The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-19
Daughter of Governor Albert b.
] White Christens Armored Craft
the "West Virginia"
BANQUET FOLLOWS LAUNCHING
Vessel Will Have Speed of -
Knots and Will Be the Floating
Home of $50 of Uncle Sans
Fighting Men.

Newport News. Va. April 1S-The ar
mored cruiser West Virginia was success
fully launched this afternoon in the pres
ence Of 800 persona.
Calvin b. orcutt. president Of the New
port News ~Shipbutding Company. escorted
10 the christening platform Miss Catherine
Vaughan White. eldest daughter OF Cover
nor Albert b. White OF West Nirginia. who
was officially invited by the Navy Depart
ment to be sponsor for the West Virginia
Miss White was attended by three maids
OF honor. her sisters. Miss Grace White and
Miss Bthel White. and Miss Ashton VIII
son, daughter of Ex-Governor Wilson. In
the christening party were also Governor
and Mrs. White.
As soon as the ceremonies were over.
President Orcutt conducted the guests.
numbering some so persons. 10 the steam
boat Newport News. aboard which the
party went 10 Old Point Comfort, where
they were guests at a banquet in the din
ing-room Of the Hotel ChamberlIn.
Among the distinguished guests present
we're Governor White of West Virginia and
military STAFF, Governor Montague Of Vir-
sinia and stah. officers OF the army and
navy and prominent citizens OF the two
Virginiss. President circuit was toast
master.
Others who accepted the Invitation to the
banquet we're Senators Elkins and Scott OF
West Virginia and Representatives Dow
GllC ud2iltSs hOOuH dTu. Hughes ana Day
ton Of the same State: Henry CT. Davis,
George w. Stevens. Decatur Axtell. L F.
Sullivan. H. T. Wickham, E d. Hotchkiss
G E. Doyle. Major Z. T. Meyers. John
SHELTON Williams. c. d. Langhorn, Viz
Sfnius Newton and Arthur 3. Clark.
BOAT Is SPEEDY.
The West Virginia, which is a sister ship
10 the California and Pennsylvania is an
srmored cruiser of 1900 tons displacement.
The hull is OF steel and measures on load
water line 52 feet: extreme beam % feet
81 inches.
me vessel has n normal displacement OF
lA,s1b tons, with all ammunition and stores
On board Of 15,10 tons. The designed indi-
Gated horse power Of the cruiser is 300, to
produce q speed OF twentv-tvo knots.
With a complement OF fortyCsever officers
and 80 seamen and marines. the yes sci will
be tie floating home Of S3o men.
Five feet below and four feet above
normal load line. from stem to stern. the
cruiser Wiz have an armor belt six inches
thick at the top and five inches at the bet
TOM For a depth of six feet from the top
the maximum thickness sill be preserved.
The amor will taper ut tie stem ard
stern TO three and one-half inches in thick
ness.
The HIchborn balanced oval turrets will
be covered with armor six ard one-half
inches thick on the port plates and six
inches on the sides and rear.
The main battery of the West Virginia
Will consist of four s-inch breech-loading
rifles, mounted two in each turret on the
center line Of the vessel. In addition, there
Will be Il six-inch rapid-fre guns ard a
secondary battery Of Is three-inch and Il
t~hree-pounder guns. besides four ~1-pounder
automatic guns. four l%-pounder rapid-hre
guns. six Colt automatic guns, two machine
suns and two s-inch field guns.