Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-03-26
Launching OF Virginia.

An event important in the history
of the grand old Commonwealth OF
Virginia will occur on April 9Th next
at the yards of the Newport News
Shipbuilding and Dry Dock company,
when the United States first class
battleship Virginia will be launched
upon the broad bosom OF the james
River.
Not since the days of the staunch
iron clad of the Confederacy has a
warrior OF the deep borne the name
OF the mother of states and presidents
1t will be proud day, indeed, for the
sons and daughters of the Old Domin-
ion when that massive hulk OF iron
and steel, the christening wine drip
ping from her bow, plunges from her
cradle on the ways into the element
over which she Is to rule like a new
crowned queen. She will float out
upon the river across the unbeaten
path OF water which Captain John
Smith traversed on his way to James
town to establish the first American
settlement. Less than q mile away,
and In sight of the multitudes who
will view the launching, Is the battle
ground of the world famous encount-
or between the victorious Virginia"
of the lost cause and the Yankee
cheese box, the Monitor" From
that battle came q revolution in the
methods of naval warfare and now
forty.two years later the new Virginia
comes out of the future, embodying
the perfected principles OF both YES
sells and flying flag common 10 the
people of both of them.
The officials of the shipbuildiDg
company have set one o'clock as the
hour of launching. High tide on Tues
day, April 5th, comes at about that
hour and it Is always necessary to
float the ships at that time. The seven
thousand men employed at the yard
will lay down their tools on Monday
night and will not pick them up again
until Wednesday morning. This does
not include, of course, the hundreds
| of men who are needed to assist In
the actual launching of the ship. The
day has been designated as a State
holiday by the General Assembly and
the entire city will be gaily decorated
| in gala attire when the morning
of April 9Th dawns.
The city of Newport News has ap-
propriated the sum OF $500 to enter
tain State troops who will participate
in the grand parade to be held just
after the launching. The Confederate
Veterans of Virginia, the Sons and
Daughters, have all been cordially
| invited. and all who attended the SEES
sion of the grand camp last fall will
make an effort to come back again.
Governor Montague and his party
including his thirteen-year-old daugh-
ter, Miss Matilda Gay, the sponsor,
will arrive about II O'Clock and will
be met by officials of the shipyard and
committee of business men. They
will be escorted Immediately to the
launching platform at the bow OF
the ship.
The gates of the shipyard will be
thrown open two hours before the
time set, and those of the crowd who
are not so anxious about securing
choice vantage places for witnessing
the launching, may go through the
great plant, where they will find
much to interest them. On other ways
can be seen the battleships Loui-
siana and Minnesota, yet in the early
stages of construction and tied up at
the wharves in the vicinity visitors
may view the armored cruisers
West Virginia and Maryland, and
the protected cruiser Charleston, all
of which have been launched.