The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-21

markable demonstration. He stood
on the lower deck, uncovered, bow
ing and smiling and waving his hand
kerchiel until the sound of the shout
ing died away in the distance.
This welcome from the soldiers
was only the beginning. AS the Slo
cum drew near the line of steelclad
thunderers of the deep, with jackies
lining the rails marine guards drawn
up aft and officers in full uniform on
the bridges, a puff of smoke burst, like
a white balloon from the port quar-.
ter of the battleship Wisconsin, AID.
miral Casey's flagship.
Boom came a report. 1t was the
first gun from the ships, the first of
Fl. Each of the warships, the big, saw.
age battleship Iowa, the long, lean
cruisers Philadelphia and Adams, the
little torpedo boat Farragut and reve.
nue. cutter McCulloch, which was with
Dewey at Manila, turned loose their
batteries as the Slocum steamed slow
ly by. Opposite the McCulloch the
president witnessed a smart exhibi-
ton of jack tar's skill. The flag at
a nimble sailor ran aloft and loosed
u Ivy oAu IAS "ol0l1pS LuC llJylC
tug threaded her way through the
holiday neet of steamers, yachts, tugs,
barges and every variety Of water
craft jammed about the front of the
shipyards. Each was black with
cheering people and there was hardly
one of them which did not have a
saluting gun of some sort to add it's
voice to the oar of welcome that
greeted the president from the dense
crowd of workmen gathered upon the
pier.
Ashore to the right, was a stand COW
cred with acres OF people and beyond
that the Mill was alive with them.
Up the pier a broad aisle of white
muslin ran through the workmen
packed on either side. Up this path.
arched over with flags and banners,
on. n OF them a large inscription:
"The Oregon Has Made Her Record;
Watch the Ohio" the president and
his party moved to the stand, where a
representative of the 1,4OO employees.
of the Union Iron Works, in a neat
speech, in which he invoked a heart
felt blessing upon the head of the
president as a token of esteem of the
workmen with a gold plate engraved
with a suitable inscription.
The presidents response aroused
much enthusiasm. He told his audi
tors of his friendship for the work
ingmen during his entire public career
and touched the hearts of the surg
ing crowd before him, as he spoke
eloquently of the patriotic response
which California had made during the
Spanish a Many eyes were wet
and more than one of the workmen
made a suspicious movement with his
coatsleeve, as if to brush away an un-
hidden tear.
When the president spoke of the
contentment OF the working classes,
there was n discoruant note. A big,
strapping Fellow, percned upon an ad-
jacent scaffolding, mindful of the
threatened strike, shouted: "How
about next week." A hundred of his
companions looked up and motioned
to him to cease. The president was
not again interrupted until he had
finished his speech.
Then came the launching. A plat
form had been built around the PROV
OF the big iron monster, which lay
in the very slip in which the famous
Oregon was built and from which was
launched the monitor Monterey, ten
years ago.. Seated on the platform
We're the president and members of
his cabinet, Governor Nash of Ohio,
Miss Deshler, his niece, who was to
christen the ship; Miss Barber, who
was OF act for Mrs. Mckinley, and
many uniformed officers of the army
and navy.
Below the workmen we're knocking
the last keel blocks until the
great, steel hull rested upon her cradle
and only a single beam, set like a
trigger and ready to fall aside at a
blow, neld her in place. Miss Bar
Der and the president stood at an
electric appliance which controlled a
guillotine, which was OF sever the
rope which would loose the weight
that was to knock out this last beam.
Miss Barber, with her finger on the
button. was looking %intently at the
indicator. At 12:22h, just two and a
half minutes before the tide was at
its height, the time set for the
launching, there suddenly shot into
the face of the indicator the word
Ready" Miss Barber pressed the
button, the last block fell away. At
the same time Miss Deshler, a young
lady of II, in a light gown, with her
dark hair braided down her back, in
schoolgirl fashion. lie. go of the bottle
champagne suspended at the side
of the bow by a red, white and blue
ribbon and as it crashed against the
side she uttered the words: II chris.
ten thee Ohio"
Released from it's bonds, the heavy
hull of 14,00O tons of steel went
ploughing through the thick grease of
its cradle. Slowly at first, then fast.
er and faster she slid down the ways,
taking the flood majestically. and pill
ing up the water in great waves be-
fore her. The band crashed, whistles
blew, and the multitude shouted. No
ship ever given to the American navy
has taken her initial plungs into the
sea undar mpro fovoroh1o o,cn;oDc