The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-19
THE WEST VIRGINIA
NOW RIDES THE DEEP
The Launching of the New
Armored Cruiser.
SCENE AT NEWPORT NEWS
Miss Katherine White, Elder Daughter of the
Governor Of West Virginia, Chrstens The
Warship---A Military and Civic
Demonstration,


(By the Associated Press.)
Newport New, Va, April 1S.-With a
military and civic demonstration, the
United States armored cruiser West
Virginia was successfully launched at the
Newport News Ship yards today in the
presence of a throng of $4,000 people.
street pageant in which military COM
panies from several Virginia cities. an
artillery battalion from Fort Monroe and
the officers. marines and sailors of the
German cruiser Gazelle participated,
preceded the launching ceremonies.
Miss Katherine Vaughn White, elder
daughter of Governor Albert b. White,
of West Virginia, was the fair sponsor
of the occasion, christening the warship
with bottle of champagne as the cruiser
slipped down the ways into the placid
waters of the James River
On the platform beside the new war
ship was a distinguished assemblage, in
Guiding Governor White. of West Vir-
ginia; Governor Montague, of Virginia;
his secretary and staff; Senator and Mrs.
Martin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Darling, Congressman Alton B. Dayton,
OF Ordnance; Rear Admiral Bradford
head of the Bureau of Equipment and
Supplies; Rear Admiral Taylor. head OF
the Navigation Bureau; d. A. Green,
chief in the Bureau of Construction and
Repairs: W. ]. Hughes, of the Depart
ment of Justice; Captain S. C. Lemly,
judge advocate general of the navy; NJ.
ID. O'Connor, solicitor of the Treasury
Department; Hon. J. A. Hull, of Iowa,
chairman OF the House Committee on
Military Affairs. and these members of
Congress: ]. G. Cannon, of Illinois;
Hon. B. B. Dovenor, of West Virginia:
ex-senator Charles ]. Faulkner, of West
Virginia; State Senator c. w. Swisher,
of West Virginia.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies
the party, with about 100 other invited
guests, boarded the steamer Newport
News, which proceeded to Old Point
Comfort, where they were entertained
at banquet given in the dining room
of the Chamberlain Hotel by the officials
of the Newport News Ship-bulding and
Dry dock Company.
A pleasant incident of the day was tie
friendly feeling and the exchange of
courtesies between the United States
German warship.
Calvin b. Circuit, president of the
Newport News Shipbuilding Company es-
corted to the christening platform Miss
Katharine Vaughn White, eldest daugh-
ter of Governor Albert b. White. of
West Virginia who was officially invited
by the Navy Department to be sponsor
for the West Virginia Miss White was
attended by three maids of honor, her
sisters, Miss Grace White and Miss Ethel
White and Miss Ashton Wilson, daugh-
ter OF Ex-Governor Wilon. In the chris
tening party We're also the governor and
Mrs White.
As soon as the ceremonies were over
President Orcutt conducted the guests,
numbering some 500 persons, to the steam
boat Newport News" aboard which the
party went to Old Point Comfort where
they were rendered a banquet in the
dining room of the Hotel Chamberlain.
Among the distinguished guests present
were Governor White, of West Virginia,
and military staff. Governor Montague,
of Virginia, and the members of his
staff: officers of the army and navy and
prominent citizens of the two Virginias
President Orcutt was toast master.
Others who accepted invitations to the
banquet were Senators Elkins and Scott,
of West Virginia and Representatives.
Dovenor. Woodard, Hughes and Dayton
OF the same state; Hon. Hy G. Davis,
George w. Stevens, Decatur Axtell, L.
F, Sullivan. Joseph Bryan. II. T. Wick
nam. f. d. Hotchkiss. c. Il. Doyle, Maj.
f. T. Meyers. John SHELTON Williams. G.
d. Landhorne. Virginius Newton and Ar
thur B. Clark.
The West Virginia. which IS sister
ship TO the California and Pennsylvania,
is an armored cruiser of 1000 tons dis
placement. The hull is of steel and meas
ures on load water line 502 feet; ex-
treme beam 60 feet, So inches. The YES
sci has normal displacement of 49,
6fe tons. with all ammunition and stores
on board, of Ia 104 tons The designed
irdicated horse-p power of the cruiser is
5000 to produce a speed of % knots
With a complement of a officers and
fsS seamen and marines the vessel will
be the floating home of $50 men.
rive feet below, and feet above nor
NAL load line from stem To stern The
cruiser will have an armor belt six inches
thick at the top and FIVE inches at tho
bottom. For depth of 6 feet from the
top the maximum thickness will be nre
served. The armor will taper at the stem
and stern TO three and one half inches
in thickness Tho Hichborn balance oval
turrets will be covered with armor G,h
inches thick on the port plate and six
inches on the sides and rear.
The main battery of the West Virginia
will consist of four S-inch hreechloaa-
ing rifles. mounted two in each turrot
on the centre line of the vessel. In ad
dition there will be II six-inch rapid