Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-03-20

CRUISER
LAUNCHED

CAMDEN. IS. j.. Mnrch lS.-n the
presence 1f several Thousand spccta-
tors and loo chorus of steam waistes
and changing bells. the United states
aunorod cruiser Washington. the mout
powerful of MS class yet built. grace.
tally sllIcd from the ways at he
sarl OF lhc New York sbpnuldne
oWp1uy today AS tbe new wauhp
wcpr down the way toward the rip
p'ue waters oil the Delaware tac as
mhIrd multitude wildly cheurrd the
ngy champion owing TO the distance
OF the state OF Washington from this
eity there was not large attendance
1f citizens of the commonwealth hon
orol by the navy department waeu
tine Washington was named. There
wis an influential delegation ON hand.
however. composed of state umcinlB.
members OF thr Legislature and the
Washington Representatives In con
gross The ship was chrsteucd by
Nls Helen Stewart Wilson, daughter
ur rormer United stotos Senator vii
SON OF Washington
With the FIRST movement of the
hnga hull Miss Wilson lightly poised
.be soyy bsrlbbouei bottle of cham.
pagne aud as the vessel swept down
gn meet the tide she dashed the glas
receptacle agoinat the uyiolding wall
of stool and as The wine flowed down
The ways I'm loaming fivmcts the fair
pouaor said. "r chrislon thee WASH
nglou"
Pandomonium had broken loose IN
Me crowd below as well as upon the
stand Stali maJrous rs weu as
gddy maids were mounting points oi
vantage In order 10 see the new vessel
leap into the arms OF her native ele-
mcnt Greeted with welcoming
blast from ,ne shruI tmoats Of several
score OF steam whistles tae cruiser
uoaJcd maiasucaly ONT upon the Bos-
om OF the Delaware. where she soon
Was captured by tug and towed to
one ok The shipyari piers. whero she
win be completed. She is now In o
more advanced slags OF construction
bn any other vessel ever before
launcuod for tine United States navy,
Thc Washington was contracted for
on February 3, 1904. and al the same
Time the Cramps were awarded tho
contract Tor a sister ship. the Ten
nessre. There has been quite a riy
airy hefwean the two shIpbuIlding
firms TO 500 which snould complet
Iw contract the quickest The New
York ShlpbUillmg company is ahead
with tine launching OF the Washing
ton. This ia partially due TO the fact
JauJ the ways ON which the cruiser
was built arc covered by g mammoth
he'd OF glass aud steel allowing Tor
work in AN kinds of weather.
lho Washington, while not designed
TO- be quite as nst as some OF the
tighter armed cruisers. viii have
greater battery and defensive powers
nan auy vessel cIassed as q cruiser
i'm fact she viii be superior to many
aulera.ps of the earlier type. The
Washinrtons length on wafer line ls.
50z ioet, breadth at load water line
fa.r displacement ON Trial 70 feet,
moan draughl at mazImum ..oad zt
uo. THE retmlue radius nt ten
knot. will bee $500 knots. stoamIns
rHus at fuu speed. about 3 100 knots
Taa amor plate protective ranges
from @ inches for Inc mrets TO s.
inches for the belt 1'ne cruiser Will
hive very heavy armament. Tne
mam battery viii consist Of four lo.
inch cun and sixteen Ginch guns
Tha secondary battery will have TWEEN
ly.aree a-ucb rapid ire guns, twelve
lpomder samiautomauc guns. Two
lpoauder automsic and two lpound.
or rapid.0re guns two 3-nch fed
1Iercs. and three small calibre rapid
fire machine guns.
The Indicated horsepower ot Toe en-
zines is $4,000, and .hoy are designed
20 drive the yeasel at speed OF at
least ~ knots an hour.