LAUNCH OF THE HIBERNIA

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 63

LAUNCH OF THE HIBERNIA

Plymouth,. June 18. —Hi brilliant, weather on Saturday afternoon the battleship Hibernia-, forming the eighth and last vessel of the King EdAvard group, was launched from Devonport Dockyard by the Marchioness of Ormonde,:. The Marchioness, who was accompanied; by her husband and the Countess ofMayo*, was escorted by Vice-Admiral. W. H. Henderson, Superintendent, of: the Dockyard, to a. little table set. just; tTeneath the beak of the ponderous ram*. Then, the Dockyard Chaplain Avith the beautifully simple and deeply- 1 impressive religious ser\dce A\ r hich prefaces the launching of all the ships in.* His Majesty’s naAy. Scarcely had the voioe of the. chaplain died away in the final supplications for “all who in this ship noAv or hereafter shall commit their lives unto the.! perils of the deep,” when the Ma-rchioin>?= ess performed the time-honoured cere*mony of breaking the bottle. This- was an Irish launch, and the christening-Avas-' done with Irish whisky. Then,, whilst the thin glistening rills trickled doAvn? the. massive steel stem, her Ladyship.-, cried, “I christen this ship the Hhbeav nia,’ 5 and simultaneously a beautiful! silken ensign; subscribed for. by the ladies of Ireland, was run up at the -after jack--staff, whilst the band of the Marinessoftly played “Here’s a. health to all goodf lassies.” Admiral Henderson placed'th-©.-chisel in position, and handed the Marchioness an elegant: mallet. A.few- smart: taps, then a sudden shock, as the-sev-ered. silken cord flew asunder and: released the highly-tensioned guy-ropes-; and? a breathless pause, whilst the leviathan seemed to hesitate before taking the plunge—but: for one instant only, for never was a warship launch more graceful and easy than that of the Hibernia; Then as she started slipping sternward's over the groaning and splinter in g ways, Admiral Henderson called for three'. cheers for the good; ship; and thee responsive rear almost droAvned. the- thunder of the giant vessel’s' progress afloat;. An amazing dissonance of hooters and!’’ syrens greeted the coming of the new' war craft into the Avater. There was a brief tumult of cascading and. then the. superb craft, raised herself: buoyant- from the bed upon, which, seventeen months ago, her keel was laid'. Hovering tugs eaine wheeling - imvardflw toi her assistance, and bore her out into.' the shining stream, leaving her swinging' slowly to her cable, like a creature be- | AAdldered by the novelty of her fresh surroundings.

The multitude spent its lung.power inapplause of the finest launch that Devonport Dockyard has witnessed. After the' ceremony, Vice-Admiral and Mrs Henderson. entertained a large and distinguished party at an “At Home” given, at their official residence: in the Dockyard Ten-ace; The following are the official details of this latest British battleship. She Avas designed in 1901 by Sir William White. Her principal dimensions are: —Length between perpendiculars, 425ft. ; extreme breadth, 78ft.; load? draught of water forward, 26-. ft. 3in. ; aft, 27ft. 3in. ; load displacement, 16,350 tons; indicated horses power (estimated), 18,000; speed Avith! full poAver, per hour, 18£ knots. The main engines are being construct;ed. by Messrs Harland. and Wolff, Belfast. .They consist of two independent - ; sets of’vertical triple-expansion engines;:, each having four cylinders; each set is; capable of-developing 9000 horse-power; Avith 120 revolutions per- minute. The' boilers are. 18 separate. Avater-tube boil* ers of the Babcock: and Wilcox type, and. three separate cylindrical boilers. The armament- consists of four 12in. B.lk. guns, AA r orked in two barbettes; two 12-• pounder Bcwt. Q.F. guns ; four 9.2 in. B.L. guns; worked in four barbettes ; 14 3-pounder Q.F. guns; ten 6-in. B.L. guns, worked in battery; .303 Maxim, guns; 12 12-pounder 18 CArt. Q.F. guns ; and two submerged torpedo tubes.; The total complement of officers' and* men is 781.