The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-24
The CRUISER
CHA.R''L..E|: J J. | J n.
Was Launched at Newport
News il, a Dense
Fog.
STRONG PLEA FOR THE NAVY.
STRONG PLEA FOR THE NAVY
Post Launching Luncheon Very
Pleasant Afair-Specch by
Senior Gonzales dc Qucseda.
s,noc,ol 4 rho Times. Dispatchl)

lnunCned Ut IMP Snip-yuiu AieiS 90 A"..u
o'clock to-day, going into tho water ABOUT
fifty per cent. complete
The ship WINS christened by Miss Helen
w, Rhett daughter of Mayor Rhett. OF
Chnrlcston. Tho Mayor headed tho party
from his city. ta-
Owing to the cold wind. the crowd pres
ent was not as largo rs usually turns out
on such an occasion here.
8l LAUNCHED IN FOG,
TIE big ship went into the water With
out a. hitch, but was Immediately lost TO
view In the dense fog that hung over the
river. 3
The Charleston. party made up IN en-.
thusinsm what they lacked In numbers,
and the launching was in every way sat
isfactory.
rho crowd slowly dispersed, viewing
with Interest the Virginia, nearly ready
for Launching; the Minnesota, whose Keel
was laid only few ago, and the LOUIS
lana which Is about one-third completed.
The latter ship was regarded with spc.
cial interest, because 1t Is known that
there Is n race between tho local ship
building company and tho navy-yard at
New York
The invited guests including the Charles
ton party and the naval officials from
washington, were driven TO tho Hotel
Warwick where n delightful luncheon.
was rendered by ten yard.
1t was one Of the most ENJOYABLE func-
lions Of the kind ever held here. Mr.
Walter A. Post. general superintendent
OF tho ship yard, was toastmaster. 3.
G. 3Bickford responded to the toast The
President OF tho United States. &c
hoped to see tho day when Americas
mailed fist would extend over all the
troubled waters OF the world, and wr1n
the President following the examr.e OF
the Iowly Nazarene, would have power to
say Peace be still"
e. P. Hanna who represented the navy
Department. spoke on The Navy, max
ing strong plea for the extension Of
that important branch OF the government
service. Mayor r. G. Rhett, Of Charles
ton. S. c., responded to the toast Tho
Cruiser Charleston" touching upon the
historical Significance of the name.
CUBAN MINISTER.
Senior Gonzales dc Queseda, Cuban
Minister, made an eloquent speech in re.
Spouse to the toast Cuba.
Mr. Marshall OF Charleston, responta
TO the toast THE Sponsor /" in a witty
and appreciative little address.
Lieutenant r. K. Crank responded TO
tho toast "The Battleship Missouri" IN
which he highly praised the workman
ship Of the local ship-yard
Mayor A. a. Moss closed the pro-
gramme with an eloquent invitation to
| tho visitors to return to this section 10
| take part in the jamestown celebration
| in 1907. ii
| Members Of the Charleston party at
| tended an Informal ball given In their
honor at the Chamberlain Hotel tonight.
In the party from Washington were
Naval Constructor Buret and wife, f. r
|
| ouesda. Mr.. Delgado and Manuel de La
Vega.
|. The protected cruiser Charleston is
ono Of the finest vessels Of her class
| In the world. She Is an Improvement on
the cruiser Olympia, Admiral DeWey,s
flagship in the battle Of Manila. she
embodies features which are ne" "
cruisers Of her class.
!. The principal dimensions. armament ana
| protection OF the vessel are: Length on
l load water line. 424 feet: breadth, ex-
IRENE, &C feet trial displacement, o'Io
tons; mean draft, at normal dispiace-
ment. % feet, inches; speed, % knots.
Armament, IA slx-!nch rapid-fre guns;
Is fourteen pound rapid-fre guns; ~
/ three pound rapid-fire guns four one,
| pound automatic guns; eight one-pound
rapid-fire guns; two onc-pound RAPID a.
l fire field guns; two machine guns ~
calibre; eight automatic guns, ~ ciipie.
Protection-Maln side armor, lnches'
1 lower casemate armor, I inches; six
i inch gun protection, 4 inches; coming
Il tower and shield, inchcs; signal tower,
4 inches: splinter bulkheads, lnches;
protective deck, 2 1-2 inches
GUN ARRANGEMENT.
The main deck OF the cruiser !s sup
n,emented amidship with a covered su-
perstructure, within which are located
4 four six-inch rapid-fire guns and Six
j fourtcen-pound rapid-fIre guns; OUTSIDE
tho superstructure are two more SIX
inch rapid-fire guns. located on the cen
tor line, one forward and the other ait:
the battery Is located, consisting OF
eight six-inch rapid-flre guns. four one-
Mound rapid-fIre guns, and IL fourteen
pound rapId-fire guns. Sixteen rapld.fire
guns are situated on the superstructure
deck and bridges. and the remainder ol
the battery is located m me t'stis oupf
of the two military masts. Addltioha1
| platforms are built on the masts TO ac-
commodate two searchlights Electric
& ammunition hoists will supply the guns
With the greatest possible rapldlty, max
ing it possible to hurl against an enemy
a broadside Of about twelve IONS Pe'
minute. =, 9
The four lofty smokestacks, 10 feet, 9
inches high, provide draft for sixteen
straight water-tube boilers, located IN
four water-tlght compartments, ana, 70
gether with tho engines. protected by the
Side armor, sloping deck armor and an,
twelye-foot coal bunker The vessel IS
az near fireproof as possible, Wherever
j wood has been used IN construction y IS
fireproof, The vessel Is fitted to accom-
modate a flag officer and his staff In
Conjunction with the regular company
Z In commission the number, OF Officers sos
d viii be 80. and the crew will number 5sa
men, for which have been provided SIX
teen boats, ranging from S6-foot steam e
TOO twelye-foot punts and two life RATS
, viii be- carried. All the latest and best
improvements In construction and equip