New-York tribune., 1877-04-30
LAUNCH or THE NIAGARA.
JAMES II. WARD & CO.'S NEW SHIP.

JAMES E WARD u W. % NEW Shif
John Roach g. Son launched from their ship
yard at Chester PENN Saturday, the ne iron steam
ship Niagara. built for James L. Ward & Co. Of this city
for the trade between New York and Havana. The
occasion brought together large number OF gentlemen
Of the navy and the shipping trade the most OF whom
were celebrities In their way. Among them were Chief
Engineers Alexander Henderson and John NJ. Long,
Assistant Engineer lihan. Gnd Constructors S H.
Pook and Robert w. Steele IT, g. N. Edward FarOn the
designer Of ships for Mr. Roach Mr. Ward, his cOniiden
tIal business manager; James t. Ward Capt. Thomas
g. Curtis of the Niagara, II. c. Erampon, chef engineer
OF the ship; Capts. j. p. Sunberg and George Pierce
William W. Rowland john Fountain Frederick u. Smith,
George ID. Farrar Charles Mcdonald. and Mr. Corey Of
Corey & Co.. electricians. j. a rainy day, but
Chcso alive to the interest Of the event aud large
quantity OF nAgs did their hest under the dl''onTaing
circumstances Ut the occa"oi to dutcr IN the DrtcIe
while large crowd OF spectators gathered III tue
grounds ana stood peernS ont OF the dnoways OF the
numerous shops, or sheltered BY unDreas aud many
ohyious OF The awaiting the hour Of 1890 or high
tide when the ship 20 I've launched. large crowd
deck Of the ship ind githrrs about the bow a dizzy
hight from tie ground aud IN rhc ploth0use ana "h
inc main deck below AZ III" extrem" puint OF the bow.
on tn hurricane deck under the banner Of The United
States that few there, were TWO y0nnS ,aicr on O
Engineer Henderson. neld the ribbon OF the botto &"
wine with which the ship was 10 b chrsiencd
Juhn Fountain, i c00heai,0, grAzlcd old veteran At
1890 the order came Go ahead" ana Mt TIE word me
heavy hammers Of the workiOen swarning aDoli' .nc
ship fell ON bracos and hoeE1iocks ana krI "a Sleiy
yOlpV ringing blows fnlly nfeep minutes Wiirn
everything had been cleared except siugi" ne
This wls severed with and III nineteen lluutr
from iic fSt Orier tic huge ship slid slowly ana grace
fully down from pcrc ~ tmbcrs away mp ~ The AR
into 'hr water. her bInuCrS-AmcrCan. SPANISH anu
mountaineering straight out IN the breeze The
bottle OF good wine smashed over the bow rs q
proptiatory Offering 10 Neptune as she entered thc
water nj the good slip named Niagara the stern
OF the heavy iron hull sank d cp Bio he Watei ~ IL
left the ways. and the shp then bounded upward ana
shot out stream without sup or strain, ana
thr .upch was complete success In every PARTICULAR
Three TUGS were lying wait off shore, aud the Mary
Ann and o. l.. Weed had her ia tow, and star tea
with her 10 lower wharf where she was To receive htr
mao nnery. The huge black propeller Norman OF inc
Providence line came down stream from Philadelphia al
this moment and toe new steamer her nrai sie
Another propeller by minute it"i' e'nitt'ng
volumes OF smoke did not realize the char
actcr of the occ>un until she had gone clear Nv me
pot when rome consciousness suddenly woke up inside
OF her and se disappeared IN tie distance Win huri
cane OF rauatory whistling =, ~
A was "A good illustration oi the go when cnarnc-
terizes tins foremost OF American sipyaIds ana Ie
American character in general, To hni tat before th
ship could be worked around To her wharf piece OF
npayy machinery (part of her engInc) weighing several
tons had been hOisted into tie air by bg derrick on
hat wharf ready lower into the vessel the inUncut IL
reached Tho SPOT When sho reached the dock, Hud ne
fore the gangway cOn he put IN place to hb"rate the
crnwd on the ship the machinery was descending INTO
lhc null good part of tho onginc VIII be IN place be-
F,p1 ..ni Il