Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-09-19
TnE Bre SHIP LAUNCHED.

a BeaueIfuI speeeacIe-0vsr 1000
People witness Ee-A Ch0Rus OF
Steam WhxssIeD-The Christening.
The launching of the big four-masted
schooner, W. Wallace Ward, from Henry
Sutton's shipyard in West Haven yesterday
was one of the most successful launches ever
seen in this vicinity and the huge ship elided
out into the water with all its human freight
as If into its natural element.
Every touch necessary to bring the vessel
to completion had been given and its decks
were filed with throng of people In spite
of the rain that was continually falling.
Rain, however, couldn't hinder the launch
for water is what the big vessel was especial
II built for. Every nook and corner was in-
spected by the people and as the rain ceased
and the sun broke out from the clouds the
crowd increased In numbers very fast and
there was continual procession going up
and down the decks.
The calendar time OF high tide yesterday
morning was 8:33. About 8 O'Clock people
began to gather on board the vessel. It was
ten minutes past o'clock when the veteran
shipbuilder, Mr.. Gessner, gave the word to
begin the work of taking away the props and
stays which supported her. There was at
once the noise of hundred huge hammers
knocking out the wedges, and people who
wanted to witness the launch from the
ground began to scamble over the vessels
side and Chamber down in q live manner.
More than 1000 people were present. The
four masts were gay with the ships colors
and national emblems.
Henry Sutton, the managing owner, Wal
lace Ward, after whom the vessel was named,
and Captain Vesper, who is her commander,
were on board attending to matters, while
Mr.. Gessner and his men were working be-
low.
About twenty minutes to ten there was a
loud cracking noise and the big boat slid
down the slippery ways into the water. A
chorus of whistles from the neighboring boats
that had come to witness the spectacle greet
ed the newly launched vessel "a she touched
the sea.
As the ship first began to slide, all eyes
were turned toward Miss Ward, niece of
Superintendent Ward, who sat in the bow
dressed in gray suit and wearing white
sailor hat, with big bottle of champagne
poised in the air. The moment the bow
settled into the water and sent mp cloud of
flying white spray, down came the bottle
water while the young lady exclaimed, 81
christen thee w. Wallace Ward"
Owing to the narrow channel in the ship.
yard the vessels stern rests In the mud, bat
will probably be foated at high tide to-day.
It was very successful launch.
The men who own. this new $50, 600 schoon-
or are Henry Sutton, who has one quarter:
w. W. Ward, J. D. Dswell, 81. NJ. WEIGH,
s. e. Merwin, w. 81. Van Name, Richard
Law, Lyman NJ. Law and Gessner 6 Mar.
She will enter the foreign trade after trial
trip to Baltimore for coal.
Among those who were noticed at the
launch were'R. B. Mallory, George N. Grant,
Major W. A. Lincoln, Attorney @. K. Bush,
Attorney Burton Mansfield, Captain Allen
Seaman, s. Il. Wagner, Fl. b. Hanscom,
Harry Thompson, James 81. Ward, DR.. F. o.
White, George E. Nettleton, Conductor
Harry Elmer, Henry A. Walker and J. W.
Ballou.
Captain Vesper, who will command the
Ward, is very capable and experienced nav
igator, and has been commander of the fine
New Haven vessel, the Nathan Esterbrook.
The captain is a native of Thomaston, Maine,
where his youth was spent.
AFLoAT AND AT THE DOCK.
The Ward was Aoated and towed to the
shipyard dock at about IL o'clock last night.
She will probably be at the dock all day to-
day.