The Washington times., 1903-04-25
Cora May Peabody, Eldest
Daughter OF Governor,
Breaks Bottle of Wine
Over Cruisers Bows.
One of the Six Fast Yes
sells Building for the
American Navy - Many
Washingtonians Present.

PHILADELPHIA, April 25.-Amid the
cheering OF hundreds Of distinguished
guests and the cIanorous whistling OF
all kinds Of river craft. the new aTmoT-
ed cruiser Colorado slid down the ways
at Cramps shipyards al 1882 O'Clock %
day.
The launch OF The huge fighting ma
chine was a success in every way. Cora
May Peabody, eldest daughter of Gov.
James A. Peabody, of Colorado, broke
The bottle Of American vine over the
cruisers bow, spoke the christening
words, and waved a small silk flag with
frantic energy.
The Colorado IS one Of six OF this class
Of vessels now in course of construction.
and The second OF the six TO be launch
ed The West Virginia, which left he
ways last Saturday at the yards Of the
Newport News ShipbuudIng Company.
was the first The Colorado is, how
ever, Two points nearer completion than
is the West Virginia
Seventy WashingtoDians who at
tended the launching of the Colorado
LEFT this city a 7:45 o'clock this morn
Ing in three special cars attached 10
The Pennsylvania train leaving al that
hour The party consisted chiefly OF
army and navy officers and newspaper
men, and was in charge of Gen. George
3. Williams.
Assistant Secretary Darling, of the
Navy Department, and Assistant Sec
rotary LOOMS, of the State Department,
were members of the party Other mem
hers of the party. were as follows:
AdmiraIs O'Neil, Melville, Bradford
Bowles, and Endicott; Capts. Schroeder,
Logan, Eaton, Switzerland, and Baird,
Commander ". c. Cowles. Paymaster
Simpson, Captain Collins, of the reye-
nue. marines: General Uhler, inspector Of
steamships; Major Lauchheimer, Major
Taylor. Major HaIford. Assistant Judge
Advocate Hanna, Hon. E. S. Minor, of
Wisconsin; the Russian and japanese
naval attaches, the Turkish minister
Senior Riano, secretary to the Spanish
legation; Judge McCammon. ex-senator
J. K. Jones. and Frederick I. Allen.
Commissioner Of Patents.
The general dimensions and chief
characteristics of the Colorado are as
follows:
Length on load water line, 502 feet;
breadth extreme at load water line. 20
feet; trial displacement. Is, 500 tons:
mean draft at trial displacement. "A feet
6 inches: greatest draft, full load, &c
feet inches; total coal bunker ca
paeity, 1900 tons; coal carried on trial,
500 tons; feed water carried on trial, 20
tons: speed, not less than p knots
The cruiser viii have four S-inch guns
in pairs, in TWO turrets controlled by
electricity: four 6-inch guns on the up
per deck; ten 6-inch guns on the main
deck; eighteen 14-pounder breech-Ioad-
ing rifles; twelve 3-pounders, two ma
chine guns. six automatic guns of small
ealibre. TWO automatic i-pounders. two
single shot 1-pounders. two 2-inch field
guns. two machine guns, and two sub
merged torpedo tubes
For these guns the following amuni-
lion will be carried: 500 rounds Of 8-inch
ammunition, $500 rounds of 6-inch am
nunition. 1900 rounds OF 14-pounder
ammunition. 5000 rounds Of 3-pounder
ammunition, 2,S2o rounds Of 1-pounder
automatic ammunition, 200 rounds of
5poundeT heavy ammunition
The thickness OF the armor protec-
ztien OF the vessel will vary from one
and one-half inches to nine inches a
pretective deck OF nickel steel one and
one-half inches thick on the fat and
fonr Inches thick on the slipping sides
syill extend throughout the vessel, and
cel!uIose belt about three feet thick
Is to be worked along the sides above
The protective deck the entire length OF
the vessel.
The Colorado viii be fitted for flag
ship. and ample provision viii be made
fer the accommodation OF the full com
PIGMENT of officers and crew, 81 men in
ali, as follows: one flag officer, one
Commanding officer, one chief Of stan,
twenty wardroom officers. twelve ignior
officers, ten warrant officers, III enlisted
men. including marines.
or the other armoTed cruisers now in
Process OF building. The Pennsylvania. a
The Cramps yards, IS Il per cent com
pleted;' thu Maryland, at the yards OF
the Newport News Company, 40 per
cent; the California. at The Union Iron
Works, San Francisco, q per cent, and
the South Dakota, al the same place. a