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Show I THE ARMOURED RAM XEW YORK Launched This Afternoon From the Cramp Shipyards at Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Dec. 2. The United States armored cruiser ram New York, was launched this afternoon from the yards of the Cramp Ship Building company in the presence of 15,000 people, included among whom were the secretaries of the navy, treasury and interior departments, United States senators, congressmen, hijh naval officials and representative business and professional men from all parts of the country. Miss Helen Tae, daughter of Seaver Paje, secretary of the Union League club of New York broke the traditional bottle of wine upon the great steel ram cruiser as she slid from her wooden cradle iuto the Delaware river and christened her New York. For weeks past preparations have been made by the Messrs. Cramp for today's launch. Unusual interest was excited in the construction of the cruiser by reason of the vessel marking an era in the annals of American Amer-ican 6hip building. Through Secretary Tracy about 5000 invitations were sent out. President Harrison, Secretary Blaine, Secretary Secre-tary Kusk, Governor Hill, Governor-Elect Flower and Governor Pattison were forced to decline the invitation owing to the pressure pres-sure of business. When the New York is finished she will be the most formidable cruising vessel that has ever llown the stars and stripes, and in addition addi-tion she is the largest and most powerfully engined steamship ever built outside of European shipyards. If the designs of her builders are fuliilled there is nothing afloat today of her class that will be able to steam from her, or engage with her with any great hopes of victory. The New York will carry a battery of six eight-inch breechloading rifles,, twelve four-inch four-inch rapid-hring guns, eight six pounders, four Gatlings and six torpedo tubes. The following are the principal dimensions, etc., of the New York: Length of water line, 30 feet, 6-25 inches; breadth of beam. vl feet; mean draft, 23 feet S-25 inches; displacement, dis-placement, 8150 tons; maximum speed, 20 knots; sustained sea speed, 18-5 knots; complement of officers an men, 475; coal endurance (total capacity), 13,000 miles. The New York will be a twin screw vessel propelled by four separate engines, each having the power of 4500 horses." The electric elec-tric liirht plant will have a capacity of 10,000 amperes and will include 7ooo incandescent lights. In addition there will be four search lights. ' |