The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-04-02
LAUNCHED THE IOWA
THE GREATEST WAR ENGINE or
THE WORLD.
sci Cnn Contend with Her
Single Handed.

Philadelphia, March 2s.--The launch
of the battleship Iowa from Cramps
shiryard today partool5 more of the
nature or a national event than my
similar one since Mrs Cleveland
christened the st. Louis nearly two
years ago Vice President Stevenson
headed the delegation from Washington
which included Secretary of the Navy
Herbert, Attorney General Harmon,
Secretary of Agriculture Morton and a
large party of senators and congress-
men.
The Iowa party was led by Governor
Drake, whose daughter, Mary Lord
Drake, broke the bottle of champagne
over the vessels PROV and gave it its
name. Miss Drake Is handsome
blonde of commanding figure. When
she baptized the vessel she stood on
little stand raised above the bow
platform, and on either side of her
were Henry w. Cramp and Miss Her
bert, daughter of the naval secretary.
1t was 1:S0 In the afternoon when the
last block was knocked away and the
marine monster began her brief jour
ney. Following Cramps instructions,
Miss Drake grasped her bottle and rs
the mighty hull began to slide down
the ways, she crushed it against the
PROV. The Iowa slipped gracefully
down into the middle of the stream and
the tremendous crowd let out a mighty
roar, while the nearby factories and the
craft which dotted the river opened
their shrill whistles. After the launch
there was an informal luncheon in the
mould loft, but no speeches were made.
The Allison boom was brought to the
front just before the launch, accidental
ly or otherwise. Governor Drake. who
was standing on the little christening
platform, called over the heads of the
crowd to Senator Allison and Secretary
Herbert. They pushed their way
through to the stand and then mount
ed it and faced the throng. AS soon as
Senator Allison appeared on the ele-
walton, the crowd, irrespective of poll
tics, burst into applause and the 1owans
lifted their hats. A minute later they
stepped down and mingled with the
other occupants of the big stand
The following stirring poem by Ma
jor S. II. NJ Byers, of Iowa, was read,
each stanza being enthusiastically ap-
plauded:
THE LAUNCHING OF THE IOWA.
Wake, giant of oak and steel.
Asleep by the yellow sand,
And give to the sea thy keel,
And bid farewell to the land.
At the touch of beauty arise,
At the words that shall bid thee move,
at the hand that shall thee baptise,
And give to the sea its love.
Sail, sail, o ship that is ours,
New warrant that peace shall be,
| Whatever the cloud that lowers,
O, ship of the western sea
TO every land of the earth,
To seas that are fair and far,
Bear thou the message of worth
That peace is better than war;
! And guard thou ever our fame.
From gulf to the utmost bay,
And keep forever thy name
| AS fair as it is today.
And if ever grim war should come,
| In spite of the mien we bear
| With the sound of the hurrying drum,
| And a wall of death on the air.
| Then open thy sides of steel,
| And fight with thy thousand men
| Till the ships of the foe shall feel
| There are giants abroad again;
| And thunder with all thy guns,
| And smite with thy lightning stroke,
| Nor stop though thy bravest sons
| Lie bleeding in battles smoke.
| Cry out to them Perry's name,
| Remember how Lawrence fell.
TO-
In spite of the fires of hell.
| And if ever a foe should bid
Thee Weld to naughty hand
Tell him what our Morris did
When he sank the Cumberland.
Far better the ship go down
And her guns, and her thousand men
In the depths of the sea to drown,
Than ever to sail again
with the day of her promise done.
or the star of her glory set,
Or a thread from the standard gone.
That never has yielded yet.
Then wake, o giant of steel
That sleeps by the yellow sand.
Arise from thy dreams and feel
The thrill of nations hand
Sail sail to many main,
Strange lands and trackless ways.
Rut ever come back again.
New crowned with the victor's bays
Your colors already we know,
The colors our hearts adore.
The sea waves white. and the wines
red glow
And the blue sky bending DER.
Sail. sail, o sail,
But come to us at the last.
rr from the battle, or from the gale.
with the old flag at the mast
THE BEST EVER BUILT.
,rhe Iowa. the keel Of which was lai'
two and a half years ago, is the fourtl
battleship to be owned by the Unite'
states. She has been constructed TO
. sea purposes, the first three built, tn
Indiana. Massachusetts, and oregon. be
, ing coast battleships The Iowa is O
/ 1000 tons greater displacement than he
sister ships. and several feet longer an
| broader. The hull is OF steel with
! | double bottom and close watertight SUI
| division to 10 feet above the water lin
| Compared with the Indiana, the low
has greater length, greater beam, ir
creased length of outer line belt an
@ | greater coal endurance and speed. tt
c gether with the ability to work the fo
j. ward 12-inch guns in almost any cond
| ton OF sea. The magnificent electr