Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-23
BIGGEST OCEAN liner
The Baltic is a Leviathan of
the Deep.
RECENTLY LAUNCHED
MARKS AN EPOCH IN HISTORY
OF sHIPBUILDING.
Some Idea Of Her Enormous Size
Nearly "a 900 Gross Ton
mage.
Written for The Evening Star

Written for The Evening Star
Quietly, with as little preparation as
though 1t were an everyday event, a great
steamship slid into the water from the
docks Of Belfast, Ireland. shipyard, a few
days ago. It was a launching stripped Of
speeches, music and a picturesque chris
tening ceremony, yet it was one of the
most impressive occasions of the kind
ever witnessed, for the steamer Baltic,
the worlds biggest ship, had just dipped
her PROV for the first time into the waters
of Father Neptune. Thus was an occur
renee unique In the history Of ship
building dealt with as though it were
matter Of routine, while those who were
permitted to witness the launch from the
yard, and expected a dramatic and exciting
scene, were very much disappointed.
Instead of the usual launching scene
the hundreds of busy workers sWarming
round the huge vessel, endless din of
hammers, a babel of orders, and intermin-
able moments of waiting until the final sig
nal was given. they saw a few men grouped
round the keel, one with an ak, the others
with their hands in their pockets, and high
overhead cluster of black figures peering
down curiously. There was no shouting
no confusion; wave of the hand, a NUT
tered word was sufficient, the men knew
what they had to do, and did it quietly
and effectively. All eyes were directed to
the Baltic, where she lay strong and solid
on the launchways, shining with fresh paint
and with the festoons of check-chains round
her bow. Mere figures could not convey
the idea of size and strength that lay in
her towering sides that shut out the sun
light; the decks that stretched SO far that
from the bows the squad of men on the
poop showed like pigmies, only then one
could understand something of the daring
that planned, and the genius that carried
to a successful conclusion, the construction
of such a vessel.
Watching the Launch
The builders of this mighty sea monarch
had permitted a large number of spectators
to enter the yard for the launching, and
from an early hour the Queens road was
black with people hurrying to get good
position.
The visitors included the prominent men
of the city of Belfast, as we'll as visitors
from every part of Ulster. There were no
special stands erected, but the gangWayS
alongside the ship served the purpose adj
mirably and were soon occupied in force.
Others found room ships under con-
struction adjoining the launch, from which
a splendid view was obtained, while not a
few yenturesome ones riSked their neckS by
clambering up dizzy heights of staging.
The workers who had been admitted to the
yard swarmed in every possible place,
crawling along girders like flies and ball
ancipg themselves on single plank fifty
feet in the air with the agility of monkeys.
a score of skiffs at their heels ready to
pick up the timbers of the cradle" that
the vessel carries with her when she leaves
the launchways and in the yard the work
Finally. the hands of the clock pointed to
IL. and there was a dead silence as Mr..
A. M Carlisle who had charge of the ar
rangements, signaled with his handkerchief