Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-18
READY FOR LAUNCHING
Cruiser West Virginia at
Newport News.
FORMID ABLE VESSEL
GOVERNOR WHITES DAUGHTER
THE SPONSOR.
Large Gathering Of Prominent People
Of Both the Virginias
Present.
FORMIDABLE VESSEL

NEWPORT NEWS. April 1S-The new
cruiser, the West Virginia, launched
this afternoon.
Mr.. Calvin B. Orcutt president of the
Newport News Shipbuilding Company. es-
corted to the christening platform Miss
Katharine Vaughn White, eldest daughter
Of Governor Albert B. White of West Vir-
ginia, who 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, daughter of ex-Gov-
ernor Wilson. In the christening party
were 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 banquet in the dining
room of the Hotel Chamberlin. Among the
distinguished guests present were Governor
White of West Virginia and military staf.
Governor Montague of Virginia and the
members of his staff, United States sena-
tors and representatives from various
states, officers of the army and navy and
prominent citizens of the two Virginias.
President Orcutt was toastmaster.
Description of the Ship.
The West Virginia which is a sister ship
to the California and Pennsylvania, is an
armored cruiser of L, coo tons displacement.
The hull is of steel and measures on load
water line 502 feet in length; extreme beam,
60 feet 612 inches. The vessel has a draft OF
"a feet normal displacement of 1865
tons. The designed indicated horse power
of the cruiser is 23O03, and she will have
speed of % knots. With her bunlkers full
the West Virginia will carry 1,s5c tons OF
coal. With a complement of Al officers and
7S3 seamen and marines the vessel will be
the floating home of $50 men.
The West Virginia will be equipped with
two sets of vertical inverted triple expan-
sion, direct acting. .propelling engines, de-
signed for % 600 collective horse power at
120 revolutions per minute. Each engine
will be placed In separate water tight
compartment. Sixteen water-tube boilers
pounds pressure Arranged in six water
tight compartments, the boilers will have
total crate surface of 1,6OO square feet
and total heating surface of 70944 square
feet. There will be four smoke pipes stand
ing fore and aft.
The Armor Plating.
Five feet below and four 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 the
bottom. For depth Of six feet from the
top the maximum thickness will be pre-
served and the armor will taper at the
stem and stern to three and one-half
inches in thickness The Hichborn balanced
oval turrets will be covered with armor
six and one-half 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 eight-inch breech load
ing rifles, mounted two in each turret on
the center line of the vessel. In addition
there will be fourteen 6-inch rapid fire
guns and secondary battery of eighteen
three-inch and twelve three-pounder guns.
besides four one-pounder automatic guns
four one-pounder rapid fire guns, six Colt
automatic guns. two machine guns and
two three-inch field guns.