Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-04-09
Pretty Miss schallsr chrlstened
Her States Namesake.
HOST Of DIS rlNGUlsHED GUESTS
Crowd Of Fifteen Thousand Saw Great
Vessel Glide MaicstlcalIy and Swift
Iy From the Ways Into the James
Ideal Day for the Evcnt-eovernor
and the Ladies.

With clear sky overhead and
hracinS northwcsterly breeze blowing
iiitcoa thousand people saw the first.
class lattlcship Minnesota successful
~ launched at the plant of the New.
port News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock
Company yesterday morning. The
mammoth vessel was chIistcncd by
pretty and vivacious Miss Rose-Alarie
Schal!cr. of Hastings, Mimi, with
American champagne.
Great Feat Accomplished.
When the Minnesota was safely
alloat. while receiving the hearty
congratulations Of numerous dis.
tinSuished guests the shipyard of.
icials must have felt like hugging each
other with joy, for by putting over
Goard without accident sixteen thoIs-
and five hundred ton battleship. abont
sixty per cent. completed. they had
accomplished one of the greatest feats
i'll the history of shipbuilding. Tic
vessel weighed nearly ten thousand
'Oast' NAN " po tiG IlGQNlGSl slid ever
launched i'll America. There had becn
many predictions that she would never
get into the water without an accident
of some kind.
The ship started down the ways at
lust ,aG, The tide was high yes
t"r;iay morning at 1889 o'clock and it
was proposed to have the launching
Gc''r as near that time as possible.
Crowd on Hand.
AZ I'D O'Clock the gates of the yard
were thrown open and the people be
."an TO throng through. passing down by.
the shops and dry docks and collecting
about tho ways on wbi6ll rested the
Minnesota, near the northerly end of
the plant The battleship. with The
Stars and Stripes floating from q flag
staff at iier stern hundred OF CAV col.
Orcd flags suspended from poles which
had l,een put UP for the purpose aud
her newly paihted red hull glisteninf,
III the sunlight, presenting an impos-
ed appearance.
Swinging from the starhoard bow Of
The ship and suspended at the spon-.
sor's booth, which was raised six or
eight feet above the launching stand.
was the silien cascd bottle of cham.
nagne.
Tho people continued To arrive slow,
ly, until about 10: 80 O'Clock. when they
literally begar TIC pour through the
gales aud at II O'Clock fully fifteen
thousand were gathered around The
ship. on The piers and on board the
vessels in the stream.
Christening Party Arrives.
Ahoat $3.50 o'clock the carriages
bringing the christening party from
Hotel Warwick arrived. The party
was conducted to the stand by Presi-
,lcnt G. g. Orcntt. General Manager
iuSt aud other officials of the shipyard
company. Miss Schaller. Misses Con
stance Day aud Lillian Mcmillan, maids
OF homer. Hon. Frank A. Day, repre-.
senting Governor Johnson, OF Mime.
sofa; Senator and Mrs. Albert Schal.
Ter, of Hastings. Mimi, parents of tho
sponsor. and Mrs. Albert Johnson. wife
Of Me governor. were escorted to the
christening booth.
Sponsor and Her Maids. 5
The three young ladies'. all of whom
arc un,icr twenty, were rs fresh aud
pretty as the beautiful flowers they
carried. The fair sponsor was gown.
cd in Q slrikinsly becoming creation
OF cream Golcred vol and white lace,
with jacket effect and white lace
blouse, and white lace hat TRIMMED
viii, pink. rcscs. She carried fnicri.
cur hcaUty,roscs, Miss Dayswas irct
lily gowncd in dark green crepe, trim.