LAUNCH OF THE HIBERNIA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5665, 12 August 1905, Page 13

LAUNCH OF THE HIBERNIA

Plymouth, Juno-IS.—ln brilliant weather on Saturday afternoon the battleship Hibernia, forming the eighth and last vessel of the King Edward group, was launched from Devonport Dockyard by the Marchioness of Ormonde. The Marchioness,' who was accompanied by her husband and the Countess of Mayo, was escorted by Vice-Admiral W. IT. Henderson, Superintendent of the Dockyard, to a little table set just beneath the beak of the ponderous ram. Thou the Dockyard Chaplain proceeded with the beautifully simple and deeply impressive religious service which prefaces the launching of all the ships in His Majesty's navy. Scarcely had the voice of the chaplain died away in the final supplication for “all who in this ship now or hereafter shall commit, their lives unto the perils of the deep,” when the Marchioness performed the time-honoured ceremony of breaking the bottle. This was an Irish launch, and the christening was done with Irish whisky. Then, whilst the thin glistening rills trickled down the massive steel stem, her Ladyship cried, “I christen this ship the Hibernia,’* and simultaneously a beautiful silken ensign, subscribed for by the ladies of Ireland, was run up at the after jackstaff, whilst the band of the Marines softly played “Here’s a health to, all good lassies.” Admiral Henderson placed the chisel in position, and handed the Marchioness an elegant mallet. A few smart taps, then a sudden shock, as the severed 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 stornwards over the groaning and splintering ways, Admiral Henderson called for three cheers for the good ship, and the responsive roar almost drowned 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 water. There was a brief tumult of cascading waters, and then the superb craft raised herself buoyant from the bed upon which, seventeen months ago, her keel was laid. Hovering tugs came wheeling inwards to her assistance, and bore her out into the shining stream, leaving her swinging slowly to her cable, like a creature bewildered by the novelty of her fresh surroundings.

The multitude spent its lung power in applause of the finest launch that Devon-, port Dockyard has witnessed. After the ceremony, Vice-Admiral and Mrs Henderson entertained a large and distinguished party at an “At Homo” given at their official residence in the Dockyard Terrace. The following are the official details of this latest British battleship. She was designed in 1901 by Sir William White. Her principal dimensions are; —Length between perpendiculars, 425ft.; extreme breadth, 78ft. ; load draught of water forward, 26ft. Sin.: aft, 27ft. Sin.; load displacement, 16,350 tons; indicated horsepower (estimated), 13.000; speed with full power, per hour, 181 knots. The main engines are being constructed by Messrs Harlaml 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. wi(h 120 revolutions per minute. The boilers are IS separate water-tube boilers of the Babcock and Wilcox type, and three separate cylindrical boilers. Olio armament consists of Four 12in. B.L. guns, worked in two barbettes: two 12pomuler Bowt. Q.F. guns: four 9.2 in. B.L. guns, worked in four barbettes: 11 3-pouudor Q.F. guns; ten 6-;n. B.L. guns, worked in battery; .303 Maxim guns; 12 12-pounder 18 cwt. Q.F. guns: and two submerged torpedo tubes. The total complement of officers and men is 781.