Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1909-02-06
welded TO THE WATERS
RattIeship Delaware Was Successfully
Launched at Newport News,
Virginia, To-day.
Special to the Herald.

Special to the Herald.
Newport News, Va, Feb. 6.-In the
presence of an immense crowd of en-
thusiastic spectators, the giant twenty
thousand ton battleship Delaware,
which will take rank among the most
formidable fighting machines afloat,
was successfully launched today from
the yards in the Newport News Ship
building and Dry Dock company.
Shortly before the hour set for the
launching, while the wedges were be-
ing driven in to lift the weight from
the ground to the creased ways, the
naming party made its way through
the crowd and assembled the launching
stand. The sponsor, Miss Anna P. Ca
hall, of Bridgeville, Del, received an
ovation. as did also Governor Simeon
S. Pennewill and Secretary of the
Navy Newberry The party were es-
corted to the platform by c. B. Or
cult, president of the shipbuilding
company.
All being ready, the signal was Civ
en- for the launching. As the great
hulk swept down the ways to- meet
the ripping water of the James river
Miss Cahall broke the traditional bot
tie of wine and named the ship.
The initial plunge of the battleship
was greeted with deafening shout
from the great crowd, mingled with
the booming of guns and the screech-
ing whistles from the swarms of small
craft assembled in the river. The
band struck up America" and stimuli
taneously a flock of carrier pigeons
were released.
As soon as the ceremonies were
over President Orcutt conducted the
guests to the Hotel Warwick, where
luncheon was served. Included among
the guests were the governors of Del
aware and Virginia, several members
of congress, naval officers from Wash
ington and officers from the Norfolk |
and League Island navy yards.
The Delaware is nearer completion |
than has been any warship of the
United States navy at the time of |
launching. She is sister ship of the |
North Dakota, launched recently at |
Quincy, Mass These two battleships |
will be the first of the 'Dreadnought"
type to be added to the United States
navy.
When, in 1906, the British govern
ment launched battIeship called the
Dreadnought" every other govern
ment observed the vessel with the |
closest scrutiny. She marked a newi
era in naval equipment. She was SO
large and powerful it was estimated |
she could Outright any other two bat
tleships af1oat.
Immediately other governments
sought to produce vessels larger and |
more powerful than the Dreadnought |
In the naval bureaus of every mari
time power there was feverish activ-
ity, in the United States no less than
elsewhere. The result was the pro-
duction of plans for vessels larger and |
more powerful than England's great |
destroyer. These new vessels are]
known among the naval men of the
world as "of the Dreadnought type
The United States year ago last |
August gave out contracts for two
such vessels, the Delaware, to be built
at Newport News, and the North Da
kota, now nearing completion at the
yards of the Fore River Shipbiulding |
company at Quincy.
The Delaware is two thousand tons
heavier than the Dreadnought, with |
25 per cent more efficiency in her bat
teries. She is four thousand tons |
heavier than the star ship of the IA
nous battleship fleet under Admiral |