The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-15
SENECA WILL FILL
A WANT LONG FELT
Steel Dereliet Destroyer to BE
Launched at Newport News
"Wednesday.
WILL BLOW UP THE WRECKS
Prepared to Destroy Dereliets
and to Tow Vessels in Distress,
She Will Be of Great Service.

/
lspeca to The Times Dlspateh.l
vEWPoRT NEWS, VA, March II.
~ The new steel derelict de-
stroyer Seneca. building for
the United States revenue cut
ter service will be launched at
the plant of the Newport News Ship
building and Dry Dock Company at
9 O'Clock Wednesday morning Miss
Edith Hepburn, granddaughter OF Con-
gresham William Peters Hepburn. Of
Iowa, Will act rs sponsor for the YES
sell
Congressman Hepburn and c. A. Nc
All,ster, engineer in chief OF the rcve-
nue. cutter service; Captain Hamlet ana
many other of the officers of the ser /,
vice will attend the launching. The
shipbuldlng plant will be thrown open
to the public and thousands of people
from this and other cities on the PENN
sula will attend. Following the
launching the shipyard officials VIII
give a luncheon at the Warwick Hotcl
in honor of the sponsor.
First of Her Type.
The Seneca Is the first craft OF her
tyne ever constructed anywhere in the
world, and she was especially designed
by the engineers Of the revenue cutter
service She will be completed In July,
and her mission Will be TO patrol the
North Atlantic coast and destroy dere.
licts and other wreckage. TO that end
she Will be equipped with magazines
for CARRYING high explosives, such rs
gun-cot and dynamite. which Will
be used In blowing up wrecks. The
vessel also will be equipped with q
| complete towing apparatus. and Wi!
be able to render valuable aid to ves-
sells in distress.
The need, of vessel OF the Seneca's
| type has long been felt by the shipping
| interests on the Atlantic coast for
derelicts and wreckage are constantly
menacing shipping in the Atlantic
Ocean. and have caused damage to
| many vessels.
Investigations recently conducted by
the photographic Bureau show that
| the greatest number of derelicts are
4 to be found In or near the Gulf Stream.
Fin the spherical triangle. whose YER
tees ara Nantucket Shoal lightship.
/ Fasnet Rock, on the Irish coast. and
/ the Azores The derelicts that origi-
4 nate outside these boundaries are rap
/ idly swept by the Gulf Stream into
this triangle. and 1t has been deter
4 mined to have the Seneca operate In
this triangle. This area includes the
1 lanes traversed by nearly all trans
1 being made to devise some scheme
i whereby the destroyer can be un-
mistakably recognized day or night by
passing vessels, so that information
can be conveyed to her by wireless
4 te1egraphy or signals, as to the where
abouts of a derelict sought. or of 9TH
ers not before reported.
Her Dimensions.
Il The Seneca is 204 feet long, 81 feet
broad. and will have a draft OF 10
4 feet 6 inches She will be Of about
4 1,4so tons displacement, and will carry
u 800 tons Of fuel coal and 26.5o0 gallons
i of fresh water.
she will have a straight stem. All
1 overhanglng elliptical stern. three
. decks, the upper Of which. or spar
: deck. will be flush fore and ait. She
will have two pole masts, each seventy
three feet long, and on the foreHast
there will be a signal yard and crows
!. nest. She Will carry a mainsall main
, staysail. foresail and forestaysatl
. which viii! be used for steady!ng pur-
poses with the wind abean. There Will
be small. steel deck house around the
foremost, containing the pilot house
chart room and a stateroon, for the
use OF the commanding officer during
stormy weather. There Will be no
y other deck houses.
The hull is constructed OF mild open
hearth steel throughout, and 1t Is d.
e v!ded into a number of water tight
: compartments. AS the vessel will be
I for the greater part of the time con-
), tinuously cruising at sea, particular
: attention has been given to arranging
e quarters for the officers and crew. sc
: that they will have every convenience
2 and comfort tha. can be provided 70.
Z them Separate stateroons are pro.
: vided for all warrant officers, and 70!
y the quartermasters and oilers IS well
d A large sick bay and a d!spensary will
Il be fitted for the care of the sick OF
e Injured
e The deck aux!llar!es will consist o
:, steam w1ndlass. steam steering en-
J, hawsers. There will be six boats. In
= Guiding a surf boat and a power
= llaunch.
VIII Have Thorough crtats.
The vessel also will be equipped Wit
electric motors for the mechanical ven
d tllation Of the living quarters, the AR
dois. system for night signaling. an
!. be a complete outfit 81 both steel an
It manila hawsers, gun-cotton mine:
IS magnetess for exploding purposes. an
ehsg aedea W ons
:. advisable. 20 enable the vessel to per
= form the work for which she is in
e tended.
% sing!e-screw. triple expansion engin
Z. OF horsepower steam for whic
= Will be supplied by two Scotch boil
i ers There will be two snokestack
: The designed sea speed Is ten knot
~ an hour
Is Is The craft also Will be equipped wit
~ a complete machine shop for repair
s. Ing her engines at sea. or for adm
!, In repairing the engines OF other YES
d sells, and with q complete fire appara
ltus for assisting in e&tinguishing It'll
!, fires on other vessels. In time Of wa
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