The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-01
Battle Ship Indiana Successfully Slid
from the Ways Into Delaware River.
Its Bow Sprinkled with Wine by Miss Jessie
Miller, Who Broke the Customary Bottle
and Named the Vessel After Her State.
President Harrison, Members of the
Cabinet and congressman Present.
The Event Witnessed by 10000 Persons. Who
Stood in the Sleet and Rain for Hours
Description of the Great Var Ship.
TOOK THE WATER LIKE A DUCK.

TOOK THE WATER LIKE A DUCK.
The Indiana Baptized by Miss Miller and
Launched Into Delaware River.
PHILADELPHIA. Pa, Feb. 2S-In the
midst of a driving storm or sleet and rain
and with the applause of the Presidents
of the United States. three mem bers of his
Cabinet and ten thousand others following
In her wake. the battle ship Indiana was
launched shortly after noon to-day from
the shipyard of the Cramp Ship-building
Company. Miss jessie KILLER. daughter of
Attorney general Miller. baptized the bow
of the vessel in champagne as the battle
ship started down tle ways and chris
tened it the Indiana. The ship took the
water like duck. and with her Redeemed
hull showing In marked contrast against
the muddy waters of the Delaware, she
was carried far out into the river by the
momentum acquired by her passage from
the stocks. AS the vessel swung broadside
on towards the shore the anchors wete les
60 and she rested upon tho surface of the
water, as beautiful a model of marine
architecture as ever left q builders yards.
Launching day" at Cramps is always
festival in the busy life of the great manu-
featuring districts lying around the yard.
and the operatives of the various indus
trial establishments of the neighborhood
never fail to throng the place by thousands
when a ship leaves the stocks. moro
inauspicious morning for witnessing q
great outdoor event could hardly be sup
piled by the clerk of the weather depart.
ment, and it doubtless brought disappoInt-
ment to many people who had looked
forward to seeing the Indiana launched.
A steady. persistent downpour of rain.
mixed with sleet. was falling and tSans-
forming the ground within the shipyard
into q mass of dirty. sticky mud that clung
to the feet and garments Of the people who
waded through IL.
DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION.
With the coming of the morning every
preparation for the launch bad been COM
pleted and the battle ship stood ready for
her plunge into the waters that are here
after to bear her upon her bosom. The
dull brown iron hull was painted avir-
ginal white to the water-lne, below which
q vivid red coating of paint shone. A line
of gay bunting ran tine vessels length
along her deck and above the other flags
the stars and stripes happed and stiffened
upon the stocks with her great steel ram
pointing towards the yard. Around the
bow platform was built and directly be-
meath the keel @ small lnclosed space was
rallied Oft and intended for President Har-
rison and the christening party. The
Indiana, as she lay IN her wooden cradle.
was nothing but 6n iron shell and con-
veyed TO the spectator but little suggestion
of the terrible engine of war she will be
when completed.
While the workmen were getting ready
to launch the vessel a crowd had begun 10
gather about the gates of the yard. By
IL o'clock the streets before the gate be-
came q heaving, tossing sea OF umbrellas,
and their owners beneath them swept like
q torrent into the yard. Many persons had
tickets for the launching stand and the
deck of the sister ship of the lndiana-the
Massachusetts-whlch stood about twenty
feet away in the stocks, and these were in
q measure protected from the storm by
awnings. The great ma ajOrity of the crowd,
which grew until IL numbered about ten
thousand people. had no shelter but their
umbrellas, and their en- thuelasm and patriot.
Ism procured them a pretty th.. "ugh soak
ing before the launch took place. The
river abounded with craft OF every de-
soription. and almost every boat foated
tho national colorS. The interior OF
the shipyard presented scene
of activity. Flags were flying
from dozens of poles; the
cruiser New York and cruiser No. IL, the
and other ships were bedecked with flags
and hung with bunting, while flags in
Vulnerable and other decorations were
stretched from the stem TO the stern OF the
Indiana.
The arrival of the presidential party was
the signal for loud and continued cheering.
The party came from Washington. on a
special train. over the Baltimore az Ohio
road. Among the passengers were Secre-
tery of the Navy Tracy, Postmaster general
Wanamaker. Attorney general Miller and
his daughter. Miss Jessie. the fair christen'
er. and q number OF CongTessmen, inolud-
ing few Indianians. The President and
the other gentlemen of the party acknowl-
edged the com plImentary cheering by smil-
ing and raising their hats. The guests
were received in the Offices of the company
by Charles Cramp, president Henry w.
Cramp, treasurer, and other oth-
cials. The line was then, formed,
and the christening party proceeded
to where the osttle ship lay and took posi-
noise of five hundred workmen making the
final preparations reverberated between
the Indiana's sister ship Massachusetts on
the south and cruiser No. IL. the Mlnneap-
oils. to the north, Tor q quarter Of an hour,
and then the order was gwen to saw the
ways" Just as the 4,2O0 tons OF steel
started down the incline Miss Miller broke
the customary bottle of champagne. it be-
ing encased In a beautifully hand-painted
and embroidered satin cover. across the
bow, and firmly SAID: Il christen thee In
diana" Whistles shrieked, bells rang and
people cheered and waved handkerohiefs
and flags. This denomination continued
until the ship reached midstream. where
anchors were dropped. Later the anchors
were raised aud the vessel was towed TO the
shipya ard. The presidential party returned
TO the capital at O'clock.