Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-08
LAUNCHING THE CANDOC
Local Ship Yards Turn Out Handsome
Little Graft.
Warmly Welcomed by Older Sisters
and Brothers Today-The New
Boat and Her Future.

The steamer Candoc was launched this
morning from Wilson's ship house at the
slip of the old Inland and Seaboard Coast
ing Company. The young craft gli1ed down
the way. took the water as II animated
with the spirit of the occasion. ia which.
she played the star role. The Candoc is to
be used as the officers yacht and the pay
boat OF the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Company, and Mrs. Nicholson wife to the
superintendent of the company, broke the
bottle of wine and said the word by which
the new steamer will be known on the
register Of the American 1T ar;ne. Although
designed primarily for duty on TIE canal.
yet the river shall know her well, for many
will be the excursions which she will make
along the old Potomac when her people
wish a relief from the Georgetown climate.
Warmly Welcomed.
The entrance of the Candoc into shipping
society was heralded by blasts from senior
craft, waving of hats. handlIerchiefs and
flags, and lusty whoops and huzzas from
the river folks. The ship has been build
ing since last fall. and from the date of her
laying down she has been 4 fruitful topic
along the front. Comment became more
and more favorable as the Candoc evolved
from mystery of strips into a steamboat
The launching has been looked forward to
with keen interest. but the date on which
she was to have her christening bath seems
not to have been announced till yesterday
Then the news spread In that epidemic
fashion peculiar to the river from, at this
season. when conversation, conviviality and
communion are the chief employment OF the
waterfaring folks.
All on Hand.
She was to go off at food tide Everybody
told everybody else and everybody was
there. The Candoc was TO have a send off
OF which she might feel proud even unto
her days of barnacles, rust and condemna-
ton. Early the workmen began the task OF
greasing the ways and making fast the
guide lines There was some chopping O,
adzes, rasping of saws and clatter Of ham,
mers Groups of people with hands In peck
cts and pipes in mouth stood around and
aided the progress of the work with their
presence. The groups grew in size as the
morning did in age. Clusters of ladies' took
up position on the decks of the Mary Wash
lngton, bright parasols and bonnets bios
somed on the decks of the River Queen AMI
some ribbons and laces luttercd from the
Samuel j. Pentz. The pier of the Inland
Company was densely peopIed with curious
lockers on, and the stress of expectation
was so great the flow of converse was In.
terrupted The harbor police force, under
commodore Sutton, was early on the ground
and the power house folks turned out in
force and all the steamboat companies were
represented by full quotas. At $50 Supt
| ",
| Miss Williams. Master Jack Williams. Trus
| tee Hugh l.. Bond. jr., Mr.. e. F. I Beale
MIR. t. n. McAboy and Mr.. j. D. Mallory
the contractor for the machinery, drove uI
ana the crowd broke away that the guest:
OF honor might pass. Constructor Leonard
J. Nilsson was the busiest man at the slip
but he DOTTED his hat and escorted the yisi
tors to the pilot house of The steamer
| Inere was some preliminary talk and Mr.
! Nilsson sang out: saw away, thera, for.
ward, and look sharp aft" Two ship car
| penters, with saws, began to buzz and rir
through the planking which would relea 81
the runners of the cradle on which the
steamer rested and let them slide down the
| ways.
Into Her Element
The timbers were cut through a slight
| culver ran through the frame the guests
clutched pieces of the wood work and the
new boat budged slightly. then moved
more freely and finally rushed along the
inclined railway and with a splash of
waves, churning of water. bounding of
| blocks and clangor of chains plunged stern
on into her element. Mrs. Nicholson lean
cd lar out OF the pilot house, raised the
big bottle of champagne above her head
and, In clear, firm voice said "Candoc"
Then the bottle descended, there was a.
smash, the forward deck was strewn with
glass and a stream of sparkling wine
trickled overheard and mingled with the
river. The steam whistles of tugs and
steamers shrieked; the spectators howled
with glee; hats went skyward bun ting
dipped and the crews of several bugeyes
and long boats anchored in midstream
chimed in with their salutes.
Look out, there. she'll come together
with the Mary Washington" sang out
some of the crowd. as the stern OF the
Candoc rushed close to the bows of the
ancient mariner. A stout pull on the after
Fort guide halyard and the gliding boat
swerved from her course and threw SPRAY
over the lower deck of the Mary
The crowd heaved an exclamation Of re-
lief and the launch was pronounced a sue
cess.
The Boat.
The Candoc is 81 feet over ALL IL feet
beam and 3 feet draft. She has a graceful
overhanging deck and one Of the trimmest
bows on the creek. Her forefoot is all
that the designers art could make it and
all her lines are pleasing.
She is fitted with a compound engine and
10 and 5-inch cylinders; will carry go
pounds of steam in her Roberts boilers
and although she was not built to race
wi h. p1ao lyI, H.