Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
| LAUNCHING OF THE KOREA
BIG PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER SAFELY
SET AFLOAT.
Largest Vessel Ever Built on This
Side of the Atlantic
Her Dimensions.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va, March 23.-
There was launched from the ways at the
big plant of the Newport News Shipbuild-
ing and Drydock Company this morning
the largest vessel ever built on the west
ern hemisphere-the gigantic Pacific Mail
steamer Korea, whose sister ship, the
Siberia, will go overheard about a month
hence
The launching was in some respects the
most notable in the history of the city;
it was, moreover, one of the most beau
tiful and imposing. There was something
indescribably majestic in the sight of this
tremendous bulk of gracefully assembled
steel descending with rapidly quickening
speed down the long creased ways to the
bright river, in which so many splendid
ships have been christened. There was
something curiously inspiring in the scene
the mountain of nodded metal rushing
riverward, headlong down the ways, the
f1uttCring of thousands of handkerch1efs
and the cheers from thousands Of threats,
the music, the ceremony.
The available space about the ways was
packed with enthusiastic humanity. The
schools of the city, which had held spe-
cial and elaborate launching exercises the
day before, were represented by thousands
of pupils Work was suspended in the
yard and thousands of brawny workmen
city came every one who could spare the
time. All the fashion and life Of the city
was there.
From Richmond came a big crowd by
special and by regular train. Norfolk
and Portsmouth sent over a large contin-
gent. Hampton, Phoebus and Old Point
were fully represented.
Many came from Baltimore. Washing
ton and New York, and scores of strangers
In the city from all parts of the continent
remained over for the event
1t was just after II o'clock when the
block was sawn apart at the big ships
bow and she started on her journey down
the ways 1t was an instant after the
ship began to move that Miss Katharine
Winthrop Tweed of New York, daughter
of President Tweed of the Pacific Mail
against the vessels shapely prov. In less
time than 1t takes to tell it, the ship was
riding gracefully on the bosom of the
James.
The Korea and the Siberia are identical
in size and construction. They are both
intended for service between San Fran
cisco and Hong Kong. They will be capa-
bic of making eighteen knots an hour, and
vessels that float. Their dimensions are:
Length over all, $40 feet 4 inches; length
between perpendiculars, $50 feet; beam, 63
feet; depth, 40 feet; draught, q feet; dis
placement, 1900 tons. Accommodations
will be provided for 200 first-class passen-
gers and 80 white steerage and 1 200 Chi
nese passengers. The latter space can be
utilized for freight when not occupied by
human cargo. The hulls are constructed Of
steel and a double bottom extends from
stem to stern. There are four decks, ex-
tending the whole length of the vessels;
these in addition to the orlops and boat
decks.
The main engines consist of two four
cylinder. quadruple expansion engines Of
the vertical inverted, direct acting type
placed abreast of each other in separate
water-tight compartments. They are de-
signed to develop 1900 indicated horse
power, While running at SO revolutions