Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-07
Newport News Shipyard Scores
UnequaNed Triumph in Launch
Ing the Delaware.
HEAVIEST WAR VESSEL PUT OVER
interest in Event Intensified by Fail
ure Of Mammoth Hull to Move When
First ReIeased-Miss Anne Pen
newII cahali. the Sponsor-Notable
Party of Guests.

Maintaining an fnviahlr and world
wi reputation built upon long So
ri,s of Successful laUnchings. the
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company yesterday transferred
from shipwayS to the James the great
l:ittl"ship Delaware. the heaviest war
vessel ever launched on this cont
i4ent. II not on the globe Weighing
5000 tons. or Mear:v thousand tons
more than any other fighting craft
sent down the w&yS in America. TN"
ID laWare ''heSitated" few minutes
after her sole pieces had been sew
.red. and then slided majest.cally
down the ways and floated out upon
The water as easily and gracefully as
# she had been mere Yacht shell.
Miss Anne Pennewill Cahall. a
niece of Governor S. S. PennAwill,
chief eXecutiv" of the state Tor
which the ship is named. broke a
bottle Of Delaware champagne against
The mighty red and copper hull and
formally christened the craft accord
ing to tradition.
Big Waiting Crowd.
All of the preliminary preparations
for the launching had been made long
before the sponsor and her party ar
rived at the stand and took their
places. and nearly everybody in the
crowd Of six or seven thousand peo-
PIE gathered about on either side of
the ways thought that the launching
would occur very nearly on schedule
time, $50 o'clock
Though the wind was blowing al
most gale the skies were clear and
everybody pronounced the weather
fine.
For some minutes before entering
the sponsors booth. the christening
party gathered beneath the towering
mass of steel observing and COM
menting upon the wonderful sight.
The young ladies. as well as some
of the diGnified. gola-braided officers
Of Governor PennewilIs staff made
haste to pencil their names upon the
side of the formidable steel prov,
which projected over the stand.
The ladies were enthusiastic in
their expressions OF approval. while
the gentlemen of the staff viewed
the monster. critically. one OF them
observing casually Shes a rough
looking old tub isn't she?
Only Sole Pieces Left.
Finally the last shores had been
cleared away and only the sole
pieces remained 10 hold the mass
Of steel on the ways. Just before this.
the sponsor. accompanied bv her
maids. Misses Ellen Coleman Dupont
and Frances Hazel. Dr. and Mrs. Ca
hall. Governor Pennewili and General
Manager Walter A. Post. had taken
her MACE in the christening tooth.
amid the applause Of the assembled
guests. The governors staff stood at
attention. drawn up Immediately back
of the booth.
President Calvin r. circuit. Of the
shipbuilding company was down be-
meath the shin eagerly watching the
final preparations. going forward IN
der the direction of Superintendent
OF Hull Construction Homer l.. err
gvSon and his assistants. leaving Mr..
Post TO the duty Of instructing the
sponsor in the art OF bat;leship chris
tenirg
At last the handsaws began to bite
their wav through the sole pieces and
2 hush fell over the crowd as CRY
Of "Now's the time" went up here and
thpre
An Uneasy Period.
The grea: oaken beam beneath the
yort how was clearly severed and
that on the starbOard side was near
" in two. and vet there came nc
warning crack and The mammoth hull
was as steady a. the rock Ct Gibrai-
tar. Then the men with the saws
ceased work and still nothing hall
perci. This was at Just ?:il O'Clock.
Everybody was still and Quiet ex-
cent the ward officials and their mon.
Minutes before the warning whistle
had sent all hands scurryinE to places
Of safety. but now there was swarm
Of rusy men beneath the prov and
on either side. Keel blocks were
,plintered and knocked out Of the
wav. and jacks were beng
used 10 aid the vessel IN making a
start for the water. All along the
ship's sides steam was seen rising.
cry Of the taiiow Is Burning wen:
IN. bu; those nearby soon know tna'
no steam was teirg driven frcm
rincs placed there for IN" p"rpos"
against the HI rdenrd tsllox beneath
tho ground ways and the launching
ways An unusual quantity 81 taiiow