The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-19
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LAUNCHING OF THE SIBERIA
Monster Steamship Leaves the
Ways at Newport News.

NEWPORT NEWS. Va. Oct I9.-The
monster steamship Siberia. second of
those building here for the Pacific Mail
steamship Company. being the largest
vessel ever constructed in the new world,
was launched 1T the shipyard JuIs after
noon Chrstened by Miss Belle Norwood
Tyler. Of Richmond. daughter Of Gov. J.
Hoge Tyler. the Siberia gIided from WAYS
70 water and aoated with The buoyancy
OF duck ouJ upon the bosom Of the his
toric James River. cheered by thousands
OF spectators who represented every city
in the Old Dominion and many cities in
neighboring States.
OF the twO-scOre successful launchings
accomplished by the Newport News Ship
building and Drydock Company in IL
brief existence Of ten years. todays gala
event viii be recorded in its history as
ore Of the most notable. The Siberia IS
the sixth large vessel launched here in
the past year. and viii be followed two
weeks hence By the new Morgan Line
steamship II Alba. which Will ply be-
tween New York and New Orleans.
The officials Of the company and The
business men OF the city combined to
make the event Of unusual importance.
and a Virginia Day was arranged
Miss Tyler christened the ship with the
traditional bottle Of champagne at
o'clock ,nis afternoon. surrounded By the
governor Virginia cOlonels in radiant
uniforms. many prominent men and wonn-
en- Of the old Dominion. and a large NUM-
Der or West NirgiuiaEs, who Travelled
here oy special train end steamer 10 wit
ness the event. Below. gathered around
the christening platform and the ways on
which The ship rested. stood thousa nCis OF
Nirglnlans and visitors. who loudly ap-
piauded the successful execution Of the
task assigned to her.
The first visitors TO reach the city came
IN last night from Washington on the
steamer Newport News. They were West
Nlrginiaus. 10 the number Of FIVE hun
dred. who chartered the vessel FOR their
own use They Will remain here until
tomorrow morning. making a trip 20
Washington as they came. BY daylight
Others came in last night. but the ma
lorlty reached the city this morning,
hooking In by steamer. train, and cleo
tric car from an early hour up 70 the
very time scheduled for the launching
Twelve hundred more West VIrginIans
reached the city early this morning or
the excursion steamers from Washington
and Baltimore All Of the railroad and
steamer lines touching at the Hampton
Roads cities offered excursion rates and
all Of them handled crowds for the
launching
Most interest centred in the arrival of
Governor Tyler's party. including his
stan and a number Of invited friends.
They reached here from Richmond In a
private car at Il O'Clock and registered
At Hotel Warwick for the day
As rapidly as the visitors alighted II
the stations they hoczed in the direction
Of the shipyard. Fastening 70 secure the
best vantage points from which 10 view
The launching A force Of selected en-
plCyes under the superintendent Of hun
construction NJ V D. Doughty. was
kept busy several hours prior to the time
announced for the event, removing the
shores from under the ships sides and
making ready the stout wedges Of white
oak 10 De driven home at the signal. rais-
ing the monster hull Of steel clear OF the
ground ways on the sliding ways OF era
die which was built 10 carry the vessel
to the water when released from its fast
enings
" hile the workmen were bUsyinE them
selves with these preparations. the christ
euiuE party arrived. escorted by c. 3. Or
cutt, president, and ". a Post. general
superintendent Of the shipbuiIdiug compa-
ny. and proceeded up the stairway 70 the
platform which had been erected ~ the
bow Of the Siberia and gaily decorated
with vari-colOred bunting and flags. Mss
Tyler taking her place in the booth built
directly against the bow OF the ship. The
bottle OF champa gne. encased in a siIken
net. was suspended by a Ions cord from
yhe top Of the ship
The wedges were driven home beneath
the bulging sides Of the huu and picked
vcrkmeu commenced 10 saw the sole
pieces. which alone prevented the ship
from taking her plunge. The swapping
and cracking Of timber announced The
completion Of this task and the big hau
trembIed for an instant on the WAYS.
then started very slowly down 10 The
water
At the first movement Of the ship Miss
Tyler quickly threw the bottle out toward
the steel hull well before her. and the
next instant the champagne was racing
down the ships side, the crowds cheering
enthusiastically as the vessel sped along.
gaining momentum as she went Leaning
neither 10 sJarbOard nor port she hoat-
cd cut upon the giver's surface several
hundred Yards before the pygrny tugs,
which ran footing to her sides, attached
lines and towtd her to one Of the piers,
where the Siberia viii have her engines
and machinery installed and the finishing
touches put on
Following its custom. the company this
afternoon gave a 2ost-launching lunch
con al the Casino In honor Of the sponsor
All Of the comDany's guests for the Gay
and a number or local people sat down
10 the repast- Several impr0mptU toasts
followed
All OF the visitors viii leave the city
tonight except the West Virginia party.
The Siberia and the Korea. her sister
ship. are building for the Pacific Mall
Steamship Compauy-s line between san
Francisco and Hougk0ng. with Honolulu.
Yokohama. and Nagasaki as ports in
cluded su route Each ship will cost,
when completed, S2J5J.0o0. and the dimvn-
sious are: Length, so feet. inches
beam, % feet; depth. 20 feet. draft. Il
feet. displacement. $500 tons AccOmm0-
datious are furnished for 20 first-cIass
passengers and 1.2y1 Chinese in steeraEe-
The ships are designed for sustained
speed OF eighteen knots an hour. and il
is expected that this speed viii be eN-
ceeded for short periods. They are pro-
PEELED by two f1ur-cyHnder. vertical. iu-
verted. dirget-ac,iug, quadrupIe-eNpansiu
engines. designed TO de cop 1909 indicat-
ed horsepower on >5 revoI-- Ons a minute.
The passenger aecommodati0us viii rs
OF the very hl-t i'm all particulars and The
vessels VIII Dee provided With al aor-i-
aUceS and euuveuieuoes customary L. .le
very latest practice uf ia. most modern
passenger steamers Ie .Efl-1lgur -Hr