The San Francisco call., 1896-03-29
Governor brakes Daughter
Breaks the Bottle and Names
the Sea Monster.
MIGHTY DIN ON THE DELAWARE
Distinguished Persons Join the
Screeching of Whistles With a
Chorus of Cheers.

PHILADELPHIA IA, Marcn Zo.-Ine
big battle-ship 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 indescribable din of
hundreds of whistles. The launching was
success in every respect, and Miss Mary
Lord Drake, the daughter OF Iowa's Gov
ernor, christened the new monster Iowa"
The launching was witnessed by dis
tinguished representation from the Hawk
eye State, headed by Governor Drake and
Secretary Herbert of the navy, Iowa's
Congressional delegation. the members of
the House of Representatives Naval Com
mittee, 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 wit
messed the event from various points of
vantage. The weather was delightfully."-
warm and bright.
The Iowa representatives. arrived here yes
terday afternoon. The party consisted of
Governor F. NJ. Drake, Secretary of State W.
NJ. Mcfarland, State Auditor C. G. Nc
Carthy, State Treasurer John Herriott,
Colonel Joseph McGarraugh, Colonel B.
c. Classy, Colonel J. R. Numing, Colonel
F. C. Let's, Colonel George Bogart, Colonel
c. f. McCarty, Colonel L. NJ. Martin,
Colonel C. G.. Saunders, Colonel II. o.
Weaver. Colonel W. A. Macarthur, Colonel
f. Z. Drake, son of the Governor, and
Colonel ". II. Huttig, composing the Gov
ernor's staff.
With the party were the following ladies:
Miss Drake, Mrs. NJ. D. Shouts. Mrs. E. D.
Grace. Mrs. ]. r Mining, Miss Mary Car
penter. Mrs. Mcfarland, Mrs. Robert Rae,
Mrs. John A. Drake, Mrs. F. E. Drake,
Miss Clarisse Mccarthy. Besides the fore
going the party was completed by the fol-
lowing invited guests: Hon. L. A. Ellis,
Hon. E. G. Penrose, Cyrenus Cole, Hon.
w. r. Boyer, Colonel Robert Rae, Captain
J. F. Merry. Captain John F. Drake,
Colonel T. B. Shouts J. A. Mills and L.
Shearman.
The Iowans were driven from their hotel
to the shipyard and were early on hand.
There they were met by Messrs. Charles
H. Cramp and Henry W. Cramp, respect
lively president and treasurer of the COM
pany. The Governor and Miss Drake and
Miss Carpenter were escorted to a 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 would be-
come in time a floating fortress bearing
upon its decks the heaviest of guns and
thousands of tons of armor and machin-
cry.
sG xL-
form Charles Cramp returned to the
railroad siding running along the yard
and IN few moments special train hay
ing on board the party from Washington
steamed up. In all about 800 people came
from the capital to the launch. After
Secretary Herbert and the party had dis
embarked they were taken to the christen-
ing platform and the Secretary and men,
bers of the two naval Congressional COM
mittees 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
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 pint bottle of champagne
and presented it to Miss Drake. The bot
tie was encased in gold netting and from
the neck depended q long streamer OF rib
bon, on which was painted in gold
Cramps Shipyard, March %, 1896" On
the other side of the ribbon, in similar
letters. was painted Launch of United
States Battle-ship Iowa" On the side of
the bottle was silk label, on which was
q beautifully painted picture OF the Iowa
as size will appear when completed. 1t
was with this bottle of champagne that
Miss Drake christeped the vessel, and she
subsequently bore away its shattered frag-
ments asa souvenir.
A few minutes before o'clock the con-
fusion of sounds that had been arising
from beneath the keel of the vessel ceased.
Then a period of comparative silence
and anticipation ensued. Henry Cramp,
as he has done on many other similar oc-
casions recited his last admonitions to
Miss Drake as to the best means OF shat-
tering the bottle upon the ship. Ihen the
peculiar hisoing sound made by saw cut
ting through wood came up from near the
ground. and in a brief space the snoe-
piece was cut through and the big hull
started down toward the river. AS 1t be-
gan to move at IA o'clock Miss Drake
swung the bottle by the streamers, and as
fhe glass crashed against the keel and the
champagne spattered the side she ex-
claimed: II christen thee Iowap'
The hull slipped smoothly and gently
into the river. and as it hoated out with
an even keel the big siren whistle OF the
MASSACHUSETTS, was turned loose and made
scene that was exceedingly effective.