Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-09-29
TAKES WATER
LAUNCHED TO-DAY AT THE
BROOKLYN YARD.
Maiden Plunge of Big Vessel Wit
messed By Large Crowd
of Visitors.
Special Dispatch 10 Evening Capital

New York, Sept. 29.-In view of
probably the largest crowd that ever
witnessed at launching in this conn
try the battleship Connecticut slid
down the ways and took her maiden
plunge in the deep at ii O'Clock this
morning. The launching took place
at the Brooklyn navy yard. where
the vessel is being built. A half hour
before the event the gates of the yard
were thrown open and the public
swarmed in by the thousands. It was
the first launching of modern battle
ship in this vicinity and as a conse-
uuence the public was exceedingly
eager to witness the event.
As the huge hulk slid from the ways
into the East River the christening
ceremony was performed by Miss
Alice Welles, granddaughter of Gid
con Welles, of Connecticut, who was
Secretary of the Navy under Presi-
dents Lincoln and johnson. Miss
Welles broke on the vessels bow a
gold -necked bottle of champagne
draped with the national colors. The
launching was witnessed by many in
yited guests, who were received by
Admiral Rodgers. commandant of the
navy yard. In addition to the Con-
necticut party, which was headed by
Governor Chamberlain and his staff,
there were present large number of
naval officers from Boston, Philadel-
phia Washington and other points.
Great precautions had been taken to
insure successful launching. On the
ways was spread 10, 600 pounds of
launching grease. Ready to grab the
vessel almost as soon as she struck
the water were powerful tugs which
we're used to take her to her moorings.
To prevent any accident and to keep
the course clear, the police boats, rev.
enue cutters and the yard launches
patrolled the water to keep all other
boats ont of the way. AS the vessel
struck the water the craft ON the Man
haitian side of the river, together with
the factories in the vicinity, sent mp a
deafening shrek from their countless
whistles. To this din was added the
booming of cannon and the shouts of
the thousands of spectators After
the launching the christening party
aud other distinguished visitors we're
entertainedsat luncheon by Admiral
Rodgers and the other officers of the
navy. The battle ship is a sister ship
to the Louisiana, which was launched
a few weeks since at Newport News.
Ia view of the fact that il is the first
ship OF the modern navy to be con
structed Dy the Navy Department and
not by private contract the progress
of its construction has been watched
with keen interest in naval circles.
The Connecticut is 450 feet long and
has a beam of rs feet 10 inches. Her
normal mean draft with 900 tons of
coal in her bunkers will be "a feet
inches. Her normal displacement
will be is, 600 tons. Her complement
will be AZ officers and 760 men. She
will be fitted with twin screws and
twelve Babcock- Wilcox boilers, de-
velopihg is, 500 horse power. She will
have a speed of eighteen knots. Her
turret armOr will be 12-inch Krupp
steel and her barbette armor 10-inch
Krupp, while the side armor will be
eleven inches thick at the more
exposed portions of the hull, tapering
down to nine inches at the bow and
stern. The vessel will be thoroughly
equipped with electrical appliances for
handling ammunition, aiming the
guns. and for all other necessary pur-
poses. 1t is now an accepted theory
that in order to do satisfactory shoot
ing there should be a continuous aim
that is to say, the gun should be
pointed steadily at the target, no mat
ter how the vessel moves One method
of doing this is by keeping the weapon
in horizontal position all the time
by an automatically controlled elec-
trio motor. The guns on the Con-
necticut will be equipped with such
mot0rG