The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-08
Christened by a Fair Young
tennessee Girl.
AN ADDRESS BY FRAZER
Great Applause Greets His Declaration That the
United States Should Have the Great
est Navy in the Word---He-
marks by Carmack.
marks by Carmack.
(By the Associated Press.)


New York, March I'm the presence
of 5000 spectators including officials of
the State of Tennessee, the City of Chat
tanooga, the city of New York and many
naval officers the United States cruiser
Chattanooga was launched today at the
ship yards of the United States Ship
building Company at Elzabethport, n. J..
With flying colors the wrship slid grace
fully down the ways and took the water
amid a tumult of cheers and deafening
whistle blasts from yachts and other YES
sells crowded with spectators. The
Chattanooga was christened by the
young daughter of the Mayor of Chatta-
nooga, Lillian Chambliss, who broke a
bottle of champagne against the PROV
with the words: II christen thee, good
ship in honor of Chattanooga" The
maids of honor were Miss Frances Bond
and Miss Rieta Faxon.
President Lewis Nixon of the United
States Ship building Company, and Mrs.
Nixon, acted as hosts of the day. Sew
eral hundreds guests, including the city
officials and the many Tennesseeans liy-
ing in this city, were taken down to the
ship yards from New York in a special
steamer, and after the launching were
entertained at luncheon at the ship yard
offices.
The Navy was represented among the
guests by group of officers and heads
of departments from the Brooklyn Navy
Yard. During the return trip on the spe
cial steamer, speeches were made in the
saloon by Governor Fraser. of Tennes-
~
Senators Bate and Carnack, of Tenncs-
see; Lewis Nixon and Lyman J. Gage,
former Secretary of the Treasury.
Governor Frazer extolled the city of
Chattanooga and the State of Tennessee,
and reviewed the history of both, in
cludng the memorable events of war in
which Tennesseeans had taken part.
grave Tennesseeans, he said led by
John Sewer, won a great battle of the
Revolution, fought the best soldiers of
Europe with Jackson behind cotton bales
at New Orleans and planted the flag vie
torious upon the heights of Chapultepec
in tho Mexican War. In the Civil War
the State had furnished $4,000 ConfeI-
crate and 10000 Union soldiers.
THE North sent Dewey to Manila" he
said. land the South sent Schley to San
climbing San Juan Hill General Joe
Wheeler was there up tree reconnoit-
ering."
Great applause greeted the Governors
declaration that the United States should
have the greatest navy in the world.
Mayor Chamblss said he was proud of
his city when he saw the great ship on
the ways.
Ex-Secretary Gage complimented the
South for its eloquence, craftsmanship
and military skill, Both the North and
South, he said. must be one in the ambi-
tion to uphold the flag on land and sea.
Senator Carmack made brief remarks.
predicting that the new cruiser would
add to the fame of the city of Chatta-
nooga. carrying her name into all parts
of the world.
Senator Bate was introduced by Mr.
Nixon as a statesman who had fought
on the floor of the Senate for a greater
navv
The Chattanooga is a sheated cruiser
The sheathing is of Georgia pine. Her
length over all is sos feet six inches
and 292 on the load water. The extreme
breadth is A feet, draught 10 feet, 8
inches and displacement 5000 tons. There
are two steel decks and a deep Golfer
dam is built completely around the ship
in the region of the water line.
The armament of the Chattanooga con
sists of ten five inch quick firing guns
in the main battery. one each being To-
Gated at the ends of the vessel on the
main deck and four on each broadsida
of the gun deck. The secondary battery
consists of eight six pounds rapid fire
guns, two one Founders. with four ma
chine guns and one field gun for landing
purposes.
There are two powerful searchlights
on the flying bridge and the vessel is to
have wireless telegraphy equipment.