Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-05-02
THE GREAT SHIP BUILDER.
J0UN ROACH FEASTER.

A great dinner was given to john Roach, the
great shipbuildcr, of Chester, Pa, at Deimoulcos
New York, on Thursday night. Handsome
speeches were made, complmentin Mr.. Roach,
as an American mechanic who had taken the lead
in n magnificent enterprise eliminating IN The
steamers Pekin and City of Yedo, and thcr con
struction OF great floating palaces equal to, ana
IN many respects, superior TO any ships In the
world. MIR. Roach replied in pleasant end ap-
propriate speech. The dinner Is said by the
New York World to have been fine specimen OF
the most lavish OF Delmonco's best style for
which hls saloon has become SO distinguished.
Among the distinguished guests present upon
the occasion who occupied prominent places at
the elevated tables were 5. ). Cox. Ch!cf Engineer
w. W. w. Wood, John Russail Young, w. A.
Seavcr, Major General Hancock, General Porter,
Jno. Baird, iloratio Allen, Of the Novelty Works;
Rev. DIR. Fulton, who pronounced grace; Mayor
IIavemeyer, DIR. Forward, the Mayor of Chester;
Mr.. Russell Sage, President; Buins Hatch, Vice
President; and Messrs. j. Is. Smith and Charles
Osborn, directors of the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company. The various tables were presided over
by the following gentlemen: Il. ii. Robinson,
Alexander Pollock, }. l.. Mott, }. NJ. Motley, IL.
G. Calkin, Nj. Boyd, George w. Qnintard, ID, J..
Pettse, William Roland.
Mr. Roach closed his speech rs follows:
"'lhcre has been heresy that We could not re-
lease ourselves from tins great commercial bond
age; that the united power of the American mt
chanic, the American shipbuildcr, The American
sailor, the American capitalist, could not relieve
us from bondage but we must so TO foreign
land to get our ships constructed, and worse than
all that, We must 20 10 the very country where
the ships were built that destroyed the commerce
we are going to rebuild. (Cries of hear! heiiD
"Ono word more. 1t We have lost any Oi our
great natural resources have not our mechanics
aud capitalists been equal to the emergency with
a fair opportunity otferedH Are We III worse
condition now 10 redeem ourselves from our pres
cnt condition than i'll lSl2. or after our recent
great struggle? l say no! Cries of"No, mol } /
pledge myself to you one and all, that while God
spares my life every effort shall he given TO that
great national cause
Cheers were again and again given ior MI.
Roach when he finished his address, other speakers
followed. During the evening MIR. Roach was
presented with a splendid silver sci.
The service consists of a salver, coffee urn, hot
water kettle, after dinner coffee pot, Teapot sugar
bowl, cream pitcher slop bowl, and iruit stand,
contained in chest of French walnut, highly pol.
| ished handles and plates OF silver, lined inside
with blue satin, tuited. The sizc OF the box is
40x24x25.
On the salvCr is the following inscription -
presented to Johu Ronch, April 80, lsi4 in
recognition OF his eminent services to the COM
mercial interest of the United States i'll developing
and sustaining from iron ship-buildiDg,'
We certainly make no objection 10 the New
Workers crowding honors upon Mr.. John Roach
| but they might have remembered that that gen
teman was compelled to come within twelve
miles OF Wilmington before he could succeed in
building the Pekn. But just how much o
| the skill of Wilmington mechanics it took tc
make that ship a success, Mr.. Roach will never
| disclose. Wilmington has been earning sucl
| compliments as MIR. Roach received on Thursda,
night for years. But then We had no great capi
| talsts who were able to invest large sums in max
ing a blow, to captivate Congressmcn and secure
government Subsidies.