The Washington times., 1901-07-28
THE LAUNCH OF THE MAINE
Amid Cheers and Whistles the
Battleship Leaves the Ways.
named by Miss Mary =. Anderson,
Who with Difficulty Broke the
Bottle of Champagne Over the YES
.ers Prov - Guests Entertained.

seIs Prov Guests Entertained.
PHILADELPHIA. July 27.-Slowly and
ma jestically the new battleship Maine
slid from the ways into the Delaware
River al the Cramps shipyard this morn
ing, and another successful launch at the
big works was over in less than minute
Precisely at 1910 o'clock Harry -Cramp
gave Miss Mary Preble Anderson the
word to christen the ship. Workmen for
five minutes had been hammering and
saving away the stays, and the huge red
hull had started to move.
Miss Anderson raised the gilt cord
encased bottle of American champagne
| in her right hand and with lips murmur-
ing. Il christen thee Maine" brought it
against the steel prov. 1t bounded off
and the boat moved farther away. Thou
sands of eyes were gazing on the
young woman and when they saw the bot
! tie bound people held their breath fearful
lest the boat would slip too far away for
her to reach.
Again the bottle was swung around and
| pounded on the steel ram Again 1t re-
| bounded and whisper of anxiety escaped
from the waiting spectators. a percep-
! tible movement of the crowd in the stand
seemed as if the people were going to
jump forward to help the fair sponsor.
Surprised that the bottle did not break,
Miss Anderson set her lips tightly and
| with a movement of her body from the
waist leaned over the edges of the plat
form and swung the bottle with force
that crashed it into thousand pieces
| just as the boat slipped beyond her
reach. The effervescent wine few all
over the group of people in the enclosure
/ 4, .aI . ha tom lnrN
of the crowd.
Those three seconds were great strain,
but with the christening safely over, the
relaxation was all there. With gathering
speed the hull shot down the creased
WAYS with a rush and a roar, and in
twenty seconds was entirely in the water,
riding buoyantly amid the whistling tugs
and river craft. AS she drifted backward
into the stream lines were thrown QUITO
waiting tugs and they stayed her head
way to the opposite shore. People perched
in every conceivable place about the ad-
joining WAYS and perched twenty deep on
the piers, gave the mammoth boat noisy
sendoff Hats were thrown in the air,
women waved handkerchiefs and para
sols all the while helping to swell the
tremendous chorus of cheers that rever-
berated through the air On the ferry
boat Fearless band played Columbia,
the Gem of the Ocean, and those spec
tators on the wharf nearest it hummed
the inspiring words. AS the Maine was
toyyed back to the yard, and the people
were beginning to depart, the strains OF
1.-THE Star-Spangled Banner floated over
the river.
The numerous guests went to lunch in
the mold loft, and the crowd rambled
out Of the yard and overloaded trolley
cars in their endeayor to get TO their
homes. Fully 30,0c0 people were in the
yard and on the boats to witness the.
launch.
Before food tide today about the big
warship was an air OF expectancy that
had been generating for more than two
years. The day dawned clear and with
fieecy wisps of clouds hanging here and
there the sky seemed to be in holiday re-
gala, too. Indifferent to the weather the
ugly prov of the way boat pointed heav-
onward. Putting with arrogance self-con-
fident little tugs fioated around the stern
to give the monster hull its first setback
and incidentally to preserve the shore
line of Petty's Island, on the opposite
side of the channel.
With the rising water other boats came
laden with sightseers for the launch, and
took positions of vantage on either side
slipped from the ways. In the yard thou
sands of spectators were gathered and
had located themselves as near the dan
ger zone as they could possibly get in
their eaSer rfaSSS to see everything. In
vited guests in pleasing array of colorful
costume were assembled a platform
erected before the bow OF the ship
Naval officers in the full glow of their
dress uniforms mingled with the more
somberly clad statesmen and citizens in
the guests stand, and aided the ladies in
giving animation to the scene. Holders
of admission tickets had grouped them
selves wherever they could and they
gaZed with wonderful admiration through
the maze of timbers that encased the
mass OF steel plates, bars, and rivets.
Employees had climbed into spots known
by experience to be advantageous for the
witnessing of a launch.
Miss Mary Preble Anderson, of Port
land, Me-, who was to christen the new
boat, arrived at the yard shortly before 10
clock with Gov. John II. Hill and the
delegation of public men from the land
of baisam and ice water. At the offices
of the company Miss Anderson received
the bottle of American champagne. which
she was tc crack over the nose of the
battleship as she gave 1t the name that
has been perpetuated by history. Miss
Anderson is an attractive girl, the daugf-
ter of civilian officer of the navy. and
is the descendant of many heroes and fa-
nous men. Her father is w. II. Ard6t-
son, who served as payrnaster in The
granddaughter of Hugh ]. Anderson,
former Governor of Maine; niece of Lieu
tenant Commander Edward L. Preble. u.
S. N. who was navigator OF the L. 5. S.
Kearsarge at the time of the famous en-
gagement with the Confederate privateer
Alabama, off Cherbourg, during the civil
war. and great -grandchild of Commodore
Edward Preble. a distinguished officer of
the United States Navy in the early days
Of the Republic.
Her appointment as sponsor for the ma
~
shir was made after a correspondence
between Senator Hale, Governor Hill, and
the builders. Many documents in behalf
Of Miss Ande. son we're filed in the Execu-
tive Depart nent. including letters from
Thomas B. Reed. former Governors Hen
ry B. Cleaves and Selden Connor, and
Clarence Hale, brother to the Senator.
Petitions for the honor were also made
in behalf of Miss Caroline Frye Briggs,
granddaughter of United States Senator
William p FRYE; Miss Bradford. dauGh-
ter of Rear Admiral Royal b. Bradford
u. s. N, chief of the Bureau of Equip
mont, and Miss Sigsbee. daughter of the
commander Of the ill-fated Maine.
Miss Anderson evidently appreciated the
great honor bestowed on her. for she said
Really you do not know how anxious
] was to the Maine ready to slide
into the river. Ever since accepted the
honor of christening the ship / have
heard nothing but stories of launchings
and just what | should do. Now l hope
/ shall be able to perform my part salts
factorily and trust that | will remem-
ber to mention my State when the su-
preme moment comes.
With Miss Anderson came Mrs. j. +.
Hill. of Augusta wife of the Governor
of Maine: Mrs. J. +. Richards. OF Gar
denere; Col Francis Keefe, of Eliot; J.
f. Liggett, of Augusta. and Mrs Harry