The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-09-12
THE NEW
CRUISER
LAUNCHED
Maryland Takes Water
at Newport News
Today
BaltimOres Beautiful Women
We're There. and Those
of Washington and
Richmond Also

Newport News Sept. 12.-There was
launched from the ways at the big
plant OF the Newport News Shipbuild.
ing and Drydock company today the
latest addition to Uncle Sans new
navy--the 10000 ton armored cruiser
Maryland. The launching was in some
respects the most notable In the his
tory OF the city; II was moreover. one
of the most beautiful and imposing.
There was something indescribabby
majestic in the sight of this tremend
GUS bulk of gracefully assembled
steel descending with rapidly increas.
ing speed down the long creased ways
to the bright river, in which 50 many
ships have been christened. There
was something curiouSly inspiring in
the scene-the mountain OF moulded
metal rushing riverward. headlong
down the ways, the fluttering of thou
sands OF handkerchiefs and the
cheers from thousands of throats, the
music, the ceremony.
The available space about the ways
was packed with enthusiastic human.
fly. The school children we're present
in thousands. Work was suspended
in the yard, and thousands OF brawny
workmen mingled in the great crowd.
From the city came everyone who
could spare the time All the fashion
and life OF the city was there.
From Baltimore, Annapolis and 9th
er points In Maryland came big
crowds by special and regular trains.
Washington sent a large contingent.
Richmond was represented and many
hundreds Of other persons came from
intermediate points. On the launch
ing stands we're parties Of distin.
guished visitors including Governor
Smith and party OF Maryland and
numerous naval officers and others
from Washington
When the hour for the launching
arrived the block was sawn apart at
the big ships bow. and she started on
her journey down the ways. II was
an instant after the ship began TO
move that Miss Jennie Scott Waters.
daughter OF General Waters OF Baiti-
more. flung the christening bottle
against the vessels shapely prov. In
less time than II takes TO tell II the
ship was riding gracefully on the
bosom OF the James. AS she came
to anchor in midstream a renewed
cheer went up from the assembled
thousands while the countless tugs
and other craft on the river added TO
the general din with deafening
screeches from their whistles.
The cruiser Maryland was author
lied by congress along with the West
Virginia the Colorado, the South Da.
kota, the Nebraska and the Cali
fornia. The vessels represent long
step ahead for the navy Practically
no advance was made after the Brook.
lyn and New York were built by the
Cramps. The new ships have the in
vulnerability Of battleship, with
the speed OF frst-class cruiser. and
compare favorably with the best yes
sells OF foreign powers.
The principal dimensions OF the
Maryland are as follows: Length on
load water line, 502 feet; extreme
beam. 50 feet 6ik inches; draft on
normal displacement OF 1856 tons,
"a feet inch; full load displacement.
ammunition and stores aboard. 49,
l04 tons; designed indicated horse
power. $4,000; speed 22 knots; coal
supply. 1850 tons; complement OF Of
ficers, AZ; compliment OF seamen
marines. etc, 7s3.
The ship viii be propelled by two
sets OF twin screws. vertical inverted
triple expansion, direct acting engines
designed for 5000 collective horse
power. having a stroke of four feet
and running at 100 revolutions
minute. Each engine will be placed
in a separate water tight compart-
ment. and win have cylinders 5s1z
inches. 6s1s inches and two "A inches
in diameter. team at $50 pounds
pressure 10 the square inch will be
supplied from 16 water tube boilers Of
the most improved marine type. The
boilers will be arranged in six water
tight compartments. the total crate
snurface being 1000 square feet. and
the total heating surface 1894
square feet There viii be four fun
nels. standing fore and aft
The main battery viii consist OF !
eIght-lDch breech loading rines and