The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-19
Miss Catherine Vaughn White Acted
as Sponsor, and Was Attended by
Three Maids of Honor.
WITNESSED BY THOUSANDS
NEW SHIP WILL BE ONE OF THE
MOST FORMIDABLE EVER BUILT.
About 500 Persons Banqueted by Pres
ident Orcutt, of the COnstruc-
ton Company.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va, April 1S-The
new United States armored cruiser West
Virginia was successfully launched to-day
at the Newport News ship-building yard in
the presence of a throng of 5000 persons.
A street pageant. in which military COM
panies from several Virginia cities, an artil-
lery detachment from Fort Monroe, and
the officers, marines and sailors of the Ger
man cruiser Gazelle participated, preceded
the launching.
Miss Katherine Vaughn White Oldest
daughter of Governor Albert B. White of
West Virginia, was sponsor of the occasion,
christening the ship with bottle of cham
payne as the cruiser slipped down the ways
into the placid waters of the James river.
Miss White was escorted to the platform
by Calvin b. Orcutt, president of the New
port News Shipbuilding Company. She was
attended by three maids of honor, her sis
tiers, Miss Grace White and Miss Ethel
White, and Miss Ashton Wilson. daughter
of Ex-Governor Wilson.
On the platform beside the new ship was
distinguished assemblage, including Gov
ernor White of West Virginia; Governor
Montague. of Virginia, his secretary and
staff: United States Senator and Mrs. Mar
tin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy OAR
ing, rear AOmlrdIS ~ Nell, anu
Taylor. Capt. S. C. Lemly. M. d. O'Connell.
solicitor of the treasury; Representatives
j. A. Hull Of Iowa, j. G.. Cannon of Illinois,
A: G. Dayton and B. b. Dovenor, of West
Virginia, former Senator Charles j. Faux
ner, of West Virginia, and State Senator
c. w. Swisher, of West Virginia.
AS soon as the ceremonies were over
numbering some five hundred persons, to
the steamboat Newport News, aboard
which the party went to Old Point Com
in the dining room of the Hotel Chamber
lin. Among the distinguished guests pres
ent were Governor White, of West yir-
ginia, and military staff, Governor Mon
tague. of Virginia. and staff. officers of the
army and navy and prominent citizens OF
the two Virginias. President circuit was
The West Virginia. which is sister ship
to the California and Pennsylvania, is an
armored cruiser of 1900 tons displacement.
The hull is of steel and measures on load
water-line SOP feet; extreme BEAM 60 feet 612
inches. The vessel has a normal displace-
ment of 1856 tons. and with all ammuni-
ton and stores or board of 15,lO4 tons: The
designed indicated horsepower of the
cruiser is 5000 to produce speed of twen-
tytwo knots With complement of forty
seven officers and 1888 seamen and marines
the vessel will be the floating home of $50
men.
Five feet below and four feet above the
normal load line from stem to stern the
cruiser will have an armor belt six inches
thick at the top and five inches at the bot
tom. For depth of six feet from the top
the maximum thickness will be preserved.
The armor will taper at the stem and
stern to three and one-half inches in thick
ness The Hichborn balanced oval turrets
will be covered with armor six and one
half inches thick on the port plate and six
inches 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 six-inch rapid-fire
guns and a secondary battery of eighteen
three-inch, four. one-pounder automatic
guns, four one-pounder rapid-fire guns, six
Colt automatic guns, two machine guns
and two three-inch field guns.