The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1905-08-18
LAUNCHING BIG WARsHIP
Miss Hoch Breaks Water Bot
tie on Kansas Bow

The battleship Kansas is aAoat in
the Delaware. The launch occurred
at I2:4o O'Clock and was perfect,
although attended by vexatious de-
lays. But, after all, the good ship
was not christened with win,.
Water from the we'll 10 which John
Brown is supposed to have gone
when he was thirsty was the christen-
ing fluid.
Miss Anna Hoch broke the bot
tie and hot five people among the
thousand who witnessed the launch
of the biggest battleship ever built
on the Delaware knew that water
was in the champagne bottle so
beautifully decorated with ribbons
and surrounded by cord casing.
The first lnlimation any one had
that wine was no: to be used came
when Governor Hoch called a cor
respondent aside about 1890
o'clock.
"I'll give you tip" said the
Governor. "The ship will be christ
ened with water from the John
Brown spring in Kansas.
The bottle filled with champagne
furnished by the shipbuilding com
,any sat on the christening stand
beside the champagne bottle filled
with spring water.
For more than two hours Go.
vernon Hoch and party, officer:
from the navy, and representatives
from the various ship yards
,weltered this morning in the she'd.
If the New York Shipbuilding com
pany in Camden.
| The launch was to have taker
place at high tide about II:3e
o'clock. 1t was an hour and ter
minutes at least before the lasr
olock could be chopped away tina
.ave the ship release.
| On the christening stand were
Governor Hoch, wife and daughter
ne Governors staff, replendent il
in full dress uniforms, the wives O.
the members of the staff all in white
dresses; Admiral Craig of the navy
| Mayor Weaver and the officials O.
the shipbuilding company.
| Miss Anna Hoch, daughter oi
Governor Hoch, and the sponsor,
was most becomingly gowned ir
cream crepe heavily embroidered.
Her hat was white chiffon and hel
oaly ornaments were pearl throat
lin, the Kansas decoration and hel
aternity pin. Mrs. Hoch. wife Of
t Governor, wore white silk with
,nife plaitings and no hat. Gov
e nor Hoch was the only person on
,e reviewing stand who wore q
f ock coat. He admitted that il
WAS oppressive.
The only thing l am afraid oi
is that l cannot make myself heard,
sa d Miss Hoch few minutes be.
TO the launching. "I can break
The bottle all right"
In both instances she proved to
be prophet. When the signal was
given for the sponsor to get ready.
she raise the bottle over her shoul-
der. The crowd Immediately be-
low began to applaud. But the
ship did not move and some one
shouted at the sponsor: ",One
strike" But the last block was
split with a wedge.
A nod of the head from an Of
fetal of the ship indicated that the
hydraulic pressure had been applied,
and again Miss Hook raised the
champagne bottle which had the
spring water in it. She gave the
bottle sound whack against the
metal bow and the bottom cracked
open.
81 christen thee Kansas" she
said, but the cheers of the crowd
and booming Of guns drowned her
voice. The ship slid gracefully
mt the water until her bow was
perhaps 100 yards from the
sheds, making a slide of perhaps
500 yards in all.-Topeka Capital.
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