Evening star., 1901-05-18
niece, Miss Barber, acted in Mrs. McKin-

niece, MISS BARBER, aCte0 In Mrs. MCkln-
leyS place.
Irving M Scott and Henry T Scott took
the President and Governor Nash and their
parties for a curSory inspection of the more
important sections of the great yards where
the ocean warriors are built. Both Presi-
dent Mckinley and Governor Nash follow
ed the explanations concerning the works
closely and with evident interest.
Notable Persons Present.
By the hour Of IL the greater number Of
the nations representatives and other
guests had arrived at the stand beside the
hull of the big battle ship. They saw lying
there a great shape of steel, ready for the
sea. The greater part of the superstructure
of the slip wherein the Ohio was built had
been removed. The battle craft lay in her
great wooden, shoe-like cradle on the slip
perry ways
Toward the stern the ribs of the cradle
ran well up her sides, shortening toward
the forward end of the ship and disappear
ing. Tall shores. reaching from their firm
foundations In the earth to the decks Of the
ship. were standing close along Her sides.
On table on the stand nearby was an
electrical instrument The pressing of a
button meant the launching Of the ship.
The ceremonies were simple but signif1-
cant. There was the formal exchange OF
acceptances on the part Of the government
and then, the tide having reached Its food,
the word was given.
A bottle of California champagne depend
and blue. braided into rope.
The hour had come. AT 1926 sharp, Irv-
ing M Scott gave Miss Barber the signal
and she touched the magic electrical ma
chine.
The guillotine shot downward like a flash
and severed the cord. The dog shore top
pied over Of its own weight and the clever
ly constructed system Of props caved in
like a house of cards
The Ohio seemed to shiver slightly, the
tremor running her entire length: There
was scarcely a motion percepttble, but in
twinkling she began to slide.
And then-a rush, a bound. a cracking
and creaking and groaning of the timbers
beneath and around her-she shot down
the ways, stern foremost, and took her dip
into the sea.
Crowds Gather Early.
When it became generally known this
morning that the President was to attend
the LAUGHING Of the battle ship Ohio, most
of the population of San Francisco and
vicinity seemed to be moving toward the
Union Iron Works. Although the time for
the launching was set for 1926 pm, the
people commenced to gather about the iron
works many hours before Only a few
We're allowed to enter the inclosure sur
rounding the ways. but thousands Of spec
tators climbed the bluffs overlooking the
works. On the bay shore, on the further
side from the ship, of the cove into which
the Ohio glided, stands had been erected,
and these were black with people at an
early hour. On the bay the scene was
most animated. Every pleasure craft and
steamer, sail boat and row boat that could
be pressed into service hovered around the
ship, and these were kept back with diff
Guilty by the patrol Of tugs.
Sister Ship of the Maine.
The Ohio Is a sister ship Of the Maine,
now building at the works Of the William
Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building
Company, and Of the Missouri. building at
and Dry Dock Company
The hull, which Is divided like those of
the most recent battle ships, is built Of
steel and Is unsheathed. 1t Is 9SS feet long
on the load water line, 72 feet 21a inches ex-
trene breadth, and, at mean draft of %
feet inches, displaces II. $50 tons.
The hull Is protected abreast of the boil
ers and engines by side armor belt ex-
tending feet inches above the load water
line and feet below It, having a thickness
of II inches for a depth of feet inches,
tapering to ~ inches at the bottom Of the
belt; and by the casemate armor 6 inches
thick. which extends from the side belt to
the upper deck, and is worked from the
center of the forward to the center Of the
after barbette. AT the ends Of this case
mate armor diagonal armor inches thick
extends from the sides Of the vessel to the
barbette armOr.
In the casemate thus formed are placed
ten of the 6-inch guns. Above this, on the
upper deck, four Of the 6-inch guns are
placed, IN the vicinity OF which 6-inCh
armor is worked far enough forward and
aft to afford protection to the crews of
these guns
Protection is afforded the vitals Of the
ship below the water line by a protective
deck worked fiat within the casemate, and
with slopes forward and aft of it, The
deck is worked in two thicknesses of plat
ing. the total thickness on the fiat being
2& inches, while that on the slopes forward
and aft Is, respectively. inches and
inches. Cofferdams are built on the pro-
tective deck from the diagonal armor bulk
heads to the bow and stern in the vicinity
of the water line, and on the berth deck
for nearly the length of the vessel All of
these cofferdams are filled with corn pith
cellulosA
Main battery of the Ship.
The main battery OF the ship consists of
four twelve-inch breach-loading rifles
placed in two balanced turrets, and six
teen six-inch rapid-firing guns.
The turrets are turned by electricity. and
the motors used for this purpose can re-
volve one of these great turrets through
| $50 degrees in one minute. The armor of
both the turrets and barbettes Is twelve
| inches thick.
Tea Of the six-inch guns are within the