The record-union., 1896-03-29

big battleship Iowa slipped from her
cradle into the waters of the Delaware
shortly after l o'clock this afternoon
to the accompaniment of cheers from
thousands of throats and the indescrib-
able din of hundreds of whistles. The
launching was a success in every re-
spect and Miss Mary Lord Drake, the
daughter of Iowa's Governor, chris
tened the new monster Iowa.
The launching was witnessed by a
distinguished representation from the
Hawkeye State, headed by Governor
Drake and Secretary Herbert of the
navy, Iowa's Congressional delegation,
the members of the House of Represent
atives Naval Committee, several mem
bers of the Senate Naval Committee
and the principal heads Of the different
navy bureaus.
Besides the party gathered upon the
christening stand, the yard was opened
to the public, and thousands of people
witnessed the event from various points
of vantage. The weather was delight
fully warm and bright.
The Iowa representatives arrived
here yesterday afternoon. The party
consisted of Governor f. NJ Drake,
Secretary of State w. NJ. Mcfarland,
State Auditor c. G.. Mccarthy, State
Treasurer John Herriot, Colonel Joseph
McGarragh, Colonel B. c. Classy, Col
onel j. r. Nuning, Colonel F. G. Let's,
Colonel George Bogart, Colonel c. F.
Mccarthy, Colonel l.. M. Martin, Colo
mel c.. G. Saunders, Colonel o. H. Wea-
ver Colonel W. A. Macarthur, Colonel
F. Z. Drake, son of the Governor, and
Colonel w. H. w. Huttig. composing
the Governors staff.
With the party were the following
ladies': Miss Drake, Mrs. M. D. Shouts,
Mrs. E. D. Grace, Mrs. j. r. Nuning,
Miss Mary Carpenter, Mrs. Mcfarland,
Mrs. Robert Rae, Mrs. John A. Drake,
Mrs. F. E. Drake, Miss Clarisse Nc
Carthy.
Besides the above the party was COM
pleted by the following invited guests:
Hon. L. A. Ellis, Hon. H. E. Penrose,
Cyrus Hule, Hon. w. Boyer, Colonel
Robert Rae, Captain j. F. Merry, Cap
tain John F. Drake, Colonel T. B.
Shouts, ]. A. Mills and L. Shearman.
The Iowans were driven from their
hotel to the shipyard and were early on
hand. They were met by Messrs.
Charles H. Cramp and Henry w.
Cramp, respectively, President and
Treasurer of the company. The Gov
ernor and Miss Drake and Miss Car
penter were escorted to small inclosed
space directly beneath the bows of the
ship. The towering sides of the red
and white painted hull rose many feet
in the air above their heads and the
mass of dead weight of iron and steel,
which would become in time floating
fortress, bearing upon its decks the
heaviest of guns and thousands of tons
of armor and machinery.
After escorting the Iowans to the plat
form, Charles Cramp returned to the
railroad siding running along the yard,
and in a few minutes a special train,
having on board the party from Wash
ington, steamed up. In all about 300
people came from the Capital to witness
the launching. After Secretary Herbert
and the party had disembarked, they
were taken to the christening platform,
and the Secretary and members of the
two Naval Congressional Committees
were given good positions close to Miss
Drake.
When Miss Drake had arrived at the
yards Henry Cramp had presented her
with bunch of beautiful roses, but up
to this time he had borne beneath his
arm a pasteboard box. To all the old
launch-goers present, the pasteboard
box was an evidence that something
more sparkling than Iowa water would
baptize the vessel.
Presently Mr.. Cramp opened the box
and brought forth a pint bottle of
champagne and presented it to Miss
Drake. The bottle was encased in a
gold netting, and from the neck de-
pended a long streamer of ribbon on
which was painted in gold, Cramps
Ship-yard, March 2S, 1885, On the
other side of the RIBBON in similar let
ters was painted Launch of United
States Battleship Iowa" On the side
of the bottle was silk label on which
was beautifully painted picture of the
Iowa as she will appear when COM
pleted.
1t was with this bottle of champagne
that Miss Drake christened the vessel
and she subsequently bore away its
shattered fragments as souvenir.
A few minutes before l o'clock the
conglomeration of sounds that had been
coming from beneath the keel of the
vessel ceased. Then ensued compara-
tive silence and anticipation. Henry
Cramp, as he has done on many other
similar occasions, recited his last ad-
monitions to Miss Drake as to the best
means of shattering the bottle upon the
ship.
Then the peculiar kissing sound made
by a saw cutting through wood came
up from near the ground, and in a brief
space the shoe-piece was cut through,
and the big hull started down toward
the river. AS it began to move, at / IA
O'Clock, Miss Drake swung the bottle by
the streamers, and as the glass crashed
against the keel and the champagne
spattered the side, she exclaimed: Il
christen thee Iowa"
The hull slipped smoothly and gently
into the river, and as it fioated out with
ar even keel, the big siren whistle of
the Massachusetts. was turned loose.
and made a scene that was exceedingly
effective. But still more trying on the
ear-drums Of everyone in the vicinity,