Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-03-24
THE CRUISER WASHINGTON.
She ExCels All Other Vessels of Her Class IL
Many Respects.

building Co.'S yards, at Camden, N. Y.
last Saturday. Miss Helen Stuart
Wilson, daughter OF ex-U. $. Senator
John J.. Wilson, christening her b,
the revered name ever held in CRATE
full memory by her namesake, til,
people who constitute the State O
Washington. In addition to the
sponsor, the christening party includ
ed Miss katherine Hargrave of New
York, Miss Maud Wadsworth of Spo
kane, Miss Ruth Stone of Walla Walls
and Miss Grace Denny of Seattle, as
maids OF honor, and ten girls from thu
school which Miss Wilson attended il
New York. Former Senator Wilson
and former Governor John II. McGraw
of Washington, the latter representing
Governor Albert f. Mead, who wa.
unavoidably absent, were also present
Wilson was escorted to the christening
stand beneath the bow of the cruiser
by her father, Ex-Governor McGrav
and N. Courcey May, President OF the
New York Shipbuilding Co. Miss
Wilson and all the maids of honor
carried huge punches of American
Beauty roses.
The many columns OF description Of
the ship and her successful entrance
upon her first stage as one of the
mistresses of the sea afford a very fair
conception OF the noble craft. From
them we quote as follows
The cruiser Washington is the most
powerful fighting craft Of its kind ever
foated by any nation in the history of
the world. The cruiser will be the
pride of the American navy. 1t is A.
500 tons burden. The total length OF
the ship will be SOP feet, and the
speed requirements under the contract
% knots per hour. The bunker ca.
pacity under contract is 1000 tons.
The cruiser, in order to meet the re-
quirements of the contract, must be
able to traverse 800 miles of ocean
without recoaling. She will carry a
complement OF nearly 900 men and
officers. and will, when completed,
cost Uncle Sam nearly Sc, 100000.
The Washington will excel in bat
terry power and protection any armored
cruiser ever built, building or designed
in the world, according to the bureau
of construction, in fighting power
will be the equal OF large majority OF
the battleships OF the world and at the
same time have decided speed adj
vantages over its more huge and cum.
bersome sister, the battleship. In
appointments the Washington will
undoubtedly be q model and is con-
sidered as near to perfection as modern
science can construct. The compile.
ment will be provided with all possible
comforts; much more so on the
Washington than on any other war
ship flying the Stares and Stripes to-
day. It is the aim of the navy arm of
the government to make the service as
attractive as possible, and it believes it
has accomplished much toward this
end in the interior arrangement Of the
cruiser Washington.
With the high protection and bat.
terry, it may be asked in what respect
this vessel differs from q battleship.
1t may be stated that she bears the
same relation to the battleship as the
cavalry does to the infantry in the
army. With four knots greater speed
than the vessels OF the Connecticut
class OF battleship, she is able to move
more quickly from point to point, and
with her excess of speed over the bat
tleship, she is able to give battle or run
away from the enemy's battleship as
she pleases; and with her powerful
offensive and defensive qualities. she is
able, in case OF necessity. to put up a
stiff fight with the finest battleship
afloat with q fair chance OF winning
out.
As compared with the Maryland
class OF armored cruisers now building,
there is increased protection to the
gun positions by the installation OF
splinter bulkheads, greater isolation Of
the 6 inch gun positions being thus
secured. OF the twenty-five 3-inch
guns which are carried, only six are
without protection, and even these
are placed in easements forward and
aft on the gun deck and protected by
two inches of nickel steel.
The battery power has also been
greatly increased by the substitution
Of four 10-inch guns on the new vessel
in place of four 8.inch guns on the
Maryland class, the relative perforat-
ing power of the 10 and S-iuch guns
through Krupp armor by cap projec-
tiles at 5000 yards being at the ratio
OF Is to 1913. The number OF 6inch
guns has also been increased from four.
teen on the Maryland class to sixteen
on the Washington class.
The general features and dimensions
Of the cruiser Washington are as fol.
lows:
Length OF load waterline, SOP feet |;
breadth, extreme, at load waterline, u
feet 10t inches; displacement on trial,
not more than 14.5O0 tons; mean
draft to bottom OF keel ct trial dis.
placement, 25 feet: maximum dis.
placement, full load condition, with
coal bunkers full, full supply OF stores,
ammunition on board, and water in
boilers, 1880 tons; mean draft ct
maximum load, p feet 10 inches; coal
carried on trial, 900 tons; total coal
bunker capacity. 1000 tons; steaming
radius at ten knots per hour, about
$500 knots; steaming radius ct full
speed, not less than twenty-five knots !;
maximum one horse. power (estimated)
for this speed, $4,000; appropriated for
hull and machinery, 1850 900.
The full complement of the vessel,
as flagship, will consist of one flag
officer, one commanding officer, chief
OF staff, nineteen wardroom officers,
twelve junior officers, ten warrant Off.
GERS and 8l4 men.
OUR NEXT SToRY.-"On the Wings
OF the Morning." one OF the very best