The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-05
Governor and Staff and an Es-
cort Of Six Companies Of
Local Troops.
A GREAT BANQUET AT
THE CHAMBERLlN HOTEL
Ii IS Expected That. Thirty Thou
sand Persons, Including Many
Distinguished Government
Officials. Will Witness
s3 Baptism of Gigantic
Battlcship.

All eyes ara turned to Newport News
today. The launching Of the great bat
tlesilip Virginia at the yards of the New
,,nrt News ship-buildng and Dry-dock
Company will attract to the seaport city
at the mouth OF the James, q great
throng OF Virginians, cstlmnt,sd In ad'
vance at from 500 to 5000. Probably
four thousand people will 80 from this
city5in numerous special trains and still
others will take trains at various points
ir the state, all bound for tho launching,
which viii occur att p. NJ.
Governor Montague and his staff will
20 down on the regular train, and with
them Mrs. Montague and Miss Gay the
SPONSOR. and their party President
stephens and family will 80 In their elc-
CANT private car. Many State and city
officers will make the pilgrimage to the
spot where the history fsnava warfare lt1
vas rcvolutionizcd forty years ago By
atl,eg prototype and ma amesake# Of the y lr..
ginin g5{ ~ Is 4 $$ NJ t3 ~ . III.
Many Special Trains.
Besides tic reguiar train. tic cHcsa-
reake and Ohio Railway will run four
gpecial trains fronl this city. andeas
8u.ony additional sections az may bel
necessary to accommodate he throngs
going down. The first special train will
leave Richmond at Sis, another at $50,
and another at ?:l5 and another at 9:4a-5
AS many additional sections as needed
will be sandwichcd between tho trains
mentioned, and another train Will be
oyerated iron, this city to handle the
traffic from intermediate stations on the
peninsula division. Other trains VIII be
run through from Covington on the main
line and Clifton Forge via the James
River division. and still another will t.e
delivered to the Chesapeake and Ohio al
this city from the Seaboard Air Line.
bringing the Petersburg contingent. AL
together the railway line has in readi-
ness twenty locomotives and no coaches
for this day. Trains of ten coaches and
q. baggage car each will be made up and
dispatched as rapidly as possible, each
mixing the trip in about two hours or
less, thus landing all at the destination
before noon and in ample time for the
christening Of the vessel.
{ Several large parties, military and civic
organiza tons, will so from Rchmond.,
The commonwealth tIllup Is -''p gSSh'ol's't
have chartered u trair. The Wcstmoro-
land Club. with about as many. have
another Both these organizations VIII
board steamers at Newport News aud
yciw tho launching from the water.
Military Will Go.
Tho Richmond Light Infantry Blues
battalion OF two companies and four local.
companies OF the Seventeen Regiment
will go dow, on special trains. Besides
the troops from this city nearly al the
companies OF tho Scventy-first Regiment
will make the trip to the shipbn,lding
cts, and $40 regulars from the artillery
garrison at Fort Monroe will be In the
line. q.
Excursion tickets will not be taken OH
the regular train, which leaves at a.
NJ. Tickets for the regular train, round
trIp, are $3.50. whereas the charge for
the trip or, The excursion trains Will cost
but Sl.6r
AZ stated, the launching will occur at
i r.. NJ, and Immediately afterward the
(ContInued on Third Page.)