Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-08
WYOMING FLOATS
AT HIGH TIDE.
Monitor Successfully launched at
San Francisco,
SHE Is A POWERFUL VESSEL.
Completion and Armament OF the
New Coast Defender 70 be Crowd
ed with Haste,

San Francisco, Sept. S-The United
States Monitor Wyoming was success.
fully launched at high tide this morning
from the shpyard Of the Union Iron
Works. Thousands Of people lined
along the shore or crowded ON oycur-
sion steamers and other craft, shouted
themselves hoarse as the low hull OF the
new war vessel plunged into the bay
The event had been made q feature OF
the semi-Conteunial celebration NJ Cali
fornia's admission into the Union and
among the multitude ~ spectators
hundreds wore the conspicuous badge
OF the native sons OF the Golden West,
The launching was managed by SUI
gerintendcnt Dickie OF the Union Iron
Works. and everything worked without
q hitch, Only persons With passes We're
allowed 20 enter the gates but every
foot OF space around the huge cradle
in which the Wyoming rested, was uc-
Cupied
The monitors hull was supported by
shores over the sliding ways Early this
morning Workmen began rammiug In
wedges, so as TO create AN incline OF one
foot TO sixteen feet Later ON most Of
the blocks sustaining the ship were
knocked away and by 1890 o'clock ev-
erything was In readiness for the
LAUGHING. About the bows OF the yes
sci a platform had been built for the
guests Of honor including Governor
Richards OF Wyoming. Adjt Gen
Frank Stzen, Col a. II Hansen and
wife. Major Thomas Wilhelm, Captain
u. Covert and Capt. Patrick sullivan.
constituting his staff, and Miss Hattie
Warren To Miss Warren who Us the
daughter Of United States Senator
| Warren, was assigned the duty Of
christening the latest addition Of the
American navy. This she did Ion regula-
ton style. breaking the usual bottle
Of Wine and eXcaimlng, IT name thee
Wyoming as the last supporting
props were removed, and the monitor
started from the ways and slid slowly
into the sea. When the vessels stern
touched the water, the spectators sent
up a m ghty cheer which, however, was
soon drowned IN the din made by scores
OF steam whistles.
The Wyoming Is YET without her
heavy armor. and in fact little more
than her hull Is finished. The turret,
where the monitors big guns win re-
yOlVe. Is al present nothing more than
at big hole near the center OF the deck.
Back Of this Is the bare-lOoking super
| structure Of what viii be- when finished,
| the quarters Of the officers and crew.
Through the center Of this grotrudes
| the smOkestack also In diugy red, Ike
everything else from the armor shelf
up, Work on the vessel Is 30 be pushed
forward. and she viii De In readiness
! for service at no very distant date.
The coast defense monitor Wyoming
is one OF four similar vessels designed
| by Chief Naval Constructor Hichborn
! with a ciew OF securing the greatest re-
| suits with the least expenditure OF
money. Her sister ships win be named
| the Arkansas, Connecticut and Florida.
| The Wyoming was built by the Union
| Iron Works. the contract price being
! SS74 00O. Her dimensions are Length on
load water line, 22j feet; extreme
| breadth, 80 feet. mean draft. ~ feet, 6
! inces; displacement about 200 tons.
The hull Is OF steel not sheathed with
| double bottom and water tight subdi-
| visions The hull IS protected by a side
| armor belt ranging from eleven 10 five
inches IN thickness The turret Is Of
| the balanced type. lbs armor being nine
| inches thick. \ coming tower with ~
| inches armor and a single military mast
| viii also appear above the deck, The
| vessel Is to make twelve knots an hour
| Her main battery win consist Of two
/ Pinch brechloading rifles and four 4
/ inch rapid-fre rifles In the secondary
| battery viii be three 6-p0under rapid
| fire guns and four l-p0under automatic
/ rifles.