Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-03-24
IUISER LAUNCHED

UlOEk LAUNO1LD
SHIP WASHINGTON MET THE
WATER AT CAMDED, n. j.
be Presence Of Several Thousand
ectators and Amid Chorus Of
eam Whistles, the Warrior Was
bristened By Miss Wilson with Gus
mary Liquid Superior Ship.
the presence Of several thousand
tators and to a chorus to steam
Ties and changing bells, the United
es armored cruiser Washington,
most powerful Of its class yet built,
efully glided from the ways at the
Of the New York Shipbuilding Co.,
1903 Saturday AS the new war
swept down the ways toward the
ling waters of the Delaware the
nbled multitude wildly cheered
new champion. Owing to the dis
s of the state of Washington from
city there was not large at
lance of citizens Of the common
lth honored by the navy depart
when the Washington was nam
There was an influential delega-
on hand, however, composed of
4 officials, members of the legisla-
and the Washington representa-
in congress. The ship was chris
sd by Miss Helen Stewart Wilson,
ghter of former United States Sen
Wilson of Washington.
With the first movement of the huge
Miss Wilson lightly poised the
~ beribboned bottle of champagne,
as the vessel swept down to meet
tide she dashed the glass recepta-
against the unyielding wall OF
el, and as the wine flowed down
ways in foaming rivulets the fair
,nsor said: ~ christen thee Wash
tom
andemonium had broken loose in
crowd below as well as upon the
nd. Staid matrons as well as giddy
Ids were mounting points of want
in order to see the new vessel
D into the arms Of her native ele
BIT. Greeted with a welcoming blast
m the shrill throats Of several
1re of steam whistles, the cruiser
lied majestically out upon the Dos
Of the Delaware, where she sooI
5 captured by tug and towed tt
b of the shipyard piers, where she
d be completed. She is now in &
sre advanced stage of construction
IN any vessel ever before launched
the United States navy.
The Washington was contracted fol
February 8, 1904, and at the same
be the cramps were awarded The
ntract for a sister ship, the Ten
ssee. There has been quite a ri
Try between the two shipbuildinG
ns to see which should complete
contract the quickest. The New
3rk Shipbuilding company is aheaC
th the launching of the Washington
lis is partially due to the fact tina
3 ways on which the cruiser wal
bit are covered by mammoth sheC
glass and steel, allowing for worl
all kinds of weather.
The Washington, while not design
to be quite as fast as some O
3 lighter armed cruisers, will have
eater battery and defensive powers
an any vessel classed as a cruiser
fact. she will be superior to man!
.ttleships Of the earlier type. Thu
ashingtons' length on water line il
p feet; breadth at load water line
feet; displacement on trial, % feet
ean draught at maximum load, q
et. The steaming radius at 10 knots
hi be $500 knots; steaming radius a
ll speed, about S100 knots.
The armor plate protection ranges
pm inches for the turrets to-
ches for the belt. The cruiser. viii
I've a very heavy armament. Tit
ain battery will consist of four 10
CHI guns and 16 6-inch guns. Th'
Icondary battery will have % S-incl
pid-fire guns, 10 3-pounder semi-auto
atic guns, two 1-pounder automati'
ID two 1-pounder rapid-fire guns, twt