Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-14
Ignored by State Officials.

There was one unusual. feature to the
launching, the absence of an official del
eSation representing the state govern
ment of Arkansas. 1t has always been
the custom for the governor of the state
for which a ship has been named TO head
the launching party or to be represented
by some one officially designated by him.
The failure Of Gov. DonaShey or other
representative to attend, was due to a
controversy between the governor and
the Navy Department at Washington
over the date of the launching. the gov
ernor wanting the launching postponed
so that the state could make adequate
arrangements to send an official party.
There was, however. quite a large
delegation of Arkansans present. 1t in
cluded Representative and Mrs. Macon
and other members Of the Arkansas con-
gressional delegation, all of whom had
been invited by the shipbuilding COM
pany. The Navy Department was
officially represented by Beekman
Winthrop, the assistant secretary of
the navy, and a long list Of rear ad-
mraIs and other officers. There was
also a large delegation of congress
men from other states.
Champagne Used by Sponsor.
Miss Macon, carrying a large bunch
of American beauty roses, was the CEN
ter Of attraction, as she stood on the
raised christening platform waiting for
the word to name the great ship. With
her was Miss Edna Ellerbe, daughter
of Representative j. +. Eilerbe Of South
Carolina, the parents of both young
ladies and others constituting the
christening party. On another Platform
were gathered hundreds of invited
guests, and the whole scene was sur
rounded by thousands of spectators. AS
usual the shipyard employees we're given
a holiday. and nearly all of them were
there to see the product of their labor
slip into the waters Of the Delaware.
There was doubt in the minds of some
of the spectators as to the contents of
the beribboned bottle Miss Macon held.
Some people in Arkansas wanted her to
use water from her native state, out she
said she would use whatever the ship
building company gave her When the
critical moment arrived when the work
men had ceased hammering and saving
away the keel blocks and the great hull
a,livered and slowly began to move. Miss
Macon crashed tie bottle against the re-
ceding prov and exclaimed:
II christen thee Arkansas The con-
tents of the broken bottle foamed up
as they splashed over the nose of the
ship, and all doubt as to the character
of the fluid was dispelled
Following the launching the officials of
the company entertained the guests at a
luncheon spread in one of the big build
in2s Of the plant.
Most Powerful Warship.
The principal dimensions of the latest
and largest addition to the navy are:
Length over all, 36. feet: beam over
armor. ~; feet .5s inches: draft, rs feet
q inches; displacement, 5000 tons.
The contract for the ship calls for
speed of 2Oia knots an hour.
When completed the Arkansas will have
the greatest gun power in broadside fire
of any ship ailoat. The main armament
will consist OF twelve 12-inch breech-
loading guns mounted in six neayy
arinor protected turrets. For defense
against torpedo boat attacks there will
he Il batter, of 1Wenty-onc ,-inch rapid
tire guns. There will also be two sub
merged torpedo tubes and ton small guns.
The total weight of broadside fire will
he about | .Ms' pounds The armor belts
will have an average thickness Of ten
inches.
The @rkanSas will he turbine driv en-
and will have o>.Wn horsepower. The
vessel will he fitted for q flagship and
her complement will consist of s., officers
and $50 men.
The keel of tho Arkansas Was laid last
January and at present the ship is about
Gt per cent completed.