Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-20
LAUNCH OF THE SHIPS
Final Preparations for the
Great Event.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
ne en- Prominent i'm National and State Az
fairs VIII BE Here Thursday. Fleet
or Warships Coming. Flowers
for the Sponsors.

When the Dattleships kearSarf,e and
kentucky leave the ways at the ship
yard of the Newport News ShipbuiId
ing and Dry Dock Company and plunge
lnto tine waters of the historic James
RIVER next Thursday morning there vail
naVe occurred one of the most notable
events In tine .StOAy of ShDEtIildi1lss-
launch of two tirStcaass men OF war
IN %ne i"ay. Never before in the Annals,
OF uaVa4 architecture has suCn a t.1lt
been attempted. probably because If .h,.
lack of facilat eS
That the launch will be "a. success
there is not the slightest dAubt Every
pre,paratl ton has been made for the
event, the SreateSt caIe being taken to
thave the plans DOWN to the minuteSt
ueiaW carried out. With the exception
on few finishing touches the vessels
are ready to plunge in the placid wa
ueEs. Iney rest ON their ways like huge
watch digs Waiting for the ,int. to lean
With tte:r huais painted "a bright red
tam military masts reaching skywa1,i
and strea mers of bunting und Old Glory
1ansHng in the breezes that sweep
uomh the river the lighting machines
Will Present magnificent picture.
Eclat ceremonies Will attend the
launt n. Men distinguished in natfonai
and State affairs will be witnesses
clTac and military organizations viii
no1lor the event from THE guns bn the
mem OF wat- lying in the river a well
coming salute will be fired, AND aIn,d
the din will be i.eard the shouts sent
up by the thrJns. This viii end the.
ceremonies at the yard
AFTER the ships are moored in tGl.-fr
Dettns the invited guests of tbs. ship
building Company AND naval ofricha,s
VIII steam down Hampton Roads i'm.
hhe steamer Newport News, TO tho
t'amberfn Hotel. at Old Point. There
BANQUET will be given Sparkling
champagne Will fizz ard ali the tempt
ing v.ands will be served Then wslll
follow "a number OF tDasts, responded 70
by prominent speakers. But thena wlM
not be a grand ball. as lis usually the
custom. for the Lenten seass M is on
1t is understood. h.weve,,, that th,-re
VIII be dancing at the hotel Thursday.
Out IL VIII not be q part of the Dr-vi-
DUSTY arranged festivities attending tll,.
launch. "
The battleship kearsars,. vial h.. tho
first to glide into the water She VIII
leave the ways at abTur 10 o'c.ock. lust
.nehoTe high tide An hour larsr the
Kentucky w3lq be launched Mrs. Wins
4o"' VINO IS TO be the sponsor few. the
hearsarse. Will christen the sh.p with
champagne: butt Ms- Ci,:stirr. Rras.L
ley. who will become spoons, r for the
future behavior of Il e vessel named
for the Btle Gross Sta te, WIN US. ma
lures pure nectar when She smashes
the bottle on the prov o. the ship and
nttelS the words: II ,7fr:sten thee Ken
lucky. The water was taken fr m a
sEGhnS that sushes out on a farm on
which Abraham Lincoln spent the days
of his youth. und from Which it is aid
he often Went to quench his thirst
1t is estimated that there. will Ire 10 900
visitors in tie city next Thurs day
SPECIAL trains rum from CinCiEna,ti
Richmond and Washington will bring
hundreds of peGp,e. The steamboat
EEes touching hove Will run extra YES
sas, bring ms; tire naval officials Com
e. eSsmen and senators from Washing
ton, besides other visitors. Fr,m the
BEue Grass State will come Governor
Willian O. Bradley. his stafff OF cdl-
onels and a delegav on OF Dr. ittably l. 900
kentuckians.
Richmond and the State Will he rep
resented. Governor Tyler and his staff
NAVE accepted the inNitat to be pres
ent. and they Will be accompanied by
many representative citizens The Gov
ern"r and his staff in fell uniform win
be met by the Huntington Rifles. \
letter received iii this, CIV from Cap
tam Cunningham, of Richmond, states
t!lstt his command expects to part iei-
pate n the launching ceremonies Other
military companies will be in line i'm the
parade, which VIII be made up Of mill
tary, civic and secret organizations.
Thursday will be a red letter day for
Newport News. and the city will take
on Monday attire; Every business house
will he decorated. From the flag STATS
the Stars and Stripes will wave Head
quarters Will be established for the
various organizations i'm attendance No
visitor will be debarred the privilege taf
entarng the shipyard Early i'm the
morning the gates will be thrown open
10 The public. and an opportunity given
the strangers to inspect the immense
plant. the largest shipbuilding works in
Amet4ca-probably i'm the world.
me navel and congressional party
WIFI be under the escort of Mayor w.
"A n Do
washington tomorrow to make the ar
engagements for bringing the party
down on the steamer Newport News
and he viii remain in Washington and
come down with the distinguished
guests Thursday morning 1t is GER
tain that Secretary John D. Long Will
witness the launch. President McKin-
icy may also come, but this depends
on the developments in the Maine dis
aster President Mckinley has ex-
>zesoped he will be able to leave the ex-
ecut1Ve mansion for one day. His pres
ence would lend additional ecat to the
occasion. and the ceremonies would be
more elaborate. In the party Will be
the members OF The Naval Affairs Conn
Hfttees of the two houses. They are
as Follows:
Senate-Eugene! Hale, OF Maine.
chairman: George c. Perkins. Of Cali
fornia; James Mcmillan. of Michigan;
WiMiam IL. Chandler of New Hamp-
Shire; Thomas C. Piatt. of New York !:
Marcus A. Hanna. of Ohio; James
Smith. Jr. of New Jersey: Benjamin
R. Tillman. of South Carolina; Thomas
5. Martin. of Virginia: Marion Butler.
OF North Carolina. and Samuel d. Nc
Emery. of Louisiana.
House-ChaTqes A. Bouteile, OF Maine,
chairman; Samuel G. TIflborn OF Cali
fornia: .Manville Bull. of Rhode Island
George E. Foss, OF Illinois: Aston G.
Dayton, OF West Virginia: James H.
Southland. of Ohio: Henry G. Louden-
Slayer. of New Jersey: r. b. .Hawley,
OF Texas: Thomas S. Butler. of Penn-
sylVania; Amos J. Cummings, Of Ne "
York: Adolph Meyer, of Louisiana;
Parrish Carter Tate, OF Alabama and
Robert N. Bodine. OF Missouri.
Senators William Lindsay and Will
4 4iam j. Deboe and Representatives
\ Charles Kennedy Wheeler. John D.
Il Clardy, John S. Rhea. David H. Smi;
\ Walter Evans. Albert s. Berry, Evan
H f. Settle. George M. Davidson, San.;lc
| J. Pugh. II. Y. Fitzpatrick AMI Davis
Il G. Colson, comprising Nentucky's fuI