The morning call., 1893-10-27

the sides of the confining cradle, hence
forth to be rocked in the cradle of the
Deep
Eleven ffty-eleven fifty-five the hush
grows more intense as the crucial mo-
ment is delayed A few of the small boats
dart in and out among the larger hulls,
seeking better point of view. 1t wants
one second of the noonshour, when sud
den impulse stirs the crowd, aud from
thousands and thousands of throats. from
scores upon scores of steam whistles and
from the brazen mouths of many musical
| instruments arises a simultaneous cry.
There Is shudder along the great red
bulk in the cradle; sbiver that awakens
sympathetic thrill in the heart of every
spectator. With an almost imperceptibe
motion, the edge of the srudder appears
beyond the line of the ways. The stern is
seen to shiver. There is one instant of
hesitation. the last maidenly pause and
half-fearful heart-ques tiOning ere the
awakening beauty takes the irrevocable
step. Then the whole hull is in motion,
and steadily, steadily. without hairs
breadth deviation from line, down she
drops her stern. lower. lower, until the
water rises high above the line Of demarka-
sion, between the red and the gray of her
painted sides; then with buoyant bound
| the rises,
| Without breeze without tide,
| She Steades with even keel.
Behind her drop. scattering like fallen
/ leaves on the surface of the water. the
tmbers upon which she glided down to
oceans embrace. The tugs and small
craft retreat before her as she advances,
riding the water like thing OF life, and
finally comes to standstll, like gallant
racer. who knows that every eye is on
him, quivering with excitement and pride.
aglow with sentieDt life. The Oregon is
launched And still from iron throats
goes up the exultant Serenade. The shrill
| piping of the little launches mingles with
the piercing tones Of the tugs and the
deeper notes of the great steamer whistles
in one grand symphony of exultation.
The spectators stop their ears, but their
| hearts beat fast in sympathy with the joy
| that the noise celebrates. Whether one
thinks of the grim work for which the
great ship is designed or not, the coolest
soul, the dullest mind, cannothelp thrilling
and glowing in sympathetic joy over trr
| great creature that has at last come TO her
self and her native element. 1t is hard 10
think the great red hull with its grac .ul
lines and easy freedom is not alive. You
can almost yourself feel "the thrill of life
along her keel" The Oregon is a living
entity. The tugs and steamers rock and
rise on the great wave her appearance
among them has raised The little boats
aud launches pull up alongside Of her, and.
with the aid of lead pencils, few fools
consign their names to oblivion on her
stawart sides. Thank heaven, she is too
noble to feel any sense OF degradation at
the hands of these desecratiDg scribblers,
who finally depart and leave her in peace.
| the greatest warship ever launched in
America.
1t is the 14th day of April. in the year of
grace 1910.
A crowd of people is assembled along
the waters edge, strolling beneath the
trees and resting upon the green grass that
| belts the great line of city wharves. Out
| on the bay are thronged hundreds Of craft
of every description. There are huge
! passenger steamers from the Orient, great
| electric motor vessels from over seas,
coasting craft of every description and
| pleasure yachts without number. Back
and forth across the long bridge that
spans from San Francisco to the Alameda
| shore electric trains are cOnstan tly darting,
and at the Ianding-stage on Goat IsIard
| hundreds of aerial craft are constantly
arising or alighting.
The park that was built here by the
| Government when the abandonment by
the whole civilized world of warfare rem
dered the torpedo station unnecessary is
thronged with people. From the heights
| Of AlcatraZ-once fortifcation. now
pleasure garden for the people-the sweet
strains of America" arise from hun
dred instruments. played in perfect time
| and tune. The flags of all nations are
| floating from the various masts that make
| Of the harbOr forest. but above every
one floats freely on the light breeze the
white flag of peace, With its silver bars.
| Presently from the point is heard the
sound of salute, and then another and
another, and from the various stations
along shore the music of Home Again"
is borne cityward. Shouts of joy arise
! from the throats of the thousands of peo-
pie on AlcatraZ and Goat islands and upon
the green terraces of Telegraph Hill. rs
around the bend a stately, snow-white
steamer comes ajestically into view.
Ever since she was sighted entering the
Golden Gate hum of pleased expectation
| mas Deen 0eaTu LHTOuSn Tue StTeeLS Oh Jne
city.
"The Oregon is sighted" men said to each
other. and women meeting on the ways
asked eagerly. after greetings:
"Have you heard that the Oregon is
coming home?"
Steadily into harbor steams the Oregon,
and anchors III the stream off Clay street
The wharves there would scarcely be rec
ognzed by resident of the city in 1S93
for instance, so changed are these magnif-
icent landing places from the rude struc-
lures of that early day.
Down the ships sides drop the compan-
lon ladders. Two or three small boats from
the city pull out and go off to the vessel.
/ Two launches from the Oregon are seen
coming in to the landing. As they draw
near the occupants are seen to be women.
with sweet, kind faces. wearing a uniform
OF clingng gray. and each with red cross
upon the sleeve of her right arm. Six
months before news had come to San