Splendid sea
going powers are also expected to re-
suit from this increased freeboard.
Some of the details of the great shiI
which vary in many important partic-
ularS from the existing types, are Civ
en- in the following description prepar.
ed by Chief Constructor Hichborn:
The dimensions of the Illinois are as
follows: Length on load water line
1868 feet; beam, extreme, Y feet ~
inches: draft on normal displacement
of II, 525 tons, % feet 6 inches: maxi
mum displacement, all ammunition ani
stores on board, II, 1926 tons: maximum
indicated horse power (~estimated) 10,
600: probable speed, 16h knots; norma
coal supply, 500 tons; coal supply, loost
storage, 1900 tons: full bunker capaci
ty, 1,400 tons: complement of officers
40: Gamer marines, etc, 449.
The main battery will consist of fOu
13-inch breech-loading rifles in HIGH
born balanced turrets; oval IN shape
and placed in the centre line of tn
vessel, and fourteen 6-inch rapid fir
guns. The secondary battery will con
sist of sixteen 6~-pOunder rapid-fir
guns, four ~1-pounder rapid-fire guns
two Colt guns and two field guns. Sh
will carry four torpedo tubes. TIL
13-inch guns have an arc of fire of Is
degrees on each side of the centre line
and the 6-inch an arc of 90 degrees Of
the brOadSide. with the advantage o
those on the upper deck of a direc
fe ahead and astern. Any injury t
or e either of these 6-inch guns wi
be confined to it's own compartment
as a IL inch steel splinter-bulkhea
separates each of these guns from it
IIClSIIDOI Il uolC VI liz " L L
inch guns will have an elevation {
26R feet and the after 13-inch 10 fee
above the surface of the water. TIL
6-inch gum va1y from Is to 22R fee
and the 6-pounders from so to 401a fe,
above water, according to their loce
ton on the vessel. The smaller gur
are mounted in the military tops,
heights of from 80 to 20 feet. This gre;
height above water of both main ar
secondary batteries will enable tt
vessel to be fought in any weather,
quality always sought for, but Obtain
able only in vessels Of good size, al
considered of immense advantage |
all naval authorities.
The first keel plate of this vess
was aid February 10. 1897. The CO.
tract price was 81, 595. 900 and the da
of completion is stated to be Octob
;, 1899.
- MI IIi