The daily gazette., 1878-04-08
SECOND EDITION
Launch Of thG Steamer City Of Para.
JOHN RoACHs GREAT YARD.

The new iron steamship City of Para
second in the American line between
New York and Brazil, was launched
Saturday from the shipyard of Messrs.
John Roach q Son, Chester, Pa, in the
presence OF great number of people, in
Guiding President Hayes and cabinet,
members OF Congress and others of dis
tinction in public and private life. Special
trains to Chester were run from Wash
ington, New York and Philadelphia.
The train from Washington comprised
sixteen Pullman palace cars, in two sec
tions, with 600 people on board, num-
Der of them ladies, President Hayes, Col.
| Rogers, his private secretary, and Secre-
taries Sherman, McCrary, Thompson,
Schurz and Devens, of the cabinet. Gen.
| w. /. Sherman and some others had a
car to themselves. The foreign diplo-
matte corps was represented by the min.
listers of Brazil, Japan, Russia, Paraguay,
Peru, Mexico, Argentine Republic, Qua
temala, Hayti, Venezula and Spain. The
| United States Senators were Messrs.
Armstrong, Anthony Blaine, Boutwell,,
Bruce Of Miss, Conkllng, Cameron,
Conover, Eustis, Ferry, Jones of Fla,
Lamar, Morrill,, Stanley Matthews, Nor
gan, Jefferson, Plumb, Rollins and Sar-
gent. About 100 members of the Unit
ed States ii use of Representatives, so
newspaper correspondents and 200 other
people filed the train from Washington
TO overcrowding.
| THE GREETING AT CHESTER.
| The Washington train reached Ches-
ter al TWO O'Clock in the afternoon and
ran directly into the great shipyard.
Here Hon. VIM. Ward, member of Con-
gress from that district,and Dr. Forwood
mayor, and city Council Of Chester, well
coined the President, who,with his party
look carriages and, escorted by two com
panies Of the Eleventh Pennsylvania
Volunteers, were conveyed to the Ship
| yard. Here the workmen of the ward
were in line. and the cadets OF the Penn
| sylvania Military Institute, at Chester,
Col. Hyatt and Lieut.. Barnett, COM
manding, did escort duty and Il presiden.
tial salute was fired by Col. Hyatt's
artillery company.
| WITNESSING "THE LAUNCH"
| The visitors from Washington, Balti
more, New YORK and Philadelphia aggre-
eating probably 900 ladies' and gentle
1 lnHnt WGnb Ou DDdlu bilt Sut1llSnn CIV
| of Rio de Janeiro, which is the compan.
ion ship of the Para, aud was launched
month ago. From the upper deck OF
the Rio the company had an excellent
i view of the launch of the CITY of Para
| The President and party stood in a posi-.
On at the bow of the Rio We're they could
| not only see the launch, but also be seen by
| tbs immense concourse of people around
The scene from the Presidents stand was
lnsplritlng one. The people by acres
| covered every available space on shore
and shipbord fDom which the launch
could witnessed flags and streamers by
| hundreds tluttered from buildings and
and vessels, and the City of Para, only
| a few yards away, was decked out with
bunting from stem to stern. A brass band
stationed on the deck of the adjoining
vessel played national airs.
SUCCESSFUL AFFAIR.
Mr. John Roach had supervision of
the launching, and to Miss Phebe Rogers.
aged IL years daughter of the private sec
retary OF President Hayes was assigned
the honor of christening the Para by
breaking bottle of champagne over her
bows. The preparations for the launch
were carried out with methodical exact.
ness by the myriad of workmen assigned
to that duty, and at 3 O'Clock, the hour
previously named for the event, the Para
commenced moving from the wars and
glided slowly and gracefully in to the
Delaware. The band played the Stai
Spangled Banner. cannon thundered
forth salute. thousands of men shouted
and the whistles of "A score of steamers
and steamtugs added to the mighty chor.
us of rejoicing as the ship went into the
| water Not single mlshap occurred to
interfere with the success of the under
taking.
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT
After the launch a thousand people
were served with lunch in the mould
loft of the ship yard, in a room 200 by 90
feet. President Hayes, in answer to re-
peated GALES, made brief address He
said "Ladies and gentlemen, it is well
understood that 1 do not aspire to make
dinner speeches, but L think 1t is due to
| Messrs. Roach q Son that people should
return them thanks for the gratif cation
of being present We should congIatu-
late these enterprising ship builders on
the successful launch of the beautiful
steamer. May all her voyages be prosper
Gus, and her career add to the good
name of her builders, her owners and
her sailors" [HearJy cheers.l
VIEWS OF THE BUILDER.
Mr.. John Roach in brief speech said
the labor question will In future be a
| OHt, duu Will OCCuDy
leading place in the affairs of the United
States Byth development of our own
resources and opening up of new market
for our products, putting the carr ying
trade again under the stars and str ipes,
the workman will have remunerative
employment and the wealth of the coun-
try be Increased. Mr.. Roach said that
his shipyards are sending out hundreds OF
skilled men in the mechanic arts, who are
equally as important to the nation as the
young men graduated at West Point and
Annapolis. By encouraging the develop
ment OF the Industries of the country the
government will do more than any one
thing else could do to unite us as one
lprosp erous people. Mr. Roachs remarks
were constantly interrupted by cheers.
Gov. Hartranft. of Pennsylvania, Hon.
VIM. Ward and Mayor Forwood, of Ches-
ter, made speeches congratulatory of MIR.
Roach, and arpreciative of his great
shipbnilding enterprises.
THE STEAMSHIP ERA.
President Hayes was shown over the
shipyard, which covers many acres, and
Is furnished with all the machinery re-
quisite for turning out first class iron
steamship in q remarkably short time
Here 900 men are employed. What
tleV can dn in a month was illustrated