Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-04-28
POWERFUL
CRUISER
LAUNCHED
California Latest Addition to
Uncle Sans Navy Takes
to Water
High Speed Combined With
Unusual r m Protection
Are Her Features

since the launching of the battleship
Ohio, which was attended by Presi.
dent Mckinley and other distin.
guished sons of the Buckeye state,
has the shipyards of the Union Iron
Works seen such a gala event as to-
day, when the magnificent armored
cruiser California was welded t the
waters. The christening and launch
ing Of the leviathian of the deep was
accomplished in the presence Of a
crowd of thousands of spectators made
largely of members of the society
known as Native Sons of the Golden
West, who were practically in charge
oil the days ceremonies.
On the christening stand were Gov.
ernor Pardee and other distinguished
officials of the state of California and
of the leading cities of the
wealth. AS the new warship swept
down the ways the assembled multi.
tude wildly cheered the new cham
pion. The christening ceremony was
performed by Miss Florence May
Pardee, daughter of the governor.
The interesting ceremony took
place shortly before IL o'clock. With
the first movement of the big hull
Miss Pardee lifted the %beribboned
champagne bottle above her head and
sent it with a resounding crash
against the unyielding walls of steel,
at the same time saying in clear
tones heard by all on the speakers
stand:
81 christen thee California"
AS the cruiser took her maiden
plunge in her native element she
was greeted by a welcoming blast
from a large feet of war vessels from
Mare Island, excursion steamers, tug
boats and other craft of many de-
scriptions.
The cruiser California is similar in
type and dimensions to the Pennsyl.
vania, recently launched at Cramps,
the Maryland recently launched at
Newport News, the West Virginia
also recently launched, and the South
Dakota and Colorado now building.
When completed the California will
have a total displacement Of nearly
$4,000 tons. The type of the Cali.
fornia derives pre-eminence from
two qualities-speed and c~oncentra.
ton Of fire. Her wonderful engines.
driving twin screws. will develop a
horsepower of $1,000, capable of pro
pelling the ship at a speed of %
knots an hour-perhaps faster. This
speed at once will take her outside
the reach Of pursuing battlaships,
while her powerful battery will make
of her a dangerous antagonist, both
in engagements with vessels of her
own class and those carrying heavier
ordnance.
The main battery of the California
is to consist Of four eight.inch rifles !
mounted in pairs in turrets, fore and
aft. These guns are to be of the
latest type, and will approximate as
closely to the rapid-fring design as
can be reached in guns OF that call.
bre. There are in addition IA six.
inch guns of the ~rapid-fre design,
whose broadside fre-seven guns on
a side-concentrated on an enemy
would prove Irresistible.
Her secondary battery consists OF
IS three-inch ~rapid-ire guns, ~ three
Founders. eight one-pounders, two
three-inch rapid-fre field guns, two
machine guns and six automatic guns
in all a most formidable array of
both heavy and light ordnance.
Recent tests made TO prove the
strength of armor such as will protect
the CALIFORNIA; sides show that pro
jectiles fired with a velocity Of 1868
feet per second broke against the
fourinch plate like eggs. So that
her great speed and her splendid bat
terry, the California will also be pro
tected by an armor belt, making her
a fighting machine Of great defensive
strength as well as Of offensive pow
ers.
The contract price OF the Califor
MIA is 50, 500, 900. Her constructors
the Union Iron Works. were tho
builders also OF the famous Oregon
and other Of the finest hghting ma
chimes OF tho United States navy.