The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-27
! IuNCHING OF WISCONSIN.
,v RIG BATTLEsHIP SENT INTO
THE BAY AT SAN FRANCISCO.

NH
,opnc Upon the Vessels Bow A
poem ITO the Wisconsin" Was
pad by Miss Clara liza Price, Its
Author
San Francisco. Nov. 26.-The battleship
wisconsin was successfully launched at
sa this morning.
When the big vessel slid down the ways
.,s warships in the harbor fired salutes.
and there was a terrible din from the
steam whistles.
The controversy over the kind of wine
10 he used in christening was settled this
morning by two bottles of champagne,
4 ons of French make, provided by the Wis
consin Christening Company, and another
q, california champagne, provided by the
Union Iron Works.
For an hour before the plunge a large
toroe of workmen tore away chock after
mock, which supported the vessel, and
5sy finished their work almost to the
minute of the prescribed time for the
6nncning. leaving only one chock to re-
sr3in the monster, and this was the sup
ngt hat little Miss Luclle Gage, daugh-
Tor Of the GoVernor-elect of the state, had
hem assigned to remove by means of a
ogrlotine and the inevitable electric but
Ten.
At given signal the little miss pressed
The button, and the crash of breaking tim
hers announced to the thousands of anx-
ous spectators that the vessel was about
70 leave the ways.
Slowly the iron monster moved toward
the bay. and all eyes watched Miss Eliza
- 6raalx fhp hOffla Of aha I'M.
p9gne upon the bow of the vessel.
Prior to the launching a gigantic flag
Of thl union, measuring tWenty-seven feet
long and four feet wide, was presented
in honor of the Wisconsin. The flag was
the result of the combined efforts of 800
children of the Irving and public school
Following The presentation of the flag,
poem. ITO the Wisconsin," was read
by Miss Clara liza Price, its author.
The battleship Wisconsin, designed in
the bureau of construction and repair of
The navy department, is a sister ship of
the Alabama, building at the Cramps
yard in Philadelphia, and also of the ILL
nos building at Newport News.
. The dimensions of the Wisconsin are
as follows: Length on load water line,
& feet; beam extreme, 70 feet 21a inches;
draft on normal displacement of 11,525
tons % feet G inches. Maximum displace-
ment, all ammunition and stores on board
2325 tons; maximum indicated horse power
estinated), 10000 probable speed, 1872
knots. Normal coal supply. 500 tons; coal
supply loose storage, 200 tons; full bum
ker capacity, 400 to 500 tons. Compile
nfnt Of officers, 40; seaman, marines, etc,
49,
The main battery will consist of four 49,
inch breech-loading rifles in Hichborn bal
alced turrets. oval in shape, and placed
in the center line of the vessel and four
teen 6-inch rapid-fire guns. The second
ary battery will consist of sixteen 6-pound-
er rapid-fre guns, four 1-pounder rapid
fire guns, two Colt guns and two field
guns. She will carry four torpedo tubes.
The l3-inch guns have an arc of fire of
1876 degrees on each side of the center line;
and the 6-inch, an arc of 80 degrees on the
broadside, with the advantage of those
on the upper deck of a direct fire ahead
and astern. Any injury 10, or near, either
of these 6-incn guns, will be confined 10
its own compartment, as 115-inch steel
splinter bulkhead separates each of these
guns from its neighbor.
The armor belt, which extends from the
stem to abaft the after turret, is to be
1872 inches thick at the top, and 912 inches
thick at the bottom, except at the forward
end where it will be tapered to inches
al the stem. This belt armor will extend
from feet below the normal load line
10 3l2 feet above it, and viii maintain the
full thickness amidships between the tur-
refs, and for the distance occupied by the
engines and boilers. Diagonal armor II
inches thick, connecting this belt armor
and barbettes and extending from the
slopes of protective deck to top of the
side belt, on each side, is worked to give
protection from a raling fire. Abaft the
after turret the protection will be com
pleed by thickening the protective deck
10 inches ON the slopes, with "a inches
On the fiat. On the slopes of this deck
forward it is 8 inches thick and "a inches
Oh the fiat. The armor on the 13-inch gun
trrets will be II inches on the
front and fifteen inches on the rear and
Sides while on the barbettes for these tur-
REFS which are circular n shape, will be
j. inches on the font and 10 inches
on the rear and sides. The sides of the
vessel above the belC armor in wake OF the
h-nch battery, and forming the casemate,
Will be armored with 512 inches of steel,
extending between the turrets with dag
onal armor of same thickness at the ends,
connecting with the barbettes, and work
Ing above the Pinch diagonal armOr be-
low, She will be protected against the
entrance of water, in case of injury TO
Ni'N elQcs DIT the wafer AtIltt ny COllGludilS
extending for the length of The vessel on
each side, and having a general width of
three feet, with a total capacity of about
2,SJ cubic feet. for stowage of fire-proOf-
cd corn-p!th cellulose. Independent of the
numerous small water-ught pockets or
cells forming The entire scheme of Golfer
dams, the inner bottom and hold the plat
lorms, splinter and berth decks, are di-
Vded in two between 200 and 300 water
usht compartments, both for the accom-
notation of the motor power and the
sewage of coal. provisions and ammuni-
ions, and other stores; and also for the
Preservation of the ship in the event of
rupture of the outer skin, or injury in bat
ue. All these many compartments are
provided with pipes connecting
Wlh powerful steam pumps fol
the purpose of removing any
Nater that may get in them, either
nom accident or design. Arrangements
are also made for flooding all ammunition
rooms in the event of fire on board the
vessel. All these compartments together
win all living spaces, state rooms, ETC.,
occupied by the officers or crew, have
special pipes or ducts arranged with a