The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Steamship Congress The New York Ship Building Co. Launches Third Vessel for the Pacific Coast Co. Its as new twin screw passenger and freight steamship Congress for the Pacific Coast Co., to be operated, as part of their fleet, by the Pacific Coast Steamship Co., in coast service between Seattle and San Diego, was launched from the yards of the New York Ship Build- ing Co., Camden, N. J., on Saturday, May 17; at ito0 oclock. Ihe new vessel was christened by Miss Mary Phelps Jacob, a niece of Mrs. Wil- liam M. Barnum, the wife of the pres- ident of the Pacific Coast company. The Congress is the largest vessel so far built for the sea coasting trade a straight stem and elliptical stern, a flat keel and double bottom sub- divided by watertight floors and a longitudinal watertight vertical keel plate, fitted complete as water ballast and fresh water tanks. The double bottom extends from the fore peak bulkhead on frame 12 to frame 144, at which point the inner bottom is raised to the top of the shaft alleys or lower deck, except between the alley bulkheads in the center of the ship forming No. 3 hold, where it is continued on the level of the engine foundations to the after peak bulk- head «the wine spaces under the upper deck. There are six -side hatches on the main deck and two side hatches in No. 2 hold on the lower deck. There are two Otis elevators in No. 2% hold. There are 14 side cargo ports and four side passage ports. Four derrick booms are fitted to each mast, the two on the after side of the foremast of steel and capable of handling 15-ton weights. There are eight steam cargo winches, and two steam _ boat winches, The cargo winches are fitted with machine cut helical gears made by the Andre Citroen Co., and are. ex- pected to run without noise. } THE LAUNCHING OF THE STEAMER CONGRESS AT in this country. She has been spe- cially designed for this service by George W. Dickie, naval architect and marine engineer, san Francisco, who has personally superintended her construction in every detail. Her principal dimensions are as follows: Length over all 441 ft. Length, between perpendiculars, 425 ft, Molded breadth, 54 ft. 9 in. Depth molded, to upper deck, 29 ft. Depth of double bottom, 3 ft. 10 in. Depth to main deck, 21 ft. 2 in. Main deck to upper deck 8 ft. Upper deck to shelter deck, 9 ft. 6 in. Shelter deck to bridge deck, 8 ft. Bridge deck to boat deck, 8 ft. 4 in. The vessel, except where the de- sign required special treatment, is con- structed of steel in accordance with the Al 20-year rating of the American bureau of shipping for vessels with three decks below a poop and fore- castle and a shelter deck. She has watertight flat outboard of the shaft alley bulkheads are used for fresh water tanks for galley, drinking and lavatory purposes. One hundred and sixty tons of this water is carried. The double bottom extends to the upper turn of the bilge all fore and aft, forming a center line drainage and is raised at the ends as required by the profile of the vessel. The Congress has two pole masts, rigged as a fore and aft schooner with jib headed sails. There are four main hatches, the two after hatches being trunked through the three pas- senger decks. No. 2 hatch is trunked between the bridge and shelter decks. This hatch is made large so as to take the longest automobiles, there being room for 24 large cars on the THE YARD OF THE NEW YORK SHIP BUILDING CO. The lower deck is of steel without covering and no camber. The main deck is of steel without covering ex- cept in the refrigerating spaces. At the after end, where third class pas- sengers are berthed, this deck is worked flush and covered with linol- eum. The upper deck is of steel and is worked flush throughout. In the stateroom this deck is covered with linoleum also in the spaces aft of the kitchen. In the passages around the boiler enclosures the deck is cov- ered with bitumastic cement. In the main dining saloon, this deck is cov- ered with Dreadnaught tiling, also in the pantry, while the kitchen is laid with special hard tiling. The shelter deck is of steel and is worked flush throughout. In the staterooms this