The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-03

,,io,,e "a ME- deatl, and ever since, Gavin
!, orc,,tt has been the president, Wltli5I
has,i,ina,tcrs In New York. fhe other
nrincibal executive officers are Nalter ~ ~
I,nst, General superintendent; q. IN H l4r'p
h,ns ;isstslant general suPcrlntenu1eh,ttil|
M p. pougherty, superintendent OF NUTS Y
nnd construction; James Rowbottoi'1, ysu--
|perintendent machinery depart I'M "
Charles r. Bailey, chief engineer
Naval Officers. .
Sd ,nucli work is done here Tor mo
Navy Department OF the un,tco S'utes
that a CORPS OF naval officers hie wi
stantly on duty at the shit-yhrd. IheS
nrc. Captain Richard ,1ucll, senior 'nspeeT
tor OF inncllilert; Captain a. ". o SIAM
superintendent naval construction, laes'-
tenant. Commodore !. III. Newton inspeci-
| Tor az equipment; Lieutenant Commodore
n. }O,} Hltlrr. Inspector or ordnance; Lieu.
Tenant w. Strcthcrs Smith 0ornlerly or
Richn,ond), assistant Inspector Of ma
chinei'y; Lieutenant g. a. Bisset, as
slstant naval constructor.
lii addition TO these there Is small
army Of engineers, ship carpenters able
scanlen. etc..
Captain Richard Juchs who is the dean
Of the naval colony Is n man who has
seen much service. He has plowed the
waters Of the knowl, world on Uncle
Sans big fighters. lie was with Dewey
on tho Olympia ut Manila, and heard the
old Admiral whci, he said to the captain
or the Olympia: "Gridley, you cnn fire
when Vol, arc ready"
Other Warships.
The ship-yards have Supplied the United
States with some oftits most noted war
monsters. Tho battleships built here or
a{,,.r 1,ttft u,.o = M t.cay pn
ment511,625 tons, launched March "a, 1893.
commissioned February 20. 1900; Ken
Gtutky 11525 tons, launched March q. 1888.
commissioned May Is. 1900: Illinois, IL
5?5 tons launched October |, 1885, COM
lnssioned, September 49, 1901; Missouri.
1850 tons, launched December 90, 1901.
commissioned December 4 II 1908 and the
following now being built: Virginia. To-
900 tons: Louisiana, 10000 tons; Mime
sotn 10000 tons.
The arlnored cruisers being built are
the Maryland. 1900 tons, and the West
Virginia, 1340b Other warsllips built and
being built lero ire the protected cruiser
charleston. the monitor Arkansas, and
the 'gunhoats Wilmington. Helena and
! Nashville. &
1t will be rom embcrcd that the Nash
vile was first member of the American
| fleet 10 capture a Spanish prize in the
Spanlsll-American wtr.
Ships Of Commerce.
Noted ships for tho peaceful pursuits
OF commerce tllatsSh been built at
! these yards arc the Korea and Siberia
| cor the Pacific Steamship and mail line,
| The ships are now sailing between San
francisco and Chinese ports. and are
the biggest vessels Of their kind ever.
hulit in this country. Other well known
Ships built here are: Comns, Proteus, Ell
Vale FL Dia, FL Siglo. FL Alba Mons
roc. Francis II. Leggctt, ~ Mo, El Cid
| Newport News La Cirande Duchess, Gre
ole, Margaret. FL Sud and lei Norte.
A large number Of smaller craft might
be mentioned, and III addition to8all these
the company has rebuilt the North Ger
man Lloyd steamer Main, which was
).dcstroyed BY fire; converted two steamers
into oil tanl. ships, converted tho steamer
"Creole' into the hospital ship "Solnce,"
besides converting other vessels into aux
Hilary cruisers and transports and carry
ing on repair work on All extensive scale,
During the year 1903 more than 800 yes !,
sells were repaired by the company.
But to Return.
But let me get back to Virginia day. q
The Virginia will be named by Miss
| Matilda Gay Montague, the thirteen
year-old daughter Of Governor Andrew
J Jackson Montague. whorwas invited by
| the Navy Department TO smash tile ira
| ditional bottle of wine over the bow of
| the ship which is to bear the historic.
name of the Old Dominion. Some persons
suggested that Miss Montague was too
| young TO entrust with such an important
| task. 1t was pointed out that sailors are
| a superstltious lot. and that IT the little
girl failed 10 smash the bottle Of wine
properly, The old tars would look upon
the ship as Il "hoodoo," and would shun
her The wise ones also shook their heads
and said such a slip of a girl probably
would get ratified and would make
botch of the whole affair.
Some Back History.
| History. however. does not bear them
out, for two of the prettiest launchings
| ever held here were when girls as young
as Miss Montague acted as sponsors. One
| Of the first ships which went overheard
| at the shlpyard was chrstcned BY Miss
| Emma Rowbottom, the small daughter of
| the foreman of the machine shops. and
| the protected cruiser Charleston. launched
| in January of this year, was named by
Miss Rhctt, daughter OF Mayor Rhett. OF
1 Charleston. S. G.. She was only fourteen
| years old. Neither of those little ladies
| lost their nerve at the crucial moment,
Land Miss .Rhett dashed the champagne
| bottle against the side Of the Charleston
1 with sufficient Ngor to smash q whole
case Of wine, The only launching here In
| which Il sponsor failed to smash the bot
tic on the first trial was in the case OF
the Maryland, which, by the way, was
the only ship which stuck on the ways
| here. Miss Jennie Scott Waters, of Bal
timorc, was the sponsor As sho named
the ship she threw the bottle against the
cruisers bow, but not with sufficient
force to break the glass. President Or
| cult quickly caught the bottle and the
second time it was thrown the Mary
land was far enough away for the bottle
to break Of It's own momentum.
The Temperance Folks.
As a matter Of course The shipyard ati-
| thorlties have received the usual number
| IF appeals from temperance folks and
advocates Of prohibition, praying that u
bottle OF water be used for christening
purposes, The stercotyped and polite re-
| ply has been that custom demands wine.
| SPECIALLY Low ROUND TRlf, RATES
-r,T- n VI ~ a 80