Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-07-30
THE CRUISER AEu|D|A.
The American-Built Cruiser For the
Turkish Government Launched
By the Cramps.
An AMERICAN WOMAN WAS SPONSOR.
The Baptism of the Vessel by Mrs.
Edwin :. Cramp an Evasion OF
the IxOran's Teaching Which was
Turned Into "a Compliment to the
American People.

Philadelphia. July 26.-In the pres
ence OF a distinguished gathering OF
diplomats, foreign and American ma
val officers, and prominent citizens u
Philadelphia, the Turkish cruiser
Med jidia, the first warship ever built
here for the Ottoman empire, was
launched, Saturday, at Cramps ship
yard. The sponsor for the new ship
was Mrs. Edwin S. Cramp, and the
baptism was an evasion of the Koran S
teaching turned into a graceful COM
pliment to the American people. The
Koran forbids Turkish-woman from
participating in christening at
which wine is used. The difficulty
was overcome by the selection of an
American woman, Mrs. Cramp, to
break the bottle on the bow of the
sea fighter.
The Turkish officials present in
cluded Ohekib Bey, Turkish minister
to the United States, and Lieut.. Com
mander Sabri Bey and Lieut.. Ali Bey,
of the Turkish navy, inspectors of ma
chinery and hull construction respec-
lively, on duty at the shipyard for the
sultan.
Among the other distinguished Wis
itors were Commander Boutalloff, ma
val attache of the Russian embassy at
Washington, and Senor Queseda, min
lister from Cuba.
Description of the Medjidia.
In 1900 Ahmed Pasha, chief engineer
of the Ottoman navy, came to this
country for the purpose of examining
the American system of naval con-
struction. AS a result of his investi-
CATION the Turkish government con-
tracted with the Cramp Ship Building
Co. for the construction of the Med
.iidia, which is of the protected cruiser
type
The general dimensions and char
acteristics of the vessel are as fol-
lows: Length on load line, $50 feet;
beam, extreme, AZ feet; drafA mean,
16 feet; displacement, $500 tons;
speed, 22 knots.
The armament consists of two g.
inch rapid-fire guns, As calibers long;
eight AZ rapid-fire guns, so calibers;
six 3-pounder rapid-fire guns, 5oT4i-
befs; six 7-pounder rapid-fre G ans, so
calibers; one 3-inch field gun; two
torpedo tubes for 14-inch Whitehead
torpedoes.
The battery is capable of firing
ro:ectiles of 5s4 pounds at one
round of all guns. Usirg the standard
rates of firing for guns of the caliber
given, the total discharge of all guns
in one minute would be 5000 pounds.
The maximum thickness of the pro-
tected deck over the space occupied
by the engines and boilers is four
inches. Otherwise the vessel is un-
armored, with the exception of the
coming tower and tube leading to
protected deck. Each of .he larger
guns is provided with shield Tor the
protection of its crew.
The vessel is provided with strong
ram at the bow, strengthened by the
protective deck. which forms an in
tegral part of the ram. The engines
are two in number of the inverted,
triple-expansion type, driving twin
screws. These engines will be capable
of developing upwards OF 1900 indi-
Gated horse power. The boilers are
of the improved Niclausse type.
There will be a complete hospital
On the ship, and especial attention has
1,aap ,rivep tn yeDtiIatiOD