New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-13
THOUSANDS CHEER
FLORIDA'S PLUNGE
"Go. Brave Ship" Says Pretty
Sponsor as Giant Vessel
Makes Stately Start.
LIKE SWAN IN THE WATER
Cheers and Whistles Drown
Bands at Brilliant Launching
Of Nations Biggest
Sea Fighter.

The hull of the United States battle
chin Florida. representing the highest
-,-ne Of American naval construction, was
started on its slippery path TO the East
Piyer from the navy yard in Brooklyn at
exactly 11:25 O'Clock yesterday morning.
The rain stayed away, but thirty
thousand persons did not. The combina-
-ion was hard 70 beat.
T was the heaviest mass of steel ever
cent down American ways. The great
hattleship floated high like swan She
seemed a contrivance OF cork instead Of
steel
The thirty thousand thrilled with the
bearty Of the scene They cheered and
shouted and talked rapturorsly TO total
strangers A scarlet hand and a band in
deea blue uniforms were busy but not
heard
The red prov Of the battleship was
dashed with the contents of a bottle
thrown against il by Miss Elizabeth
Fleming. the pretty and vivacious daugh-
Ter Of g former Governor of Florida. She
said. Go brave ship. I christen thee
Florida But the bottle did not contain
VS. the kind OF moisture made com
r,lso-v in most eating places on New
Years Eve.
Crash Goes Champagne Bottle.
Miss Fleming was cool. She seized the
rfhhcned bottle and awaited the crucial
and creaking instant that would start
The battleship waterward. Remembering
The inclination. the weight Of the hull
and the tons Of grease on the ways, Miss
Fleming was aware that if she missed
the boat by a second eternity couldn't
roctify il.
There was an ominous creaking, the
sliding and permanent ways slowly drew
apart. and with a mighty heave for so
slight a young woman Miss Fleming sent
the champagne bottle crashing against
the giant sea fighter. Souvenirs Of the
contents of that bottle do not exist
The motion OF Miss Fleming's arm re-
vealed to the crowd the fact that the
bottle had been thrown against the
chips bow and appeared to be the sig
nal for an eutburst of almost frantic
cheering. but it was speedily drowned by
the shrieks and toots Of steam whistles.
a7oat and ashore Everything in the
yard and on the river near by that could
make a noise made it
Altogether there were five bands that
tried Intellectually TO make themselves
heard, but only those within close range
q the stands could detect that they
were playing The Star Spangled Ban
ncr." The cheering in the yard did not
die out until after the hull was taken in
,harge by feet-of tugs near the mid
ole & the river.
Those near the ship had been listening
for some time to the clicking of jacks
under the hull The great ship was
Icing hit below the waterline prob
ably for the last time. Several hundred
men attending diligently to such work
PRODUCED a sound resembling distant
cannorading-
When that sound stopped and the final
INSPECTION by Naval Constructor Will
lam J. Baxter showed that everything
vas in readiness the order TO Saw off,
was heard.
Then came The sound Of a big cross
cut saw grating its way through the
fve-inch block which held --.e battle
ship in place The last stroke OF the
saw was marked by the slightest pos
sible tremor as the cradle settled into
place on the creased ways
Great Ship Moves orandly.
The downward plunge Of the ship was
hardly noticeable at its beginning, and
50 easy was SIS movement that Miss
L. ,, -
bottle against tie steel Prov before It
Cot beyond her reach.
Steadily gaining momentum, the snip
elided down her appointed pathway so
gently, Yet 50 steadily, that when her
ereat ru5der ard her four propeller
blades struck the water the expected
enormous wave turned out to be a COM
reratively gentle ripple. There We're a
few dimpling eddies and then few tugs
let up on their hysterical shrieking to
care for the pilotless newcomer.
The Florida's progress down the ways
vas watched 10y the enthusiastic multi
tcde. WHO almost instinctively started TO
follow the big steel stem to the water s
edge. Those who were near enough to
See TIE bow with its great projecting
Tanl leave the ways were well rewarded
Tor their efforts in reaching such a van
tage point But those who were further
l.-c,z. iatcntIy watching the progress Of
the ship. marked by the great flag swell
ing out from the bow. saw the fina! short.
sudden dip. which told them that the
new Dreadnoucht was az last af,oat
Before il VAS sawed of its high perch
young woman with a IirnliG intellecr
asked her escort:
How aye they going 10 get the boat
back Oh this wooden thing - put on Us
sH3okestacks and thinss?"
Her escort was in a green felt hat
Violently turned up on one side He said
i would have 10 he done AT high tide.
There were crowds at the gates to the
navy yard as early as : o'clock yester-
day morning Policemen bcde1ked the
streets for several hundred feet outside
the various entrances. II was like d
holiday "a Brooklyn. and flags were
everywhere.
Marines Fold Up Vands-ti,t.
Within the navy yard the cd advice
10 tel il 20 the marines" had no takers
The marines told pass holders every