The Washington times., 1904-08-28
Mightiest Sea Fighter of
the United States
Navy.
MISS LALLANDE SPONSOR
Launched Yesterday at New
port News-Heavy Arma-
ment of BattleShip.

NEWPORT NEWS. Va. Aug. 27.-At
1O'V' o'clock this morning the 16.OOO-ton
oettleship Louisiana glided down the
ways at the plant Of the Newport News
Shlpouilding and Dry Dock Company.
ana Heated upon the historic James.
mere was a comparatively small
crowd in attendance, the long and tedi-
Gus trip from the Bayou State prevent
Ing many who would have been glad to
attend the ceremony from being pres
ent.
Governor Sanders Present.
The State OF Louisiana was represent
ed officially by Lieut. Gov J. Y. San
ders, who arrived here on Thursday
from French Lick Springs. Ind. Sew
eral days ago he received q telegram
from Governor Heard, saying that
the governor would be unable TO attend,
and asking the lieutenant governor TO
represent the State. The christening
party. including the sponsor, Miss Jua-
nita LallRnde of New Orleans, several
members OF the governors stan, and a
number Of prominent Loulsianians, came
in on a special train last evening.
Darling and Montague There.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Oar
ling also arrived last evening and wit
messed the launching Governor Mon
tague was also present
Miss Lallande is a strikingly hand
some young woman of the Creole type.
She received an ovation as she ascend
ed the christening stand. Her maids Of
honor were Misses Margot Castellanos,
Alice Stauffer, and Rubie Lallande.
Upon the gayly decorated stand the
christening "a ~ a NJ hsa Of b..
shlpouilding Company patiently waited
The sponsor had been told how to smash
a silken ribbon from the railing OF the
upper deck.
Band Plays Dixie"
The band in attendance played a med
ley OF patriotic airs. Dixie as usual
provoking a wild demonstration. The
handsome costumes of the ladies. mixed
in with the gold braid OF naval officers
and stan officers, made a brilliant scene.
A sharp order was given and down be-
meath the prov OF the new champion
Two men began TO saw through the sole
pleces-stout timbers. which hold the
vessel on the ways till It is ready for
A sharp crack came as the saw cut
through the timbers. She's or" shout
ed hundred threats in the assembled
crowd
Chnstened by Miss Lallande.
Slowly and almost imperceptibIy at
first. the huge red hull began its Jour
ney toward the water. A bare crack
separated the prov from the timbers
against which it had rested for many
months
Then an inch; two inches: a foot. and
then the motion became perceptibIe and
the new champion swept down 10 meet
The sparkling waves dancing in the
bright sunlight Of a perfect August
morning
As the vessel gathered way Miss IaJ-
lande dashed the bottle against the IN
said: ~
4 christen thee louisiana"
A bedlam OF cheers and steam wbis-
Ties greeted the plunge OF the new fight
re INTO her natural element The band
o. the stand swung into the inspiring
ertuI defender Of the national honor
was afioat
After the launching breakfast was
served az the Hotel Warwick Covers
were laid for l25, and there We're a num-
Der OF Informal toasts
The local shipyard Is six points in the !
Ieao IN the contest with the Brooklyn |
VIII Make 10 Knots.
The Louisiana IS $50 feet long. has
beam of &c feet 10 inches. Her normal
mean draft. with 900 tons Of coal in her
bunkers. viii be "a feet inches. but she /
has bunker capacity for 200 tons of |
fuel Her normal displacement will be |
l6, 900 tons. but with full bunkers and a |
war supply OF ammunition aboard she
Will displace 1856 tonseOf water. She
viii be driven by twin screws at a speed /
OF Is knots an hour Twelve Babcock-
WILCOX hntfaEC inc
power will furnish the steam.
In armor ana armament the Louis
ANA and her twin sister. the Connect
cut, viii be In advance Of any ships in
The navy. The turret armor will be
2-inch kruppized steel for the Pinch
guns, and the barbette armor protecting
The S-inch guns will be 10-inch Kulpp-
lzed steel The side armor. covering
The engines and the vital points OF the
hull. Will taper from II inches at the
center 70 Inches at either end. and
VIII extend well above and below the
water line.
Has Twelve-Inch Guns.
Her armament will be the most pow
srful yet placed on an American war
ship. She viii have four 12-inch breech-
oading rifles. in two turrets-one for
ward and one aft. Those guns throw
a shell weighing $50 pounds. with a We
ocity Of $500 feet a second. In the re-
,ent battle between the Russian and
japanese fleets of Port Arthur the
japanese, at a distance Of eight miles.
'ound their Finch rifles effective. the
-zarewitch being struck three times
With shells OF that size. In addition, the
main battery will have eight 8-inch
runs In the barbette turrets stationed at .
,ach corner Of the superstructure. Then
here will be twelve finch rihes-a new
.aliber in the United States Navy. These
lew guns carry a proJectile weighing /
6S pounds with an explosive charge OF Z
thirteen pounds OF black powder. They
he arranged IN broadside-siX on either
ide OF the ship.
HUMAN SKELETON FOUND
IN NEW CAVE IN NUN