Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-27

down the ways beautiful Miss Juanita La
Lande of New Orleans broke the bottle or
champagne across her PROV at the same
time murmurng: Il name thee Louisiana
She was attended by her sister, Miss Rubie
La Lande, Miss Marget Castellanos and
Miss Alice Stauffer. The assistant secre-
tary of the navy and party OF oHlcldls
came down from Washington. Lieutenant
Governor Sanders represented the state OF
Louisiana on the stand in the absence OF
Governor Blanchard, who could not come
Governor Montague of Virginia and mem
bers of his staff occupied places on the
christening platform.
"Ali right this time, said Mr.. circuit
Nothing TIE matter with that tallow- he
had reference to the launching OF the cruls-
er Maryland last summer, When meltihs
tallow caused the ship to stick
The battle ship Minnesota, now the only
government ship building mere unlauhcheu
will go over in about six months.
The shipbuilding plant was closed down
today in celebration of the OCCASION anu
the ward was thrown open to the public
before o'clock. .
were escorted to the Hotel Warwick by
President c. b. circuit and Generai Supei
intendent Post There a dainty coila' ~
WAS served the governor or virginia, .iie
lieutenant governor of Louisiana ana the
shipyard officials responding to toasts. Il ne
Louisiana party will return nome tohlsh'
on the Seaboard Air Line.
The launching of the Louisiana dt'i ac'eu
videspread attention. owing to the 1act
that since the laying of the keel mere lias
heen a race in construction between the
contractors and the government, "hlch Is
building the sister snip oohHetbcu' a. 'i
Brooklyn navy yard.
Beat the Connecticut Month.
The Louisiana went overheard one month
ahead of the time set for the launching OF
the Connecticut. Especial interest attaches
to this race for. while the private yard has
iDSt
ward. the contest is not ended until the
sbins are ready for commissioning, and it
mus- be remembered that in the case OF
the Connecticut building slip had to be
constructed and large travelling crane
erected before work on the vessel llSell
could be started. The keel of the LOUIS.
lana was laid February {, 1903, and that OF
the Connecticut on March 10 following a
creditable record of industry on the part
of the handicapped New York navy yard:
Since then the race between the builders OF
the vess els has been keen one
Approved by Congress July l, 1902.
These ships were authorized by act of
Congress- approved July /, 1902, but the
record of their beginning dates back year,
VIXEN the session of Congress preceding au-
thorized the Navy Department to prepare
plans for these vessels for subsequent sub
mission to the naval experts of the ma
tional Legislature to pass upon. Fortunate
ly, however, the decision YVES left to the
experts of the department in the end, and
construction was authorized upon the splen-
didly wrought plans turned out after more
than years most careful deliberation.
The Louisiana is of huge dimensions, the
| following figures giving an idea of her size:
Length on load waterline, $50 feet;
breadth, extreme, at load water line "a
| feet ten inches; displacement on trial, not
dis pl. f,,lI
| load, IL ,G66 tons; mean draught to bottom
| OF keel at trial displacement "a feet G
| inches; gross drauSht, full load about 2f
! feet inches; total coal bunker capacity
| about 200 tons; coal carried on trial 9Nl
| TONS iced water carried on trial G6 tons
| complement officers and enlisted men, SOB
The Modern Equipment.
The fighting equipment of these sbins is
| of exceptional might, and will he centere6
| primarily In two powerful batteries of the
| very latest types of ordnance The diyi.
! slons of this armament are as follows
| Main battery. Pinch breech-loading ri.
hes' . s-lnch breech-loading rifles II 7-inct
breech-loading rifles; secondary battery q
3-inch rapid rifles, II 3-pouneer semi
automatic, 1-pounder automatic . 3-inct
! held guns machine guns.
The Finch guns will be mounted in IA ir,
on the main deck, Immediately forward ant
| apart the superstructure in two electricali,
| controlled turrets of the balanced type
These turrets Will be able to swing through
| ares of 30 degrees. and their maximum
| thickness of sheltering armor will be lively,
! inches. The eight-iuch guns mounted alst
| in pairs. will be placed in four smaller tur
rets, of similar design and means of con
troll placed at the four corners of the su
perstructure. The maximum protection Of
these turrets will be six inches thick and
they will be arranged to fire through wide
| arcs of train.
Twelve Seventeen Mounted Guns
| The twelve finch guns will be mounted il
two broadsde batteries on the gun deck
| locally protected by seven inches of armor
and separated from one another by stout
| steel bulkheads two inches thick These
guns have very wide arcs of fire, and are
| so mounted i'm recessed ports that they car
| be turned inboard and their muzzles housed
| within the side line. This protects their