The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1908-07-31

ways | had been under the keel OF the
II onster war ship and had placed my
hands against her steel sides and of
course | asserted that il would be a
great pleasure to witness the christie ming
and launching of the new American
dreadnaught
The next mornings mail brought me
the formal invitation to be present when
the South Carolina betook herself to the
waves in the Delaware river. The APP.
pointed hour was at noon Of the llth,
and at 1870 the Bridgeburg cars were
loaded with people gorg TO Cramps.
When we reached the gates there was
evidence that he who started early was
the most sure to get good position for
seeing. | was there in time. 1t took US
favored ones about an hour in line be-
fore we had the satisfaction Of getting
past the uniformed guards wi b our pre-
cious bit of pasteboard ciutched in our
hands. The red ticketed commoners
were passed in through gates three or
four blocks farther south. They we're
obliged to remain at respectful distance
ticketed were allowed to wander wher-
ever their sweet wills dictated. Those
who entered the grand stand were obig-
ed to surrender their tickets. | preferred
to keep out of the grand stand and keep
my ticket as souvenir. 1 sent it home
| wanted to send the invitation to lunch
con with it, but had to give that up or
lose the sight that followed and the feast
as well. didn't send that bit of paste
board with the other.
AS the great leviathan lay there on the
ways one could appreciate her great size
and wonderful proportions. The South
Carolina is 450 feet in length and so feet
broad at the widest point, and it seemed
to me to be about as deep as the court
house in Paw Paw. Her weight at
launching was 5000 tons, when com
pleted it will be 10000 tons. So far il
has cost 100000 and by the time she
is ready to turn over to Uncle Sam she
will have cost 100000. Quite a sum
for one boat.
At 80 a row OF men with sledge
hammers quietly placed themselve:
along each side of the great keel, and a.
d signal they began to pound grea
wedges under the sliding way to push
them up against the bottom. A another
signal the sledge hammers we're dropped
and men under the keel and between the
ways commenced to work large jacks t.
further force the ways upwards. A few
minutes work aud they suddenly ceased
tn cir action, and man at the bow of the
vessel sawed the only remaining plank
that held the war ship in position. Fol
some reason she did not start on bel
downward Slide so that the great steam
crane that lowered high above the shI
was started on a journey toward the
stern. That gave the necessary jar anc
the mass Of steel moved aud the daugh
ter Of the governor of South Carolins
broke the customary bottle of cham
payne over the bow and christened the
boat. The moment the South Carolins
started on her way to the Delaware ev
cry steam whistle on engines and boats
steamships and launches began to whis
tie, while shouts and yells added to the
the pandemonium, and everybody wavec
whatever he or she had to wave. 1t wa.
a great sight to see, the mass of stee
floating as lightly and as gracefully as ,
swan into the river, her momentum car
rying her half way across to Camden be
fore the anchor stopped her and sh,
doomed up higher than any hull tina
swung the Delaware.
, When the thing was over everybod,
started for the mole loft where the small
! er of the white tickets invited us to 90
| The red ticket crowd could not get pas
the guard. felt sorry for them, but
t feel that many were lucky When | saw
, the hundreds and hundreds thronginp
up the stairs to the mole loft | feared
those 10 the rear would stand small
, show to get in. l did not know what
vast room the mole loft was. | realize,
it when was at last safely inside ant
seated at a table close to the dignitarie.
who filed the great round table at tn,
center. One Of the officials told me Their,
were 1900 seated at the table, and al
army Of negro walters served the guests o
Cramp & Sons. Champagne and Rim,
wines we're as free as water, and it wa.
hard to realize what large proportion
of men things could make swine of them
selves because thing was free. The
luncheon itself was Of a class the firm il