The Washington times., 1901-12-29
BattleShip Saluted as She
Leaves the Ways.
NAMED BY MISS MARION COCKRELL.
Secretaries of the Navy and the
Interior Witness the Launching
at Newport News-Banquet Fol-
lows the Ceremony-M MIR. Long on
the Need of Many War Vessels.

NEWPORT NEWS Dee. 2S-Into the
peaceful waters of Hampton Roads. made
famous by the mighty fight between the
Monitor and the Merrimac today glided
the hull of the battleship Missouri
Amid the-strains Of patriotic music the
shouts and the acclaims Of many thou
sands Of spectators. and the piercing
shriebs Of whistles the mammoth ship
was launched, proudly bearing the Stars
and Stripes. As the last prop which held
her TO the land was knocked from beneath
her keel and this great mass Of floating
steel slid opt toward the bosom OF the
deep. a fair daughter of the Common
wealth for which the ship was named.
Miss Marion Cockrell. daughter OF the
senior Senator from Missouri dashed a
bottle OF sparkling wine against her prov
and said: Il name thee Missouri"
Thus was this wonderful ioa ting fort
ress named baptized in native Missouri
wine
An Inspiring sight.
1t was most imposing and inspiring
sight Witnessing it we're the head of
the Navy Department, Secretary Long;
Secretary Hitchcock. resident of Mis-
souri,. and large delegation Of the sons
and daughters Of that Commonwealth in
cluding many Of her Representatives in
Congress, Senator Cocbrell. Representa-
tives Cochran and Robb. and others.
Thousands more the majority of them
Virginians, proud Of the great ship build
ing industry CT which Newport News
boasts, stood upon the pier OF the New
port News Building and Dry Dock Com
rsny and cheered this mighty engine OF
modern warfare.
When it was all over. and the Missouri
had been received within the glad en-
brace of the waters. the launching party
repaired TO Old Point Comfort. where
banquet wss spread
The day was overcast and cloudy but
II was not until after the ceremonies OF
the launching were over that rain began
To fall. portion of the launching party
arrived here early this morning by train
including Secretary and Mrs Long. Sec
rotary Hitchcock. with President Orcutt:
Capt. S C. Lemly, Judge Advocate Cen
eral OF the Navy. and Mrs. Lemly: Ad-
miral Melville. Admiral O'Neil. Lieuten-
ant Davis. w. A. Greer. and Captain Bay
ly of the Royal Navy OF England The re-
mainder of the party, numbering nearly
hundred persons. arrived about o'clock
on the steamer Washington
Launched at High Tide.
The launching was scheduled to take
place al the moment of high tide, and
every thing was in rea dness. The great
hull OF the ship rested peacefully within
the slip where two years ago its keel was
In laxr a,,J
deck and about her in the bay at anchor
lay all manner Of sea craft, from the
mighty seagoing merchantmen to the ar
mored men-of-war OF the navy. all gaily
bedeeked with banners and streamers.
At the bow OF the Missouri a large
platform had been erected. and suruount-
ing this. close to the prov Of the ship,
was still another stand. where the spon-
sor took her position. Miss CocErell is
young woman Of great attractiveness.
ana she looked queenly as .,be laid her
hand upon the bottle which vas st>pend-
ed from the vessels deck
The Sponsors disappointment.
Unfortunately. through the blunder of
the porter the gown which she had made
especially for the occasion was left in
her trunk upon the steamboat wharf in
Washington The sponsor was soyely dis
appointed. and what young woman would
not have been?-hut she accepted the stu
alton graciously. with true Western
cheerfulness.
Beside her stood c. 3. orcutt, the presi.
dent OF the shipbuilding company, the
Secretary OF the Navy and Mrs. Long.
Secretary Hitchcock Thomas F. Walsh
and Mrs. Walsh and several others.
On the piers and aboard the boats living
out In the hay were gathn-na moro tha~
It"11 people. F0r ha- hour Hf
h uuchilr wcriue-
-n r,ahirE trc flal
lE o7e renewing the ....
hoat c- the vas-a
An last the flal tea -.rrt.-
lalL moves down u. che
waters. As it did 20 Miss Cockrsll flung
the Dotte in it's silver case against the
prov. and the sparkling. bubbling wine
tricklea down the side of the ship.
The Missouri anont.
The band struck up THE Star spangled
Banner" while the great throng Of spec
tators gave way to loud cheers. and
score OF whistles shrieked their greeting
as a salute TO the new warship
great wave rolled seaward as the
Missouri sank into the waters. but the
entrance was too graceful to cause 4
splash. Slowly the ship drifted a few
hundred yards into the sea- and then her /
anchors held her fast.
As she lay there at rest, Col John l. |
Martin, OF Missouri, stepped to the front 1
OF the spectators platform and proposed |
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