Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-10
SOON TO JOIN NAVY
First Class Cruiser Montana to
Be Launched Saturday.
PREPARATIONS COMPLETE
Valuable Addition to Fleasing Fight
ing Foroe.
BUILT AT COST OF $S,575, 900
70 Be Christsnsd by Daughter Of One
Of '1fosby's Men,. Who Found
Fortune In the West.

the local shipyard. will be launched at the
plant Of the Newport News Shipbuilding
ana Dry Dock Company Saturday morning
at 8 o'clock. The scaffolding has been re-
moved and the warship now Hes on the
ways, resplendent in q new coat OF bright
red paint.
As the ship starts on her journey down
the ways she will be christened Montana
by Miss Minnie Conrad. who was selected
by Gov. Toole Of Montana. Miss Conrad
is the daughter of William G. Conrad.
banker. miner and ranch owner. OF Great
Falls, Mont. who Is Vtrginian by pirtn
and owns one of the most magnificent
country homes In the Shenandoah valley:
Her mother was Miss Timherlake, and
noted far and wide In the valley of Virginia
thirty years ago for her marvellous beauty.
One Of Mosby's Men.
The life story Of w. G. Conrad teens
with romance and adventure. When the
civil war opened he Joined Mosby's Ran
gers and fought throughout the conflict In
a gray uniform. The war left him with
out money and without home. He needed
the advice. go west. young man." and,
accompanied by his brother. also a member
Of the famous guerilla band. packed an
they had in a sack and started overland to
Montana. They first started a ranch ana
later a bank at Grand Falls, and then
OOuRnG ana developed IulueS. 0uCCcoo iC-
warded their efforts and millions were ac-
cumulated by them. w. G. Conrad now
owns in Montana a string of banks, dozen
ranches. thousands of acres of lumber land
puted to be worth 100000. His brother
died two years ago. leaving an immense
fortune. Six years ago Mr.. Conrad was a
candidate for the United States Senate
against Senator Clark and August Heinz
The Conrads spend the summers at their
country home near Milwood. Clarke county,
Va. and on his estate Mr.. Conrad main
tains the finest herd Of cattle tn this section
of the United States.
Miss Conrad is said to be as beautiful as
her father is wealthy, and that he should
be selected by the governor OF her state
to christen the warship which is to bear
Gov. Toole, his staff and the sponsors
party are expected to arrive here next FRI
day evening from Helena on special tram.
A suite Of rooms has been reserved Tor the
party at the Warwick, where they will be
entertained while in Newport News. The
launching hour Is much earlier than usual
because the tide will be at Its highest
few minutes after 9 o'clock. After the
wick, where the post-launching BREAKFAST
will be served by the shipbuilding ,se0nn-
pany. The party will start for home again
on Saturday night or Sunday Tnorning.
It was hoped that the governors OF three
states would be the guests of this city next
Saturday. The states $1,000 silver service
gift to the battlesbdp Virginia was to have
been presented here on that date by Gov.
Swanson, but owing to the fact that the
Virginia is at the Norfolk navy yard I'M
dergoing repairs and unable to leave for
two months at least. the presentation will
take place there. The cruiser tennessee
will be presented with a silver service by
the people Of Tennessee on this same date
and Gov. Cox and party aye coming to this
state to present the gift& This event will
take place In Hampton roads. OF Old Point,
oil cf1
presentation occur In Newport News har-
Dor. The three governors will probably
meet at the Warwick that evening and Gov.
Swanson will have the honor of entertain
ing two fellow executives from very differ
ents parts OF the country.
Powerful Fighting Ships.
An act OF Congress, approved April q,
1904. provided for the construction OF two
frst-class armored cruisers OF about II. 800
tons trial displacement. the North Caro-
lima and the Montana, each to carry the
heaviest aranor and the most powerful ar
mament for a vessel OF It's class: to have
the highest practicable speed and great
radius OF action and to cost. exclusive OF
armor and armament, not exceeding 81
these vessels upon the plans prepared by
the Navy Department was entered into with
the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company on January 3. 1905. at q
be completed in thirty-six months from
date OF contract. 81.
Dimensions and Armament.
The plans and specifications call for q
vessel OF the following dimensions and char
acteristics: Length on load water line. 500
feet: length over all. 5O4 feet ~ inches;
breadth. extreme, y feet. 1Oh inches;
depth amidships, nodded, AZ feet 2ss inches;
draft, full load. mean, n feet u inch: dis
placement, fully loaded, 15,980.S8 tons; dis
placement on trial, 14,500 tons: total coal
capacity. 2.O00 tons: maximum speed aver
age of four hours run. 22 knots: maximum
indicated n1rssp1wes, Imam main engines. % ooo
breech-ioading rifles: sixteen 6-inch breech
loading rifles. four 21-inch submerged tor
pedo tubes
rapid-fire guns; twelve 8-pounder semf-au-
tomato rapid-f1re guns, two .30-caiiber au-
tomato guns; two 8-inoh field guns. The
hull Ia to be steel throughout.
The hull 10 protected by q water line belt
Of armor worked in vertical strakes amid
ships, where It 10 about II feet inches In
height, extending to the protective deck to
the gun deck port sials. being stepped down
five inches throughout the machinery and
magasins space and three inches forward
The upper side arrnor is disposed Of In
wake Of . 6-inch battery and Is five
inches thick throughout. Nickel steel two
inches thick is disposed In wake of S-inch
battery.
Athwartship armor OF 6-inch uniform
thickness II fitted from the protective to the
main deck.
The l0-inch barbettes are to extend from
the protective deck to about 1--WE inches
above the main deck. and are to consist OF
S-inch armor In front and 4-inch at the rear
below, and 6-tnch armor above the gun
deck The 10-inch turrets will have q front
plate nine inches thick. rear plato ave
inches thick. side plates seven Inches thick,
and top plates ~ Inches thick. The connin9
tower win b nine inches thick and viii
have q door six inches thick. Signal tower
to be I'VE inches thick. An armored tube
thirty-six inches In diameter will extend
from the base Of the coming tower to the |
protective deck and will be ave inches thick
throughout Teak backing Of q minimum
thickness OF three inches will be fitted be-
hind all armor on the side and two inches
thick behind all 1O-inch turret armor; other
armor Will be fitted without backing.
There Ia complete protective deck ex-
tending from stem to stern, built up Of
twenty-pound lower plating throughout,
with nickel steel OF 100 TO 40 pounds on
slope and forty pounds on the Nat. except
over the magazines, where II win be sixty
pounds forward and abaft the ten-inch bar