The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-25
GALA CHEERS OF 10000
IT WAS 4 DISTINGUISHED COM
PANY AT NEWPORT NEWS.
MRS. WlNSLoW, MISS BRADLEY, SPONSORS
Bourbon Whskey 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 24.-In
the presence of the largest crowd ever
assembled on similar occasion the
first-clasS battleShips Kearsarge and
Kentucky were launched at 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
travelling crane, and now doomed UP in
all their dignified magnitude, seemingly
eager for the time when they should
take their first dip in 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 10 commence the work
OF transferring the ship to it's cradle.
The regular sounds of the hammer
could be heard in all sections of the
yard as the brawny workmen drove
home the all-important wedges
In the meantime the gnests of the
Newport News Shipbnilding Company,
had assembled on the large platform
at the ships PROV.
Among the distinguished persons who
occupied positions on the platform were:
Governor ". O. Bradley, Governor j.
Hoge Tyler, and their respective staffs;
General Nelson A. Miles. Commander
in-Chief Of the United States Army; Ad-
miraI Matthews, L. 8. N; Commodores
McNaif and Wallace: Senators Thomas
). Martin, of Virginia; j. l.. Rawlings.
of Utah: Representatives Jacob Yost,
w. A. Jones and P..J. 0tey, of Virginia
Representative A. ]. Hopkins, of Iii
1lois; Representative ID. A. Mercer, ex-
Senator Black. Representatives ID. III.
Small and It. S. Hopkins. of Kentucky:
President c.. B. Orcutt, of the ship-build-
ing company; Naval Constructor J. j.
Woodward and wife, Mrs. General Pick
EFT, Miss Belle Tyler, Miss Miles, Miss
Mary Orcutt and Mrs. Governor Brad
ley.
The sounds of the hammer died away,
and the immense crowd was hushed with
the cessation of work Gs if by magic
command. and the attention of all was
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 its work of severing the last
wedge
The towering steel frame hesitated a
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
receding bow, exclaimed:
Il christen thee, Kearsarge,
A mighty cheer went up from the
vast thr0ng Of spectators as the vessel
struck the water, stern first. and. with
Il graceful dip first aft and then for
ward, glided out upon the waters with
the bu0yancy Of duck. Another cheer
arose from 10000 throats when it was
seen that the Kearsage had been safely
and successfully launched, and was
pIoughing the river without leaning
the slightest to star-board or port.
The steam whistles in the shipyard
and those on the large fleet of Naval
and pleasure craft in the river. shrieked
forth their glad welcome to the new
conner.
channel, where she was picked up by
the Chesapeake and Ohio tugs and
proudly tOwed to one of the lower ship
yard piers.
After rhe launching, Mrs. Winslow re-
ceiyed handsome model of the Kear-
sarge, presented by the men who worked
on the ship, as a memento of the occa-
sion
When the latest addition to Uncle
Sans floating marine monsters had
been safely mOored, there was a general
rush on the part of the large assem-
blage TO the opposite side of the i'm
mense crane, where the formidable Ken
tucky proudly awaited the honors to
be conferred upon her by one of the
Blne Grass States most charming
daughters.
As soon as the Kearsage was moored
to one of the piers the force of shin
launchers crossed 10 the other side of
the high trestle and commenced to pre-
pare the Kentucky for her baptism.
Finally the blows beneath the hull OF
the ship died away. The large saw was
placed against the sOle-pieces at the bow
Of the vessel, as in the previous launch
and the two wOrkmen looked up at Su
perintendent Smith for the expected
signal.
Mr.. Smith mOti0ned to Miss Bradley
to take the christening bottle and then
nodded the final instructions TO the men