The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-29
Event Witnessed by Fifteen Thousand
Persons, Including Two OH
GERS of the Cabinet.
MRS. ROOSEVELT ALSO THERE
VIEWED THE CEREMONIES FROM
TEE DECK OF THE DOLPHIN.
Christened by Miss Marion CockrelI
with Missouri Wine-Secretary
Longs Response to ''The Navy"

NEWPORT NEWS, Va, Dec 2s.-The
battleship Missouri was launched at the
shipyard here to-day at HIP o'clock. Fully
1900 people, it is estimated, saw the big
vessel glide into the water. The launching
passed off without a hitch. and none pref
tier or more successful was ever accom-
plished here. Miss Marion Cockrell, daugh-
ter OF Senator +. NJ. Cockrell, Of Missouri.
was sponsor for the ship, and she per-
formed the duty assigned her with the
traditional bottle Of champagne, using
bottle of Missouri product for the pur-
pose.
The number Of distinguished guests gath
cred around the sponsor on the christening
platform was larger than ever seen here.
Among them were Secretary of the Navy
Long, Secretary Of the Interior Hitchcock.
Rear Admiral Melville, U. S. N, chief of
the Bureau of Steam Engineering; Rear
Admiral ONeill, U. S. N, chief of ord
nance; Judge Advocate Lemly. U. s. N;
Lieutenant Governor ]. A. Lee, of Mis-
souri,. acting for Governor Dockery; Gov
ernor Tyler, of Virginia; Corwin H. spen-
Ger, of st. Louis, representing the Louisi-
ana Purchase Exposition Company; Con-
Sressman Rixey, representing the House
committee on naval affairs; Senator Cock
GERS. Mrs. Roosevelt, wife of President
Roosevelt, came up from Old Point on the
United States dispatch boat Dolphin. with
ner guests, and viewed the launching from
the steamers deck.
When The big ship had glided off the
ways into the water the crowd in the
guests platform gave three cheers for Miss
Cockrel, three for the army and navy,
three for Secretary Long, then three for
the shipyard. After inspecting the various
departments OF the plant the guests re-
"a n "a r(' & yVh a Tf UVh hRV
boarded the steamer Washington, going to
Old Point.
At the Chamberlain Hotel this afternoon
the customary poSt-launching banquet was
given, the guests mentioned above being
on the programme the principal speak
ers. Five hundred guests sat down to the
Newport News Shipbuiding Company. act
ed as POSTMASTER. Occupying seats of
honor on each side of him were Secretary
Long and Secretary Hitchcock, Senator
Cockrell, Governor Tyler of Virginia, Lieu
tenant Governor Lee of Missouri, Rear
Admirals Melville, Cotton and O'Neil, Cap
tain S. G. Lemly and G. H. Spencer.
A toast was drunk to the President stand
ing. 1t was responded to by Secretary
Hitchcock, who bore to the gathering the
greetings of President Roosevelt and his
regrets at not being present. Secretary
Hitchcock concluded with an expression of
the pride he, as a Missourian, felt in the
new battleship and paid an eloquent tribute
to President Roosevelt.
Applause greeted Senator Francis NJ.
Cockrell as he arose to respond to the
toast Missouri" The senator said Mis-
souri's rank in the Union entitled the State
to have a battleship named after her. She
had taken prominent part in every con-
troVersy, civil and foreign, that has taken
place since her admission into the Union.
The senator aroused enthusiasm when he
said that the State had sent sixty thousand
men into the Union army and nearly as
many into the Confederate army In the
late war with Spain Missouri furnished
her full quota, and would have furnished
many more had they been accepted said
the speaker proceeding to pay a compli-
ment to Missouri women who, he said,
were not second 20 the far-famed IF. F..
VS." The senator thanked Secretary Long
for giving so appropriate a name to a bat
tleship, and thanked Mr.. circuit for the
great vessel his yard is turning out.