The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-08
CRUISER CHATTANOOGA
LAUNCHING OF THE NEW WAR
 VESSEL,
Governor of Tennessee, Mayor of Town for Which Ship is Named,
 and Senators Bate and Car
 mack Present at Ceremony.


 New York. March 7.-In the presence of s.0oo 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 to- day at the ship yards of the United States Shipbuilding Company at Eliza bethport. N. J.
 With flying colors the warship slid gracefully down the ways and took the water amid a tumult of cheers and deafening whistle blasts from yachts and other vessels crowded with spectators.
 The Chattanooga was christened by Lillian Chambtiss. daughter of the Mayor a bottle of champagne against the brow with the words "I 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 Shipbuilding Company. and Mrs. Nixon acted as the hosts of the day Several hundred guests. including the invited State and city officers and many Tennesseeans living In New York city were taken down to the ship yard and entertained at luncheon at the ship yard offices. The navy was represented by a group of officers and heads of depart ments from the Brooklyn navy yard.
 During the return trip on the special steamer, speeches were made in the sa- loon by Governor Frazer. of Tennessee, Mayor Chambliss, of Chattanooga; Sena- tors Bate and Carmack, of Tennessee, Lewis Nixon and Lyman J. Gage, former Secretary of the Treasury.
 Governor Frazer extolled the history of his State, including the memorable events of the war in which Tennesseeans had taken part Brave Tennesseeans he said led by John Sevier won great battle of the revolution. fought the best soldiers of Europe. with Jackson, behind cotton bales at New Orleans, and planted the flag victorious upon the heights of Chepul- tepec in the Mexican war. In the Civil War the State had furnished 1160oO Con- federate and 5000 Union soldiers.
 ''The North sent Dewey to Manila" he said, "and the South sent Schley to San tiago. When you saw Teddy Roosevelt climbing San Juan Hill General Joe Wheeler was there up tree reconnoiter- ing"
 Great applause greeted the governors declaration that the United States should have the greatest navy in the world.
 Mayor Chambliss said he was proud of his city when he saw the great ship on the ways.
 Former Secretary Gage complimented the South for its eloquence, statesman ship and military skill. Both the North and South, he said, must be one in the ambition 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 to MT. Nixon as astatesman who had fought on the floor of the Senate for a greater navy"
 The Chattanooga is a steel protected cruiser, sheathed with Georgia pine. Its length over all Is 3O8 feet, inches and | 292 feet on the load water line. Its ex- | treme breadth Is A feet, draught, 15 feet inches and displacement 6.2OO tons. | There are four steel decks and a deep cofferdam completely around the ship | near the water line. The cofferdam is | filled with corn pith celulose for the protection of the ship. There is a cellu- | lar double bottom the full length of the ship and ten complete transverse water tight bulkheads extending above the water line. The pilot house and chart house are built of bronze and the water | tight doors are operated from a central station.
 The armament of the Chattanooga con sists of ten 5-inch quick firing guns in | the main battery. one each being situ- | ated at the ends of the vessel on the main | deck and four on each broadside of the gun deck. The secondary battery con- sists of eight 6-pounder rapid fire guns, | two 1-pounders. with four machine guns and one field gun for landing purposes. | The 5-inch guns of the broadside battery of the Chattanooga are protected by 1-4- inch nickel steel plating.
 There are two powerful search lights on the flying bridge and the vessel Is to have a wireless telegraph equipment. It's bunkers can carry 700 tons of coal and ten knots is It's cruising radius which will be more than 5,eeo knots.
 FIRED ON BOYS.