Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-28
LAUNCH OF THE IOWA
The Big Battle Ship Slides Into the
Delaware.
CHRISTENED BY MISS MARY DRAKE
Presence of a Large Washington
Delegation. "
POWERFUL FIGHTING VESSEL


PHILADELPHIA, March 2s-The battle
ship Iowa was launched from Cramps ship
| yard this afternoon
When she slipped from her cradle and
| dipped her virgin keel in the waters of the
Delaware, Uncle Sans new navy received
the most powerful fighting vessel afloat.
There has never been a more successful
| launch. Federal, state and municipal gov
! ernments were represented by high digni-
| taries Miss Mary Lord Drake, daughter of
! the governor of Iowa, named the big naval
| baby. When she christened the ship her
| father stood beside her. and near at hand
were the members of his staff and party
Of other distinguished Iowans
! Secretary of the Navy Herbert was there,
| with prominent attaches of his Office, and
so were the chiefs of the different naval
| bureaus in Washington and members of
| the House and Senate committees on naval
| affairs.
! Governor Hastings represented Pennsyl-
| VaEia and Mayor Warwick Philadelphia.
| 1t was shortly after l o'clock when the
last tie piece holding the monster to the
| ways was knocked off and the tremendous
hull gave preliminary culver. The COM
manding figure of Miss Drake, standing
| on a little raised platform, drawn
up. Under Henry w. Cramps direction
| she rested one shoulder against the hull
and then, as it began to glide away, she
swung her right arm and smashed the bot
| tie square on the vessels nose She nerv-
| ously murmured, Il christen thee Iowa.,
but nobody heard because at that moment
the ferries and steamboats, let loose their
| ear-spltting whistles and the multitude
gave vent to it's frenZed roar of enthu-
| siasm And the racket kept up until the
| Iowa had gracefully cErtesied to the tribute,
in mid stream, swung around and cast
anchor
| Then everybody the bow platform
| shook hands with everybody else there and
| they went into the long mold loft for lunch
con { nd more Fluctuations.
The western party included General F. NJ.
Drake. governor of Iowa; VIM. Mcfarland,
| secretary Of state: G. c. Mccarthy, state
| auditor; John Herriott, state treasurer; gov-
| ernor's staff. Major General H. H. Wright.
! adjItant general and acting quartermaster
inspector general; Major John Cutter Wy
| man, military secretary; Lieut.. Harry E.
| Wilkins, U. S. A., assistant inspector gen.
era!, with rank of colonel; Brigadier Gen
eral Parker. VIM. c. Manus. commissary
| general; Brigadier General A. w. Jagues,
Fairfield. judge advocate general; Col.
Thomas F. Cook. Algona, general inspector
Of small arms practice; Col. Harry H. Can
| field, Boone. chief signal officer Capt Geo.
Guyot Des Mo;nes chief of engineers; aids,
Col Joseph McGarraugh. Des Moines; Col.
| Davenport; Col F. c. Let's, MarshaIltown:
| Col George Bogart. Shenandoah; Col. c. F.
| McCarty, Jefferson; Col. L. NJ. Martin, Mar
shailtown: Col. c. G. Saunders. Council
Bluffs; Col. H. o. Weaver, Des Moines; Col
w. A. Macarthur. Burlington; Col. F. E.
| Drake Centeiville; Col. H. W. Hutting,
MuscatEe.
The ladies are: Miss Mary Lord Drake.
Mrs. NJ. D. Shonts. Mrs. E. D. Goss Mrs.
Martha Farr Nutting, Miss Mary Carpen-
| ter, Miss Fannie Mcfarland. Mrs. F. NJ.
Nc tFarlend, Mrs. Col. Robert Rae Mrs.
! John A: Drake. Mrs. F. E. Drake, Miss
Clarice Mccarthy.
| The invited gues SITS are: L. A. Ellis, z.
| G.. Penrose, Cyrenus Cole, w. R. Boyd,
Col. Robert Rae Captain ]. F. Merry Cap
tain John A. Drake, Col. T. B. Shonts, j.
A. Mills, l.. T. Sheurman.
The Iowa delegation reached here yester-
day. and the Washington party came from
| the capital in a special car which was
| run up to the ship yard.
Miss Drake is a handsome girl of COM
old. and presides over the household Of
her father, who is widower. She is
prominent in Des Moines society.
Officially, the Iowa is known as sea
| her from coast line battle ships, like the
Indiana. Massachusetts and Oregon.
The Iowa contract was awarded the
Cramps on February II, 1893. the price be-
! ing $3,O1OGOO
She is guaranteed to speed sixteen knots
an hour, and for each quarter knot addi-
tional the builders will get $4,000.
The Washington Party.
The party from Washington included the
Secretary of the Navy, Miss Herbert, the
Vice President and Mrs. Stevenson, the
Misses Stevenson, Mrs. William l.. Wilson,
! the Misses Wilson, the Assistant Secretary
of the Navy and Mrs. McAdoo, the Secre-
| tary of Agriculture and Miss Morton, the
| Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and
Misses Hamlin, the Speaker of the House
Misses Boutelle, Mr.. and Mrs. John 3.
Robinson ard Miss Robinson, Mr.. Melville
| Bull, the Attorney General and Mrs. Har-
mon, Mrs. Hall, Mr.. and Mrs. J. Frank
Hanly, Mr.. Francis II. Wilson, Mr.. and
Mrs. George E. Foss, Mr.. and Mrs. a. G.
Dayton. Mr. Amos j. Cummings, Mr.. and
| Mrs. Adolph Meyer, Mr.. F. Z. Tate, the
Russian minister, Senator and Mrs. Villas,
William l.. Chambers, Judge and Mrs.
James X. McCamnlon, the Misses Mccain
! mon, Mr.. Ormsby McCammon, Senator
| Fred. Dubois Senator and Mrs. Black
| Mrs. Walker. the Misses Walker, Rear
Admiral and Mrs. Ramsay, Miss Ramsay,
Capt. and Mrs. Lemly, Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
7. Aldrich, Mr. and Mrs. r. ii. Clarke,
Gray and the Misses Gray, Mr.. and Mrs.
| ]. H. Bankhead, Senator and Mrs. Gear,
Commodore and Mrs. Phythian, Capt. and
Mrs w. T. Samson, Chief Constructor and
Mrs. Philip Hichlorn, the Alabama dele
cation, the Iowa delegation, and others.
This party left here at 8:15 o'clock this
| morning on special train Of the PENN
| sylvania, and expect to return here at z
o'clock this evening. Breakfast was serv-
ed OH the train on the trip to Philadelphia
and dinner on the train also on the return
| trip. Luncheon was served at Philadelphia
| Immediately after the launch.
Personal Mention.
Major Eric Bergland, corps Of engineers,
| is in the city on leave of absence.
| Capt. 8. E. Stuart, ordnance department,
| is in the city to consult with the chief of
| IN oAao;a1 foro