The Forrest City times., 1894-11-16

| h4'houRh neither the International Navigation Co. or the Cramps sent ont many invitations, still as the hour for the launch approached several hundred 1 people were gathered on the guest stand. Prominent among them was i delegation of St. Louis business men. headed by Mayor Waibridge of that city, who had travelled from Missouri to see their city's namesake launched. THE PRESIDENT AND PARTY. At 12:l0 o'clock the special train, having the president, Mrs. Cleveland and their party aboard, steamed slow ly up to the ship yard gate. Mr. II. W. Cramp presented Mrs. Cleveland and the other ladies of the party with a bunch of flowers, and then the party walked into the yard and up the in- cline to the stand. Right under the keel small platform had been railed off, and in this Mrs. Cleveland, the president, MT. Griscom and Mr Cramp took their stand. After the christen- ing party had entered the yard the gates were thrown open and
 THE WAITING CROWD THRoNGED IN. Fully 25.0o0 people were in the yard as the moment for the launch ap- preached. MT. II. w. Cramp was finally notified that all was in readi- ness, and he handed Mrs. Cleveland the gaily-decorated bottle of champagne that she was to break on the ships bow. Mrs. Cleveland took the bottle, nodded and smiled and stood waiting for the ship to begin to move. The sharp, hissing sound made by saw cutting its way through wood came clearly above the noise made by the crowd: Suddenly the big ship began to move.
 CRY or THERE SHE GoEsr' went up from the crowd. followed by cheer that swelled into a great volume of sound as the ste;sn whistles Tn the yard and on the fiotilla of waiting steamers in the river added their noise to the din. As the vessel began to move, at two minutes past l o'clock, Mrs. Cleveland swung the bottle of champagne by its parti-colored ribbons, much as boy throws stone from a sling, and smashed the glass against the side, at the same time calling out in clear voice:
 ''I CHRIsTEN THEE ST. LOUIS" The movement of the vessel at first had almost been imperceptible, but once fairly started the St. Louis swept down the ways with the irresistible rush of an avalanche. The stern struck the water cleanly and an instant after, the vessel was floating on the surface of the river. A big wave rolled over the ends of the wharves in the steam CTS wake and many of the crowd paid for their sight of the launch with a ducking.
 THE ST. LOUIS SPED A QUARTER OF 4
 MILE
 out upon the river from the momentum received on her slide from the stocks and waiting tugs caught her and her anchor was let go. As seen in the water the St. Louis looked much smaller than on the stocks, although she rode high for being without her ballast, machinery, etc.
 MRS. CLEVELAND WAS CONGRATULATED on the successful part she had played in the vessels christening by those around her. After the launch lunch con was served in the office of the ship yard to the presidential party, the officers of the International Navigation Co. and some few of the invited guests. A DEPARTURE IN AMERICAN SHIP BUILD
 ING.
 There have been many notable launches at Cramps, but the majority of them heretofore have been govern ment vessels. The St. Louis is not only the largest steamship ever built in this country, but her construction marks a departure in ship building in America, as it is thought that she will prove the peer of any English-built vessel, and prove to the world that American skill and genius can com pete with any nation in passenger steamship as well as in war-vessel build