The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-19
THE STAR OF EMPIRE.
Poem Read Yesterday at the launch
ing of the Ohio.

Poem Read Yesterday at the launch
ing of the Ohio.
The following poem was read at the
launching OF the battleship by Mrs. Ida
Eckert Lawrence:
Oh, Star of empire thou that went before
The pilgrim, in the misty days of yore,
When glad, the Son of Progress left the
throne,
To pioneer Hesperian shores alone
We owe to thee. with every passing hour,
new world life and liberty and power
With bosom bare, and limbs of sturdy
Drawn,
The manly youth ran thro' the early
His busl1ined feet touched light the trou-
bled deep.
His quest. to wake a dreaming world
from sleep.
By sandy shores, DER Alleghany's crest,
He paused to hear the valleys purring
rest.
Far to the West, the hood-tideS cease
less measure
Broke DER his soul in waves of living
pleasure.
II.
Through the wild primeval forest,
Crept the youth with wondrous meaning
Blazing trees for future heroes
Waving wands with wizard seeming.
From the wigwam, came the cabin
Birds soon few the rifles crack;
And the plying locomotive
Drove the saddened red man back.
Round the campfire chieftains marveled
That the nature-dream was DER;
Followed they the deer and bison,
Toward a friendly shutdown Shore
From the ashes of the cabin,
Mansions, farms and cities grand
Lowly kline and high-bred people
Sprang to bless this happy land.
Spirit-of- Ohio-goddess-
Ruled this land of inspirations;
And the sun of Progress wed her
10! their children lead the nation.
Proud the sire-but Disconnected;
ndsmayed-quailed not the wrack-
With his offspring, hold. as Hector.
Drove the frontier border back.
Afar, where the famed Golden Gate,
Swings low at the close OF the day,
Bronzed Progress sits moldng a queen;
Wars arbiter-fresh for the fray.
With furnace and smoke and fire,
With tackle and block and blow,
In steel, men clothe this bold desire,
In a fleece of flame below.
With hands that are horney with toll,
And a patient. steady tread,
The ranks Of men file in and out
To gather their harvest of bread
With hammer and forge and flame,
With rivet and bolt and blade,
They bind her ribs to her monster frame.
'Tis a giant that man hath made.
Dark faces emboss with the glow
OF sunlight, Ger labors well done.
Mems arms gather strength with each
blow,
And the men and the ships are as one.
Theyfknow that the FORCES red glare
Touch oft where the higher sparks lay
With cheers on the lips of the men.
They'll sigh when the ship heaves away.
Erect in her great wooden stall.
She yearns for her kingdom, the sea;
The Spirit-Ohio shall sever her chains,
And bid the fair captive so free;
To cut the brocade of the deep.
To walk by the feel of the land
AS love fondly fingers round sleep,
So Faith puts her seal on her hand.
Peroration.
Plunge out of thy baptismal fount.
oh, ship of the magical name;
Ride firm Ger the wave in thy pioneer
way,
As men in the highway OF fame
our men IN the highway of fame.
II like a proud sea-gull thy fate,
To ride on the pillows away.
over fathomless depths where the sea-
monsters mate,
And fight Ger the fiotsam Of prey
From lost vessels, the f1otsam of prey
The guerdon that hangs round thy name
And the sons of our bountiful soil,
Shall smlte thy proud turrets with ram
corous flame,
II thou dost eer shame her with spoil
Dost shame her with ill-gotten spoil.
Sail out on the high seas of State,
If foul blows the South wind or fair;
with homes to protect and the nation de-
fend,
Our sons and our ship will be there
Brave as Perry our ship will be there.
May the lust OF the nation be lost
In lfes tide. where the deep soundings
are;
Then Captain fear not. with our ensign
on high,
To follow the pale OF His star
with cannon TO follow His star.
Let Mercy stride free DER the deck.
And Love from the bridge draw the
sword:
Then firmly thou'lt scourge. with thy
thunderous Might.
The foe With the helD OF the Lord