Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1904-04-09
OF
THE VIRGINIA
BattleShip Of Old DOmin
ion State GIideS Off
the Ways.
CHEERING CROWD PRESENT
A Complete Description OF
One Of Uncle Sans Mon.
arChS Of the Sea.
MOST INTERESTING CEREMONIES

Newport News. ya. April 5.--in the
presence OF thousands OF cheering
spectators and to a chorus of booming
guns. gcroechiug whistles and clang
ing bells. the big 1900 ton battleship
Virginia gracefully glided from the
ways at the yard Of the Newport
News ship Building and DRY Dock
company today The interesting cero
mony took place shortly before one
O'Clock. and as the now warBhip went
down the ways and took her maiden
DIP lu the ripping waves OF the hla.
torIy janice river the assembled mul.
utude wildly choorod tho new add.
zion to Uncle SANS fleet
OwaE to the easy access 90 all
residents of the state honorud by Tue
navy department when the Virginia
was named there VAS che largest ut.
tendance ever seen ut a launching
here. ln the forenoon there was o
large parade of state militia. sailors.
and various patriotic societies.
The ship was chustonod by Miss
Matilda Gay Montague. daughter OF
Governor Montague OF Virginia Miss
Montague. who Is only ~ years old,
vas accompanied IRON Richmond by
large and distinguished party, ia.
Guiding state officials. the governors
stan aud numerous influential bust.
ness aud professional men. Nearly
an OF the Virginia representatives In
congress were on hand. and also large
parties OF citizens from Portsmouth,
/ Norfolk. Petersburg and other points.
/ with the FIRST movement OF the
huge hull Miss Montague lightly
| poised the gaily boribboned cham.
payne bottle 10 her dainty hand. and
as the vessel swept down 20 meet tho
/ ga, she dashed the rlass receptacle
against the unyelding wall OF steel
and as the wine flowed down toward
the ways In foaming fiyulets the faiT
sponsor said Il chdstcu thee Nir
gnla.'
paudcmoulum had broken loose %
the crowd below a. well as upon IN,
christening stand Greeted with Z
welcoming blast from the uhrIl
throEta OF a score or more % steam
whistles tho battloahlp d0ated ma
Iosticauv out upon thea bosom OF N,
James. whore he was brought 20 70
mldstroam Occupying a place o.
honor upon the bow stood W y Kline
the only survivor OF the ave men wh'
were aboard the old virginia lMorrI
macl OF tho Confederate navy whei
launched at the Norfolk navy yard
After the launCung tho crowd di.
peracd. Viewing with interest th
cruiser Charleston. launched som
time aFo. thc Minnesota, whose ko,
was laid two months ago, the Yves
b Virginia. which is rapidly nearln
d completion. aud the Maryland. whic
Dos expected 20 Dee ready for tho go'
. aInmCnt Boo another year AnothC
object OF inspection was the Loul
lana. which was regarded with spoclr
. interest because It is known ina
There o. "a race ou between the Loot
ship building company and tho nav
, yard az New York.
!, Tho invited guests. including Co
/, onor Noutaguos party and tho navl
7, officials from washington we're drl
N on 20 the Hotel Warwick whore a a
. Iehtful collation. was served
Tho battleship Virginia cmhod.,
. the highest ingenuity and mature q
. porlcucc of American naval expert
, The general dimensions ot tho obi
4, are. Length on load water line, q
feet. breadth leNtrcmol at load watt
uue. as feet 10 inches, trial az
i placement about 5000 tons, mel
. drauRht At trial displacement aho
7 % feet inches greatest draugt
- uIl load 90 feet
!, In the 1900 or more tons rcpr
scented in the Virginia tho many q
IA tagonlstic qualities essential 20 a p,
4. feet hghtlng machine have been col
I, prlsod and incorporated in the ~
...HH.a ..HI.E .HW.mHnmm. nmmHnm