The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-12-01
MISS ELIZABETH STEPHENSON.


journeyed all the way from the Badger
state to witness the event was given the
place of honor upon the platform, with
the representatives of the state, the city
and the great iron works responsible for
the safe delivery of the craft to the gov
eminent of the United States.
For an hour before the plunge large
force OF workmen tore away chock after
chock which supported the vessel,
leaving only one chock to restrain
the monster, and this was the support
that Miss Lucille Gage, daughter of the
governor elect Of the state, had been
assigned to remove by means of a gull
lotine and the inevitable electric button.
At given signal the little miss pressed
the button and the crash of breaking
timbers announced to the thousands of
anxious spectators that the vessel was
about to leave the ways. Slowly the
iron monster moved towards the bay,
and all eyes turned to watch Miss Eliza
beth Stephenson break the bottle of
champagne upon the bow of the vessel.
The vessel gathered momentum as she
proceeded to the water, and after leav-
ing the ways, foated calmly along until
brought to stop in the bay, where the
work Of the company building her will
60 on.
Description of the Vessel.
The battleship Wisconsin, designed in
the bureau of construction and repair of
the navy department, is sister ship of
the Alabama, building in the Cramps
yard at Philadelphia, and also the ILL
nois building at Newport News.
The dimensions Of the Wisconsin are
as follows:
Length, on load water line, 1858 feet;
beam extreme, 70 feet ~ inches; draft
on normal displacement of II ,525 tons,
% feet 6 inches; maximum displace-
men, all ammunition and stores on
board, IL, 1875 tons; maximum indicated
horse power (estimated), 10, 900; probable
speed, 161s knots; complement of Off
GERS, 40; seamen, marines, etc., 449.
The main battery will consist of 49,
inch breech loading rifles in Hichborn
balanced turrets, oval in shape, and
placed in the center line Of the vessel,
and IA 6-inch rapid fire guns. The Sec
ondary battery will consist Of 16 g.
FOUNDER rapid fire guns, 1-pounde1
rapid fire guns, 2 Colt guns and 2 field
guns. She will carry 4 torpedo tubes.
For Protection of the Boat.
The armor belt, which extends from
the stem to abaft the after turret, is to
be 1917 inches thick at the top, and 81
inches thick at the bottom, except at
the forward end where it will be tapered
to inches at the stem.
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 feet, with a total capacity of about
u, 500 cubic feet, for stowage of fire.
PROCEED corn pith cellulose. Independ-
ent of the numerous small water-tight
pockets or cells forming the entire
scheme Of cofferdams, the inner bottom
and hold, the platforms, splinter and
berth decks, are divided into between
200 and 800 water-tight compartments.
The turrets will be operated by cleo.
trio power, also the ammunition hoists,
and the dynamo and auxiliary blowers
for ventilating purposes. There will be
some so odd auxiliary engines in the
vessel, thus adding greatly to the eff
cheney of the ship in the celebrity and
certainty with which the work can be
done.