Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-10-04
TO-DAY'S TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
The Battleship Illinois.

Miss Mamie Letter, of Chicago, chris.
tened the ship with champagne in
the presence of 10000 people. The
Governor of Illinois shook hands with
the Governor OF Virginia, the newly
foated ship rose proudly from her
initial dip, and the launching was pro-
nounced a success. Then every one in
the immense throng proceeded to enjoy
The day to the utmost in anticipation
of the banquet in the afternoon and
the ball at Old Point in the evening.
From many points of view the launch
ing of the Illinois was the most import
AIT of the kind in the history OF our
country. The vessel is the largest
fighting ship ever built by the navy,
and experts believe will be the most
formidable warship ever put in COM
mission by any power. There was
never such a crowd in Newport News
at any previous ship launching. They
came from everywhere. Governor
Tanner, of Illinois. came last night, es-
corting several hundred prominent citi-
zens from his State.
The guests from Washington reached
the scene at o'clock, two hours before
the launching. They came on the
steamer Newport News. Among the
distinguished visitors were Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Allen. Commo-
dore Endicott, Chief Constructor HIGH
born, Chief Engineer Melville, Capt. a.
S. Crowninshield, Secretary of Agricul-
ture Wilson and Gen. Miles, accompa-
MED by ladies. Gov. Tyler, of Virginia.
brought large party from Richmond.
a platform large enough to accommo
date about two hundred and fifty per-
sons had been built at the Prov Of the
ship for the use of the sponsor and the
the distinguished guests. Enthusiastic
cheers greeted the arrival OF the gov.
errors of the two States, OF the navy Of
Gcials and of Miss Letter and her
friends, who appeared just before the
last timber was sawed and the ship
glided gracefully to the water. Very
few of the vast crowd could hear the
words spoken by Miss Letter, but near
ly all were able to see her, and when
she dashed the bottle of wine against
the .battleship the action was signal
for their enthusiasm to break forth with
full force.
The ship, which was designed by the
Bureau of Construction and repair, is
sister of the Alabama, building at
Cramps yard, in Philadelphia, and also
OF the Wisconsin. building at San
Francisco by the Union Iron Works.
She is Sos feet long, - feet ,! inches
wide and on a normal displacement of
II, 525 tons her draft is % feet inches.
Her speed will be 16@ knots, and she
will carry 10 officers and 40 men.
The main battery will consist of four
13.inch breech-loading rifles in Hick-
born balanced turrets, and fourteen 6
inch rapid-6re guns. The second
airy battery will consist OF six
teen 6-pounder rapid-fire guns.
four 1.pounder rapid fire guns, TWO
Colt guns and two field guns. She
will carry four torpedo tubes. The IS
inch guns have an arc of fire OF l35 de-
grees on each side of the centre line,
and the 6-inch an arc of 80 degrees on
the brosdside, with the advantage Of
those on the upper deck OF a direct fire
ahead and asterp.
The armor belt is to be 16@ inches
thick at the bottom, except at the for
ward end, where it will be tapered to
inches at the stem. This belt arrnor
will extend from feet below the nor.
NAL load line to 3! feet above it. The
armor on the 13-inch gun turrets will
be II inches on the front and Is inches
on the rear and sides, while on the
barbettes for these turrets, which are
circular in shape, it will be - inches
on the front and 10 inches on the rear
and sides.
She will be protected against the en-.
trance of water in case of injury to the
side, at the water line, by cofferdams
extending for the length of the vessel
on each side and having general
width of three feet, with total capac-
ity of about II, 500 cubic feet, for stow.
age of fre-proof corn-pith cellulose.
There will be some eightyodd aux
iliary engines in the vessel. The cranes
for handling the boats are operated by
steam; also the deck winches, pumps,
windlass and steering gear (this latter
is located beneath the protective deck
and several feet below the water line).
Manual labor is, therefore, reduced to
minimum; q condition Of affairs which
must result in greater interest and
development of the crew in their spec
ial duties.
The height of freeboard forward of
the vessels hull proper is 20 feet, and
at the stern, 49, feet. The floor OF the
pilot house is II feet high. The bore OF
the forward 19 inch guns will have 81
elevation of 264 feet, and the after 13-
inch, 10 feet above the surface Of the
water. The 6-inch guns vary from Is
to %! feet, and the six-pounders from
80 to 40@ feet above water. This great
height above water of both main and
secondary batteries will enable the YES
sci to be fought in any weather.
There will be two sets OF triple-ex-
pansion, twin-screw engines, each in its
own separate water-tight compart-
ments; the collective indicated horse
power will be about 10000, with 120
revolutions per minute; stroke, feet.
There are eight single-ended cylindrical
boilers, each 154 feet in diameter by 6
feet III inches long, having a total
CRATE surface Of 6S5 square feet, with
q 200 square feet OF heating surface;
pressure, $50 pounds.
The launch will be made a brilliant
social event. 1t will be followed to-
night by ball at the Hotel Chamber
lain, Old Point. Miss Nancy Letter,
who christened the Illinois, will, of
course, be the belle of the occasion.
The banquet took place during the af-
ternoon at the Chamherlain Old Point