The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-29
GALA CHEERS OF 10000
IT WAS \ DISTINGUISHED COM
pANY At NEWPORT NEWS.
MRS. W!NSLOW, MISS BRADLEY, SPONSORS
Bourbon Whiskey Flashed Against the Shining
Sides, and the Harbor of Craft Screamed
With Welcomes, and There Was a
Banquet in the Evening.
Banquet in the Evening.

Newport News. Va. March 2!.-lnl
the presence of the largest crowd ever
assembled on a similar occasion the
tirst-claSs battlcships Kcarsargc and
Kentucky were launched ut the plant Of
the Newport News Ship Building and
Dry Dock Company, this morning.
Fully thirty Thousand persons witness
ed the launching.
The two big defenders were con-
structcd ut either side of Il huge 11o-ton
travelling crane. and now doomed up IN
all their dignitied magnitude, seemingly
eager for the time when they should
take their first dip III the briny waters O.
the historic James.
The arrival of the christening parties
WAS the signal for cheers from the i'm
patient spectators, and also for the ship
yard employees to III the work
of transferring the ship to its cradle.
The regular sounds of the hammer
could be heard in all sections of the
yard as the brawny workmcn drove
home the all-important wedges.
In the meantime the guests of the
Newport News Shipbuilding Company,
had assembled on the large platform
ut the Ships PROV.
Among the distinguished persons who
occupied positions on the platform were:
Governor W. O.. Bradley, Governor ].
Hoge Tyler. and heir respective ~staffs;
General Nelson a. Miles, Commander
in-Chief of the United States Army: .Ad-
miral Matthews, [. S. n; C~ommodores
Mc\air n Wdllace: Senators Thomas
$. Martin. Of Virginia; J.. L. Rawlings,
of Utah: Representatives Jacob IOst,
w. A. Jones and P. J. Otey, of Virginia;
Representative \. J. Hopkins, of Hi
nOis: Representative ID. \. Mercer, cX-
Senator Black, Representatives u. II.
Small and +. S. Hopkins. of Kentucky;
President c. 3. Circuit, of the %ship-build-
ing company; Nav Constructor j. j.
Woodward and wife, Mrs. General Pick
EFT, Miss Belle Tyler. Miss Miles, Miss
Mary circuit and Mrs. Governor Brad
ley.
The sounds of the hammer died away,
and the immense crowd was hushed with
the cessation of work as if by magic
directed TO the bow of the Kearsarge.
where Mrs. Winslow was standing
waiting the starting of the ship.
Another minute and the cracking of
the huge timber was heard as the saw
completed it's work of severing the last
wedge.
The towering steel frame heSitated Il
second. not longer. and at 1902 O'Clock
slowly started on its journey to the
water.
AS it did so. Mrs. Winslow. casting
the bottle in her right hand against the
reccding bow, exclaimed:
Il chriSten thee. Kearsarge.'
\ mighty cheer went up from the
vast throng of spectators as the vessel
struck the water. stern first. and. with
Il graceful dip first aft and then for
ward, glidcd out upon the waters with
the buoyancy of Il duck. Another cheer
arose from O.OO throatS when it WAS
seen that the kearsage had been safely
and successfully launched. and WIS
pioughiIg the river without Ieanin.
the slightest to star-board or port.
The steam whistles in the shipyard
and those on the large feet Of Naval
and pleasure craft in the river, sInriekcl
forth their glad welcome to the new
conner.
The kCarsagc glidcd out i nto thu
channel, where she was picked up by
the Chesapeake and Ohio tugs and
proudly toWed to one Of the lower ship
yard piers.
After rle launching. Mrs. Winslow re
ccivcd a handsome model of the Kear-
sarge. presented by the men who worked
OH the ship, as Il memcnto of the occ;,.
sion.
When the latest addition to Uncle
Sam Heating marine monsters hat
been safely moorcd, there was Il genera
rush on the part Of the large assem-
biaSe to the opposite side of the i'm
mcnsc crane, where the Formidable Ken
tIJrEV nInll1iy- I-nTtA Tho, -.,
be conferred upon her by one Of tn,
Blue Grass States most charmin.
daughters.
AS soon as the kearSayc WAS moore,
to IL of the piers the force Of shin
lalnchcrS crossed to the other side @
the high trcstlc and commenced to nrc
pare the Kentucky for her baptism.
Finally the blows beneath the hull q
the ship died away. The large saw wa:
placed against the sole-pieces at the bow
of the vessel, as i'll the previous launch
and the two workmen looked up at Su
perintendent Smith for the expecte,
signal.
Mr.. Smith motioned to Miss Bradle,
to take the christening bottle and tnel
nodded the final instructions to the mel
below. The mOnotonous buzzing of th
saw started again, and everybody hel,
their breath. eagerly awaiting tn,
strange spectacle of seeing a ship chris
tened with pure spring water.
There was only another instant of sus
pense, as the weakened timbers com
menced to crack under the severe strai
of the ships burden, and the long eS
pected snap quickly followed.
At 11:35 the big hull started from it
long occupied bed. and Miss Bradle
smashed the cut glass bottle, filled wit
water from a spring in Kentucky froI
which Abraham Lincoln. in his yout
was wont to quench his thirst, SQUARED
against the sharp PROV.
simultaneously with the sound {