The San Francisco call., 1897-03-16
WILL CHRISTEN THE SHIP
Miss Lucie Brown, a Wheeling
Belle, Comes to Name a
New Gunboat.
AN.wspaper Correspondent Suggested
the Name Wheeling" and Is
Here to Report.

Miss Brown, Miss Lucie s. Brown and
of Wheeling, w. Va, who have been visit
ing in Southern California for several
months past. arrived at the Palace Hotel
yesterday and will participate on Thurs
day noon in the launching at the Union
Iron Works of the United States war
vessel Wheeling.
Miss Lucie s. Brown will christen the
vessel by breaking the customary cham
payne bottle over her bow as she glides
into the bay at high tide. The Mayor OF
Wheeling selected the young lady Tor the
pleasant duty and notified her by tele-
graph.
Upon the same occasion the Marietta,
named after Marietta, Ohio. will be
launched ct the Union Iron Works.
Leroy j. McNeeley, who Will be one of the
launching of the two gunboats, Wheeling and
Marietta, has arrived here from Wash
lngton, D. C., and is staying at the Occi-
dental. He viii report The launching for the
Wheeling Evening News, OF which he is the
representative at the National capital. He
has come TO San Francisco to attend the
launching, not only for his paper and for the
city but because he has q peculiar interest in
the occasion which Will mark the advent of the
vessel as part of the United States navy. II was
due principally to the efforts of Mr.. McNeely
that the gunbOat was named alter w neellng,
the metropolis of the State OF West Virginia.
He started the movement in his Washingto ton
correspondence and 1t was through his writ
ings that various yves. Virglnians OF prom1-
nence became interested in the matter. He Sc
cured the co-ope ration of the City Council and
other offi cal bodies in Wheeling and thus OBJ
tanned aid and support for the moyemen n t
which ne undertook alone. He also solicited
the help OF West Virginia Sen ators and mem-
bers of Congress and had them each file a
strong Endorsement of the request that the
name Wheeling be selected. Hon. Wlinam L.
Wilson, late Postmaster-General, Is distin-
guished West Vfrgin1an and he became inter
ested in the proposition through the work OF
the young newspaper correspondent, ana al
though there were as many as two dozen cides
asking for the honor it is said that Wheeling
made the strongest showing of them all. This
the first time a newspaper correspondent at
Washington has been successful In having q
United States war vessel named.
When seen by representative of The CALL
Mr.. McNeely said:
''The people ofWheeling are very much elate d
over the success they have achieved and al-
though it is now over four months since the
vessel was named their enthusiasm has not
been abated one whit They all regret that II
is not possible for them to be present, as this
launching Is an event in which they are
much interested. But they intend to send a
committee of ten Councilmen 20 San Francisco
whenever the boat is ready Tor commissioning
and at that time they viii turn over to the
ships officers the testimonial the city has
prepared. This will be composed OF silver
puncn DOWl ana SET Oh giaSS anu Culna ware
made in the Wheeling factories and modeleu
after the latest design. In 1880 the popula-
ton OF Wheeling was 30737 and in 1890 ii
was "a, ,522. Since the last census there has
been a proportionate increase. Wheeling is
one of the chief cities of the Ohio Valley.
alt is known for its manufacturing industries
and long ago earned the sobrIquet of the
Nail City as result of its undisputed claim
to be the possessor of the most extensive nail
shops in the world. The city is also celebrated
for It's pottery. its china and glassware, but
these are the chief and not The only industries
it maintains. 1t has extensive iron and steel
rolling mills and number OF large to oscco
factories another important manufacture
which is rapidly being extended is the making
of sheet metal ceiling and roofing. This
fancy de signed, fireproof ceiling which is sc
popular to-day had Its first growth within the
gates of Wheeling, and in that city 1t is recog-
nized as certa In to gain in imp ortance. Many
other smaller but none the less valuable man.
ufactures are engaged in to an extent thai
makes the Nail City decided rival of Pitts
burg and other cities on the Ohio River"