The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-10
A NEW SHIP LAUNCHED.
NEWPORT NEWS CHRIsTENED IN
PRESENCE or LARGE CROWD.
An Interesting Occssion-Miss Gertrude
Woo .hury Brcaksn Bottle OF Wine on
ths Bow Of the ship-Those Present.

NEWPORT NEWS. VA. April 9.-Spe-
cial-The handsome passenger steamship
Newport News. built here for the Nor
folk and Washington Steamboat Compa-
ny, was successfully launched this morn
ing at 9:52 O'Clock in the presence Of more
than 1900 spectators. Miss n. Gertrude
Woodbury.. niece of Levi Woodbury., vice
president Of the Norfolk and Washing
ton Steamboat Company, christened the
boat after the manner that obtains on
all similar occasions. As the vessel began
TO move down the ways Miss Woodbury.
cast a beautifully decorated bottle OF
cha.apaign against the bow, exclaiming,
nj the time, II christen thee Newport
News" The steamer fioated gracefully
out into the stream. and was then towed
TO a pier. About 200 people were on board
when she made the plunge.
NAVAL oTFIcFHs THERE.
The Norfolk and Washington steamer
Norfolk arrived here about O'Clock THIS
morning with a large party from the TWO
cities after which the line Is named.
Among them were Beriah wilkins, pro-
prietor of the Washington Post, Captain
John Callahan, superintendent OF the
Norfolk and Washington Steamboat COM
pany, several directors of the company,
and many other prominent Washing
tonians, including a Number of ladies.
The Government tug Wahneta brought
over a party from Portsmouth. In it
were Admiral Brown. Naval Constructor
Bowles Chief Engineer DUNCAN. L. ). ~,
Captain w. II. Murdaugh, supervising
inspector OF vessels, Mrs. ". II. Muir
daugh, the Misses Murdaugh. Misses
Reed Miss Ferrabee and Miss Chase.
The Virginia Navigation Company
steamer Pocahontas which was on her
way from Norfolk TO Richmond, with a
large number of passengers, stopped at
the shipyard in order TO allow them 10
see the launch. The pocahontas and all
other vessels in the vicinity at the time
were decorated with flags
The stores were decorated in honor OF
the launching Of the city's namesake,
and all the schools observed the occasion
as a holiday. The scholars of the New
port News Military Academy. the New
port News Seminary, the Huntington
School. and the public schools went IN
a body to the shipyard TO witness the
launching.
HER DIMENSIONS.
The Newport News will be larger than
the vessels now running between Norfolk
and Washington, and will be a finer boat
In every particular She VIII have 2
speed of at least twenty miles an hour
and II she reached twenty-five miles II
would not be surprising. She will make
her initial trip on the 18th of June and
will run two weeks as a night boat be-
tween this city and Norfolk. On the lsi
of July she will go on the day route
running between Washington and Norfoih
in ten hours.
Did AFTER TIE LAUNCHING.
Timothy Desmond, aged fifty. dropped
dead at the shipyard this morning a
short time after the launching of the
Newport News. lie was sitting talking &c
Il friend al the time, and his death was
a startling surprise. He came here -four
years ago, and has bsen employed al
the yard as a carpenter. Heart trouble
was the cause of his death.