Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-29
FORMIDABLE WAR MACHINE
Successfully Launched From the
Cramps Ship Yard.
WAS CHRlSTENED IOWA
At1;i4 Governor brakes Pretty Daughter,
Mary, Broke the Bottle
ON THE NOSE OF THE MONSTER SHIP
She Is One OF the Most Formidable Fighting
Machines Afioat and Is Armoured
With Harveyized Nickel Steel
ID Inches Thick.
ON THE NOSE OF THE MONSTER sHlE

Pnlladelphia, March 2S.-The Sea-going
battleship Iowa was launched at 1:14
o'clock this afternoon from the Cramps
ship yard. The vessel was christened
by Miss Mary Lord Drake, daughter of
the governor of Iowa. The launching was
witnessed by distinguished representa-
tion from the Hawkeye State, headed by
Governor Drake and Secretary Herbert
of the navy, Iowa's congressional delega-
ton, members of the house of representa-
tives naval committee, several members
of the senate naval committee and the
principal heads of the different navy bu-
reaus.
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 delightful
ly bright and warm.
The Iowa representatives arrived here
yesterday afternoon. The party consist
ed of Gov F. M. Drake Secretary of
State W. M. Mcfarland, State Auditor
c. G. Mccarthy, State Treasurer John
Herriott, Col. Joseph McGarraugh, Col.
G. b. CHASER, Col. ]. r. Nutting, Col. f.
G.. Let's, Col George Bogart, Col. c. F.
Mccarthy, Col L. M. Martin, Col. c. G..
Saunders, Col II. o. Weaver, Col. w. A.
Macarthur, Col F. E. Drake, son of the
governor, and Col. w. H. w. Huttig,
composing the governors staff. With
the party were the following ladies: Miss
Drake, Mrs. M. d. Shoutz, Mrs. e. d.
Grace, Mrs ]. R. Nutting, Miss Mary
Carpenter, Mrs. Mcfarland, Mrs. Robert
Rae, Mrs John A. Drake, Mrs. F. e.
Drake and Miss Clarisse Mccarthy.
Besides the above the party was COM
pleted by the following invited guests
Hon. L. A. Ellis, Hon. e. c. Penrose, Cy-
renus Cole, Hon. w. R. Boyd, Col. Robert
Rae, Capt. ]. F. Merry and Capt. John
F. Drake, Col. T. B. Shouts, J. A. Mills
and L. Shearman.
The Iowans were driven from their
hotel to the ship yard, and were early on
hand. They were met by Messrs. Charles
H. Cramp and Henry w. Cramp, respec-
lively president and treasurer of the COM
pany. The governor and Miss Drake and
Miss Carpenter were escorted to a small
enclosed space directly beneath the bows
of the ship. Many of the Iowans had
never seen the huge hull of heavy ves-
sci out of the water. They gazed in
wonderment at the towering sides of the
red and white painted hull that arose
many feet in the air above their heads,
and could hardly realize that this mass
of dead weight iron and steel would be-
come in time floating fortress, bearing
upon it's decks the heaviest of guns and
thousands of tons of armor and ma
chinery. The evolution of the hull before
them into a modern battleship was il
lustrated to them by the battleshlp Mas
sachusetts, which was lying at the dock
adjoining the launching ways, and, as far
as outward appearances go, ready to hold
the seas against an enemy
After escorting the 1owans to the plat
form, Mr.. Charles Cramp returned to the
railroad siding running along the yard
and in a few moments special train,
having aboard the party from Washing
A.. -. oil nh 10
came from the capital to the launch.
After Secretary Herbert and party had
disembarked they were taken to the
christening platform, and the secretary
and the members of the two naval con-
gressional committees were given good
positions close to Miss Drake.
When Miss Drake had arrived at the
yard Mr. 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
launching goers present the pasteboard
box was an evidence that something
more sparkling than Iowa water would
baptise the vessel Presently Mr.. Cramp
opened the box and brought forth a pint
bottle of Champagne, and presented 1t
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, 1896"
On the other side of the ribbon, in SINH
lar letters, was painted Launch of Uni
ted States battleship Iowa" On one side
of the bottle was a silk label, on which
there was beautifully painted picture
of the Iowa as she will appear when
completed 1t was with this bottle of
champagne that Miss Drake christened
the vessel and she subsequently bore
away with her its shattered fragments
as souvenir.
I A few minutes before o'clock the hur-
ley hurley of sounds that had been aris-
ing from beneath the keel of the vessel
ceased. Then period Of comparative
silence and anticipation followed. Mr..
Henry Cramp, as he had on many other
similar occasions, recited his last adj
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
eanle 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 liza o'clock
Miss Drake swung the bottle by its
streamers, and as the glass crashed
against the keel moving above her head.
and the champagne despatched the side.
she exclaimed IT christen thee Iowa"
The hull slipped smoothly and gently in
TO the river and as it foateds out on an
even keel the big siren whistle of the
Massachusetts was turned loose and
made diversion that was exceedingly
effective, but still more trying on the
eardrums of every one in the vicinity.
Tugs screeched and whistled, people
cheered and those on the christening
stand congratulated each othef on the
success OF the launch. The men aboard
the Iowa let go two bow anchors when
the momentum she had received in the
passage down the ways had died away
and brought her up. head down the
Stream.
After the launch . luncheon was serv-
ed in the mould loft At sfis luncheon
was presented to the Messrs. Cramps.
IT wss entitled "The Launching of the
Iowa.
There was no speech making, as the