The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-18
Broken Over the Prov by Miss
DeshIer Of Ohio.
Fifty Thousand People Witness
the Ceremony on Shore.
MRS. M'KINLEY BETTER
Secretary Hitchcock Reports
Her Out of Danger.
Improved Condition Permitted
the President to Be Present.

san Francisco. May 1s.-At s:45 a. m.
Secretary. Cortelyou gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
Doctors Hirschfelder. Gibbons and
Gushing met DR.. Rixey at 5 a m, and
found Mrs. NcKinley's condition de-
cidedly improved since last evening"
Later throughout the day there was
continued Improvement in Mrs. McKin-
ley's condition. The patient slept while
the president was at the launching.
San Francisco. May 18-Afiss Barber
pressed the button, Miss Deshler smash
ed a bottle of California champagne and
at 12:215k p. M. the big battleship Ohio
took her first dip into the sea Fifty
thousand people cheered themselves
hoarse, the big guns Of the warships
doomed ont salute and every steam
whistle within radius Of five miles
shrieked its Ioudest as the steel monster
glided into the water.
The noise lasted for nearly half an
hour and when it finally simmered
down. there lay the Ohio. peacefully
floating in the little cove in front of the
Union Iron Works. Later she was
towed tc the dock where she will be tied
for year or more or until finally COM
pleted. As the vessel slid into the water
stern foremost she created a big wave
that made even the biggest steamers
nearby bob uncomfortably up and down.
As for the smaller craft. they nearly
stood on end
\
the button that started the Ohio down
the ways. but on account Of her illness
her niece. Miss Barber, acted in Mrs.
McKinley's place.
Irving NJ Scott and Henry T. Scott
took the president and Governor Nash
and their parties for cursory inspection
of the more important sections Of the
great yards where the ocean warriors
are built. Both President Mckinley
and Governor Nash followed the ex-
plantations concerning the works close
ly and with evident interest.
BY the hour of Il the greater number
of the nations representatives and other
guests had arrived at the stand beside
the hun of the big battleship. They
saw lying there a great shape of steel,
ready fer the sea The greater part of
the superstructure of the slip wherein
the Ohio was built had been removed.
The battlecraft lay in her great wooden
shoe-Iike cradle on the slippery ways.
Toward the stern the ribs of the cradle
ran well up her sides. shortening toward
the forward lent of the ship and disap-
pearing- Tall shores. reaching from
their firm foundations in the earth to
the decks of the ship were standing close
along the sides On table on the stand
nearby was an electrical instrument.
The pressing of a button meant the
launching Of the ship.
WORD Is GIVEN.
TIE ceremonies were simple but sig
nificant- There was the formal exchange
of acceptances upon the part of the gov
ernment and then. the tide having
reached its flood. the word was given.
The bottle of California champagne
depended from the bow by ribbons of
red. white and blue, braided into a
rope.
The hour had come. AT 1925 sharp.
Irving NJ Scott gave Miss Barber the
signal and she touched the magic electri-
cal machine The guillotine shot down
like q fash and severed the cord. The
dog shore toppled over of its own weight
and the eieverly constructed system of
props caved in like house of cards.
The Ohio seemed to shiver slightly
the trernor running her entire length.
There was scarcely a motion percepti-
Bile. But in a twinkling she began to
slide and then-a rush. q bound.
cracking and crealking and groaning of
the timbers beneath and around her
she shot down the ways, stern foremost
and took her dip into the sea