Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-05-12
ARMAMENT.

NEW YORK, May 12.-Fiying the
white-starred ensign of the United
States navy at her stem, the Stars and
Stripes at her stern and a string OF gay
signal pennants along the $40 feet OF
her deck line, the battleship Florida,
the biggest of the American Dread
noughts" built thus far, was success-
fully launched at the Brooklyn navy
yard today in the presence of the Vice
President of the United States, the sec
retary of the navy, the naval attaches
of all the powers and crowd OF 5o,oOu
enthusiasts, whom lowering skies and
intermittent .rains had failed to keep
away.
The 21,s25-ton fighting leviathan,
built to carry the thunder of ten n
inch guns, the concentrated big gun
fire of five ordinary battleships, glided
down the ways to the strains OF The
Star Spangled Banner played by the
navy-yari and Twenty-ninkh InfAntry
bands while the crowd cfs1ed and
hundreds of river craft tooted their
noisy welcome.
Lesssr sisters sairsts.
Her lesser eisters. rnoored or a1scfsoEeG
| in the navy yerd---ths Rhode Island,
J Nebraska, Connecticut. Yanktun ard
! Hancock--diipped their culors ana bred
O. salute OF twenty-one guns a. the
monster lighting machine reAChod the
| water. Preceding the arrival OF VtCe-
! President Sherman, Secretary of to
Navy George Won l.. Meyer and this
other distinguished guests, an army oil
worknnen had wedged up the gfAue bat
tleship and removed the side shores ana
| cribbing amfdships. As soon ~ the
tide was declared favorable word 10
remove the 100 keel blocks was givsn
and Naval Constructor Baxter took up
| his station at the stern OF the Florida
on the starboard side.
The christening party, headed by Mss
Elizabeth Legare Fleming, daughter OF
| a. former Governor of Florida and spon-
sor for the big battleship, and compr3s-
ing Governor Gilchrist and Senators
Taliaferro and Fletcher, OF Florida.
took up their position in the special
platform near the nose OF the big ship,
and Miss Fleming and her eleven gixl
attendants. six representing Fiursda
and five the navy moved up expectant-
ly to the rail
i Finally the noise of the hamnasn.x
on the keel blocks ceased and Naval
Constructor Baxter gave the word
saw Off" Two burly ships carpenters
began drawing an eight-foot saw
across the five-inch oak timber forming
one with the under or permanent wzys.
Miss Fleming seized the ribboned
bottle In her hand and awaited tbs
crucial moment
Big ship Hits Water.
There was an ominoas creaking, the
sliding and permanent ways slowly
drew apart, and Miss Fleming sent the
champagne bottle crashing against the
ships side.
The Florida hesitated moment, then
slowly and ponderously glided down
the ways. with the voice of Miss Flein-
} ing clearly and proudly calling out Go,
brave ship, christen thee Florida"
The LAUGHING was the most successful
ever held at the New York navy yard.
The giant battleship slid down the
ways with the lightness of a lifeboat.
AS soon as she reached the water the
current veered her lightly to the north,
and she ended up her course in the
centre of the river, where dozen navy
tugs at once hemmed her on all sides,
gradually forcing her to her moorins
, near Cob dock.