The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-05-23
BATTLEsHIP is LAUNCHED
President rlckinley Was Present at
the Launching.

San Francisco, May 20.-Miss Bar
Der pressed the button, Miss Deshler
smashed a bottle of California cham
| payne and at 1926 p. m. Saturday the
| big battleship Ohio took her first dip
into the sea. Fifty thousand people
| cheered themselves hoarse. The big
| guns of the warships doomed out a
salute and every steam whistle
shrieked it's loud tones 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 float
| ing in the little cove in front of the
Union Iron works. Later she was
towed to the dock, where she was
| tied for year or more and until
| finished completely. AS the vessel
| slid in the water, stern foremost, she
created big wave that made even
| the biggest steamers near by bob un-
comfortably up and down. AS for the
smaller craft, they nearly stood on
end. Mrs. Mckinley was to have
pressed the button that started the
Ohio down the ways, but on account
| of her illness her niece, Miss Barber,
oScSN Al 4AAS NnCAlulcJ $ place..
Hon. Irving M. Scott and Henry T..
Scott took the president and Govern
| or Nash and their parties for cur
sorry inspection of the more import
| ant sections of the great yards where
the ocean warriors are built. Both
President Mckinley and Governor
| Nash followed the explanations con-
corning the works closely and with
| evident interest.
The president began his speech
attending the ceremonies of the
launching by saying:
Il am inexpresslbly thankful to
| the ruler of us all for his goodness
| and his mercy which have made it
| possible for me to be with you to-
day."
After congratulating the workmen
upon their success as shipbuilders,
he said:
eve ought to have good COM
mercial line from here to the Phil
ippines, built by American work
ingmen, and manned by American
sailors and carrying the American
flag. There is nothing in this world
that brings people SO close togeth-
er as commerce. There is nothing
in this world that so promotes the
universal brotherhood of man as
commerce; and we want to encour-
age commerce. The nations are
close together now. The powers of
the earth are tied together. We have
overcome distance. We not only
want commercial line, but we want
a cable line from here to the Phil
ippines. We want it to be an Ameri-
can cable that cannot be cut by any
power of the world. They say trade
follows the flag. The flag must fol-
low trade.
The president then thanked the
iron works employees for their hearty
welcome and said:
[ am glad to again meet the work
ingmen of my country. All my pub
lie life has been devoted in effort to
giving the workingmen the best OPP
portunity. the best chance for good
wages and steady employment. When
labor is we'll employed there is con-
tentment and happiness in the homes
of the laboring men.
shall carry this beautiful souve-
mir of the employees of the Union
Iron Works with me and it shall
abide with me as long as I live,
and it shall be passed along to those
of my family that shall follow, as
one of the dearest tokens that I
have received from my fellow coun-
trymen. Enthusiastic applause.