Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-12-15
TWO NEW SHIPS
CITY OF Baltimore" And City OF Nor.
folk" The Two New Steamers OF The
Chesapeake Steamship Company
Successfully Launched Al Spar.
rows Point

vited guests who attended. the two
new steamers of the Chesapeake
Steamship Company, the City of
Baltimore" and City of Norfolk"
slipped gently along the ways at the
ship yards of the Maryland Steel
Company, Sparrows Point, on the
afternoon of Saturday, December 8,
and fioated gracefully out into the
waters of the Chesapeake, their fu-
ture home.
The launchings were in every way
a perfect success. The weather was
clear and cool, and just enough air
was stirring to cause the flags and
pennants, decorating the numerous
tugs and steamers in attendance, to
flutter picturesquely in the breeze.
The City of Baltimore" the first
to leave her ways, was christened
by Miss Marge James, daughter of
Mr.. Norman James, vice-president
and director of the Chesapeake
Steamship Company, while the City
of Norfolk" which was launched
about fifteen minutes after her sister
ship. was chrIstened by Miss Celes-
tine Page Finley, daughter of Presi-
dent w. w. Finley, of the Southern
Railway.
The out-of-town guests, who had
arrived in the city earlier during the
day. as we'll as those from Baltimore,
were conveyed to and from the ship
yards on the steamers Atlanta and
Columbia, which Mr.. Compton. pres
ident of the steamship company, had
placed at their disposal. These steam
ers left the company's piers, Light
and Lee streets, for the scene of the
launching at IL o'clock. returning
) about in the afternoon. A delight
ful collation. was served on these
steamers, both on the going and re-
turn trips, while the Steel Company
had prepared an elaborate banquet
which was served in the Joiner
room" at the ship yards Immediately
the two big ships had been safely
moored after the launching.
The new vessels, which will be
completed about the first Of April
and placed Immediately on the Balti-
timore-Norfolk line, are $40 feet
long overall, beam moulded at deck,
46 feet; beam moulded at water-line,
az feet: beam moulded over guards,
60 feet, making the largest yet built
for the company.
They will have carrying capacity
of $50 tons of high-class merchandise
freight and will be equipped with
complete refrigerating facilities for
the handling of dairy products and
other perishable freight calling for
this service. Each ship will contain
147 staterooms for passengers. All of
the staterooms will be outside rooms,
that is, having windows opening di-
rectly on to the deck, and will be
steam-heated and lighted by cleo
tricity. A number of the rooms will
connect with baths, ten of them con-
Meeting with hot, cold, fresh and salt
water shower baths. Both ships will
be equipped with wireless telegraphy.
: While the installation of telephone
service on steamers is not altogether
new, especially on seagoing craft,
the new Chesapeake Line steamers
will have a system of vocal communi-
cation that will be more extensive
than any heretofore put in for ar
rangements have been made to con-
meet the system with the general ex-
changes of the cities of Baltimore
and Norfolk while the vessels are
in their berths.
AS soon as the steamer reaches
her berth the switchboard on the
steamer is Immediately connected
with a wire that leads to the pri-
vate exchange of the company, from
which connections for local or long
distance calls may be made. The
connection with the shore will be
maintained until just a moment
before sailing. so that should a per-
son arrive on board and still wish to
communicate with home, even though
it be in another city, he will have
the advantage of calling up directly
| from his staterocm.
In the morning, after the ship has
docked, passenger without leaving
| his stateroom. may use the telephone
! and thus be will be enabled TO save
much valuable time. During the
night when the ship is on the bay
and it is necessary to reach anyone
on the shore, the wireless may be
called into service and thus from
port to port one will not be out Of
range of communication, convent
ence that many will appreciate.
The telephone system to be Install
ed will be as elaborate as to be found
in any hotel or large business house.
The individual telephones will be of
the automatic type and they will
connect with a main exchange which
will be in charge of an operator who
will make counter connections from
stateroom to stateroom so that one
way talk to person in another part
of the vessel with as much ease as on
shore.
The telephone system will also dc
away with the old method Of bell
calls. Usually it is one bell for ice
water, two bells for steward, etc.
With the new system one will tele.
phone for his needs. The dining
rooms on the new ships will be
located on the hurricane deck forward
and each will have seating capac
ity of sixty persons. This is move
feature ensuing perfect ventilation
and, during the summer months
should prove particularly attractiv,
20 patrons of the line, as twill no