The San Francisco call., 1904-09-11
Miss Lily Jeffrey
Outs the Last
Land Tie.

San Francisco's fame as a birthplace
for warships is as widespread as Mil
waukees reputation for brewing beer.
This is what Ivanhoe Commandery,
knights Templar, from the Wisconsin
city, said about it..
Milwaukee was much in evidence on
the platform, at the ways and on the
fleet of tugs and steamers that dotted
the little cove outside of the Union
Iron Works. Under the bow of the big
cruiser that was launched yesterday
forenoon at 11:45 o'clock there was
dense mass Of enthusiastic humanity,
men and women of Milwaukee. Every
bench upheld a restless contingent of
dainty feminine feet. There was not
chair-not even keg-left to stand on.
This is the way San Francisco put it.
Under the platform, craning their
necks toward the dull red eyes in the
cruisers bow, was another delegation
from Milwaukee. They were as merry
as the crowd aloft and much more mu-
sical. Ever and anon the words of a
jolly group Of singers were heard above
the din Of sledges:
Oh, here's TO Milwaukee;
We're out for a lark-ee,
To all OF US pilgrims she's dear.
Here's TO the Milwaukee.
Her foes she will fnaul-kee,
Her hull will be hoated IN beer.
But there was a more serious side to
all Of this hilarity and shuffling Of feet.
Down on the ways several hundred men
under direction of the master mechanic
Of the shipbuilding plant and Manager
George w. Dickie were figuring out the
mechanical problems that always con-
front a successful launching. Every
man knew his place and worked with a
will to clear the first half of the chocks
and blocks and make ready for the
final blows that should release the era
die from the incline and send the big
ship gliding toward the water
Dickie was deliberate. The launching
of warshiDs has become a habit with
him. Recent months show the record
Of three monsters sent to their element
by the wizard Of the plant, and along
side Of the adjacent docks the Ohio,
California and South Dakota chafed
at their fender piles in the slow swell
and seemed to be waiting patiently for
the addition to the new fleet to join
them in a comfortable berth.
THOUSANDS AT SCENE.
Fifteen thousand people lined the
shores of the bay outside of the iron
works entrance and climbed the rig
ging Of neighboring shipping to get
better view of the launching. Four
thousand employees of the works and
invited guests occupied positions at
the side Of the ways. Police were
stationed in and outside of the yard
and Police Captain Spillane with half
a dozen policemen cared for the spe-
cial guests who had tickets to the
platform on which Miss Janet
Mitchell of Milwaukee and Miss Iilv
Jeffrey, daughter of the vice presi-
dent Of the Union Iron Works. were
stationed to perform the functions OF
christening the vessel. Miss Mitchell
held the red. white and blue ribbon
to which was attached the bottle of
champagne with which the cruiser
was baptized and Miss Jeffrey's finger
touched the button that released the
weight to strike away the last chock.
Henry T. Scott received the guests
of honor and looked after the comfort
of the visiting naval officers and
prominent knights Templar. The
navy was represented by Naval Con-
structor j. G. Tawresy, Naval Con-
structor L. S. Adams. Captain Steven
son and Lieutenant Emery Winship
Naval Constructor Tawresy has repre-
sented the Government during the