The first Chicago, a twin-screw protected steel cruiser and the largest of the initial ships of the "New Navy" authorized by Congress in early 1883. The initial ship was named Dolphin, an unarmored cruiser built as an example of a high speed commerce raider. Dolphin was officially designated a dispatch vessel or gunboat. This was a pioneer of the United States Navy's warships of steel. It’s new designs and innovations from hulls to engine and armament were a credit to American technological development that marked the rise of a new seapower. The larger Chicago was meant to have no superior to her type in the world in the combination of speed, endurance and armament. Chicago's keel was laid on 29 December 1883. The Chicago was completed by Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding Works, successor to John Roach & Sons, and she was launched on 5 December 1885. Chicago had a length overall of 342 feet, 2 inches; extreme beam of 48 feet, 3 inches; a normal displacement of 4,500 tons; mean draft of 19 feet; a designed speed of 14 knots; and a complement of 33 officers and 376 enlisted men. Her steel hull was fitted with a ram bow. She had two compound overhead beam reciprocating engines rated at 5,000 horsepower. Auxiliary sail power was supplied by a bark rig spreading 14,000 square feet of canvas. Her steel hull was built in many water-tight compartments and she was illuminated throughout with Edison's new electric system. A steel protective deck (4 inches maximum thickness) covered her machinery space, curving down at the sides to below her waterline.