The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-05-24

teries as the Slocum steamed slowly
by Opposite the Mccullough the pres
ident witnessed a small exhibition of
d jack tars skill.
Beyond the warships the little tug
threaded her way through the holiday
fleet of steamers, yachts, tugs, barges,
and every variety of water craft
jammed about the front of the ship
yard. Each was black with cheering
people, and there was hardly one of
them which did not have saluting
gun of some sort to add it's voice to
the roar of welcome that greeted the
president from the dense crowd of
workmen gathered upon the pier.
Ashore, to the right, was a stand
covered with crowd of people and
beyond that a hill alive with them.
Up the pier a board aisle of white
muslin ran through the workmen
packed on either side. UP this path,
arched over with flags and banners,
one of them bearing the inscription:
"The Oregon has made her record;
watch the Ohio" the president and his
party moved to a stand. where the rep
resentative of the $500 employees of
the Union Iron works. in neat
speech, in which he asked a heartfelt
blessing upon the head of the presi-
dent and expressed tender sympathy
for his suffering wife, presented the
president as a token of the esteem of
the workmen with gold plate en-
graved with a suitable inscription.
The presidents response aroused
much enthusiasm. He told his audi
ence of his friendship for the work
| ingmen during his entire public car
eer and touched the hearts of the surg
| ing crowd before him as he spoke elo-
quently of the patriotic response
which California had made during the
! Spanish war. Many eyes were wet
and more than one of the workmen
made a suspicious movement with his
coat sleeve, as if to brush away an
unbidden tear. When the president
spoke of the contentment of the work
ing classes, there was one discordant
note. A big. strapping fellow perched
upon an adjacent scaffolding, with his
mind full of the threatened strike
shouted: ''How about next week.
A hundred of his companions looked
up and motioned to him to cease.
| Jhe Launching.
Then came the launching. plat
form had been built around the prov
of the big monster, which lay in the
very slip in which the Oregon was
built and from which President Har
rison launched the monitor Monterey
10 years ago. Gathered on the plat
form were the president and members
of the cabinet, Governor Nash o.
Ohio; Miss Deshler, his niece, wa:
chosen to christen the ship; Miss Bar
Der, who was to act for Mrs. McKin
ley, and many uniformed officers O.
the army and navy. Immediately a
the left was a red coated band. Below
workmen were knocking away the las
keel blocks, until the great steel hui
rested upon her cradle and only
single beam, set like a trigger ant
ready to fall aside at blow. held he
in place. Miss Barber and the presi
, dent stood before the electric appli
ance which controlled the guillotin
that was to sever the rope which
would loose the weight that was t,
? knock out this last beam. Miss Bar
Der, with her finger on the button
was looking intently at the indicator
At 1922 IL, two and a half minute
before the tide was at it's highest, tn
time set for the launching, there sud
denly shot into the face of the ind
Gator the word Ready" Miss Barbe
pressed the button. The last bloc
fell away. At the same time Mis-
Deshler, young lady of II. in a ligh
gown, with her dark hair braide
down her back in schoolgirl fashion
let go of the bottle of champagne sus
pended at the side of the bow by
red white and blue ribbon, and as !
; crashed against the side she uttere
, the words: 81 christen thee Ohio
Released from its bonds, the heav
hull of $4,000 tons OF steel wen
ploughing through the thick grease o
its cradle. Slowly at first, then taste
and faster, she slid down the ways
taking the flood majestically and pi
ing up the water in great waves be
fore her. The band crashed, whistle
blew and the multitude shouted. N
ship ever given to the American nav
has taken her initial plunge into tn
sea under more favorable auspices o
in the presence of a more distinguish
ed company.
The trip back to the city was almos
, a repetition of the journey to the YARD
Description OF Ohio.