The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-05
BATTLE SHIP LAUNCHED
THE ILLINOIS SLID INTO THE WATER
AT NEWPORT NEWS, VA.
Bottle of Champagne Broken Over the
How by Miss Mamie Letter as the
Vessel Left the Ways.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. Oct 4-Amid the
enthusiastic plaudits of nearly 1850 intent
ly interested people, the shrill salutation of
steam whistles from many boats and tugs
and the strains of THE Star-spangled Ban
ner'' the frst-cass battle ship Illinois slid
into the water to-day. The launch was
brilliant success in every particular, the me-
chanical preparations being perfect and the
assemblage of spectators unprecedented in
the history of the Newport News Ship Build
ing and Dry Dock Company. The sponsor
of the vessel, Miss Mamie Letter, of Chi
cago, was accompanied by Governor Tanner,
OF Illinois, his staff in full uniform and
crowd of distinguished Chicagoans. Notable
among the vessels in the harbor was the
Presidents dispatch boat Dolphin, having
on board Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Allen and a party of Westinghouse.
AS the hour for the christening of the
powerful addition to the country's fighting
navy drew near the approach. OF the christ
ening party was heraided L. : chorus of
voices, and as Miss Letter a.. cortege as
cended the gayly decorated PLATFORM along
side the PROV of the vessel all eyes were
turned hither. The hull lay upon the in
clined sliding platform with her bow pointed
inland. While the crowd expectantly waited
the keel blocks on which the hull rested and
the shores along her sides were carefully
removed until the weight rested upon the
sliding ways. The vessel was held then only
by the oaken planks between the sliding
and the ground ways. AS these were be-
ing severed by the saw the sponsor stood
waiting to perform her conspicuous part in
the ceremony. Suddenly the painted mass
of steel quivered, then slowly and more
randi eli ofI he
just as the motion faIrly began Miss Letter,
who had been standing with the christening
bottle poised in the air, let it swing Sharply
against the bow, simultaneously uttering the
Woros, Il christen thee Illinois,, and then
amid deafening applause, the waving of
banners and the din or steam whistles the
gayly decorated hull, with more than a hun
cred persons aboard, gIided gracefully into
the James river and as her bows cleared
the ways slowly fioated out into the stream.
Among the distinguished spectators were:
Governor John r. Tanner, OF Illinois; Gov
ernor Taylor. of Virginia; Mayor Carter
Harrison, of Chicago; Judge H. L.. Hamlin,
Of Shelbyvile, ILL.,: Assistant Secretary of
the Navy Allen; Mrs. John A. Logan; Judge
Advocate General and Mrs. Lemly; Naval
Constructor Hichborn, designer of the YES
sci; Surgeon General and Mrs. Van Reypen;
PaymaSter General and Mrs. Stuart; Speak
er Ryan, of the Virginia House of Dele
Sates; Senator Mason and Mrs. Mason and
the Misses Mason; lnterstate-commerce
Commissioners Knapp, Woman and
Thomas: Passed Assistant Constructors
Evans and Zabem: Congressman Foss, of
Illinois; Assistant Secretary OF War Nickel
john: Commander and Mrs. Hawley; Capt.
. Paget. British naval attache; General Mes
trago, Russian naval attache; Mr.. Kennedy,
Italian naval attache; M. Bonfire, French
naval attache; Public Printer Frank Palmer
and many others
In the Chicago party besides the Governor
and sponsor were Mr.. and Mrs. l.. u.
Letter, Mr. Joseph Letter, Miss Daisy Letter,
Gen j. N. Reece. James b. Smith, Fl. Is.
Maxwell, f. L. Smith, c. Fitzsimmons, ]. r.
Beggs, f. r. Bliss, G. II. Smith. Benjamin
Shaffner c. Councilman, c. Macmillan, l..
b. Ray. A. C. Matthews. F. NJ. Blount, VIM.
a NJ. Rothchild, w. l. Fay, p o. Stems
land. Charles n. Bleyer, c. l.. Pittenger,
S. Mcknight and others
AT o'clock a grand banquet was spread
TO the distinguished guests. Covers were
laid for six hundred persons. The assem-
blage was brilliant and distinguished one.
President C. b. Orcutt. of the Newport
The toasts and speakers We're: Our PreSi-
dent" by III. G.. Hamlin, of Shelbyvile Ill.,;
THE State of Illinois," by Gov John r.
Tanner; Our Navy" by Rear Admiral
Howell Chicago" by Mayor Carter Har-
rison; Virginia, Governor j. Hoge Taylor.
gram from G. p. Huntington:
THE great battle ship takes her plunge
too late for the war, but her mission is
none the less grand and noble, for she will
go forth not only as a defender of the flag
and the honor of the Nation. but as an
other guarantee of protection to American
citizens everywhere in the pursuit of peace
be such that the great central State whose
name she bears shall ever be proud of ner
namesake."
A ball was given tonight.