St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-27
GOD SAVE The QUEEN
Victoria Personally Launches
Two English Ships at
Portsmouth,
And Christens Them Royal
Arthur and Royal Sow
ereign,
While the Air Around Rings
With the Thrilling Ma
tiOnal Anthem.
The Ceremony MARRIED With a
Side Quarrel With the
Prince Of Wales.

PORTSMOUTH,, Feb. 26.-Great thrOngS
of people gathered here to see the royal
pageant accompanying the launching of
the new war ships. Portsmouth, Cos
port and their respective neighbOrhOOds
were bedecked with more than the
usual gala attire, spread to the breeze
uDon the occasion of royal visits. The
til.e weather prevailing added great
deal to the enjoyment with which was
witnessed the successful launching.
The queen launched the iron cladS with
the usual ceremonies. The two war
vessels launched with so much cere-
mOny were ehristened the Royal Arthur
and the Roya! Sovereign. According to
report. previous to the ceremony, while
the queen and the Prince of Wales were
standing beneath the bows OF one of
the ships, they quarreled for several
minutes. The queen was imperious in
her manner. and the prince was irritably
on the defensive. Both the queen and
the prince, as result of the quarrel,
had an apopleptic appearance when it
terminated. The cause of the royal
quarrel is believed to have originated in
some trtiihg breach of etiquette. Upon
station here her majesty was met by the
Prince of Wales and his suite, the Duke
and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke
and Duchess of Connaught, together
with the
Lords of the Admiralty,
a number of government officials, MEM
bers of the house of lords and of the
house of commons. The queen, I'M
medately upon alighting from the royal
train was conducted with much pomp
and ceremony to the state carriage,
which was III waiting for her majesty,
and as then driven to the dock yard
as the air rangei with hearty cheers and
the military bands present played the
air of the national anthem, God Save
the Queen" The state equipage, bear
ing the Queen of England on its way
| from the railway station to the dock
| yard. was driven between lines OF SOL
! diers, sailors and marines. who pre-
sented arms as the royal carriage
passed. All the vessels in Ports
| mouth barber and in the dock
yard were alive with bunting, and royal
salutes were Numbered forth. from the
war vessels in commission as soon as
the arrival of the queen was made
known. Upon arrival at the d0ckyard
her majesty was escorted to richly
decorated and brilliantly draped plat
form, over which the royal standard OF
England waved In the breeze. The
queen ascended this platform, where
she was again received by the Prince OF
Wales, the Duke of Edinburg, and the
most of uniformed and ununif0rmed
dignatares who were present upon the
occasion. A short, solemn religious
service followed the ceremOnious receD-
tion of the queen, the blessing or the
Almighty being asked for the mighty
engine OF war which was about to be
sent
Gliding Into the Water.
At the conclusion of the religious ser
vice the queen touched button pro-
truding from small electric machine
which had been placed in front of ner
majesty, and the traditional brightly be-
ribbOned bottle of champagne. detached
10y the current from its position over the
bows of the royal Arthur crashed upon
the cutwater and the queen eXclaimine:
Il name thee Royal Arthur" Her ma
jesty then pressing a second button, this
time an electric bell, the shores, props,
land, were knocked out of place and the
new iron-clad glided slowly, smoothly,
grandly down the Wellsoaped ways into
the water. The royal family present
AMI other dignitaries. hurried by short
cut through the dock yard to the ways
upon which the second mammoth IRON
clad. the Royal Sovereign, was resting
on her ways. The ceremonies already
described in connection with the launch
ing of the Royal Arthur were repeated
in the case of the Royal Sovereign, and
the latter. manned by 500 blue jackets
and marines, was floated as successfully
as the former vessel. Upon leaving
Portsmouth her majesty returned TO
Windsor Castle. The only foreign war
vessel present was the German war ship
Oldrnburg, the flag ship of Admiral Won
der GoltZ, who was specially commits
stoned by the emperor OF Germany 10
he present at the ceremonies as the rep
resentative OF Germany'S young ruler.
The Royal Arthur is screw cruiser OF
200 tons. $4,000 horsepower and car
rips II guns. Her name was orig
inally the Centaur, which was changed
by the queens order to Duke Of Con-
uaught, and finally, almost at the last
moment, by the queens command, this
name was changed to Royal Arthur.
The Royal Sovereign is screw battle
ship Of H. 100 tons, 1900 horsepower
and carries IA guns.