The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-30
LAUNCHING OF BIGGEST U. s.
 SEA FIGHTER
BattIeship New York, Last Word In Naval Construction, On Her Way Today
This Great Warship Has Been Built In Brooklyn Navy Yard by Government Labor

New York, Oct. 3O-In the presencs of President civilian H. Taft and a great company of invited Ruest@ ffrs mammoth battleehip New York. 1agr word in American battIeshfps, slid i'm to the water from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, today. Built in the yard by gov chine was declared by officlaY4 fha greatest of all battIeshfps. She ia onIw 62 percent completed and ft will Do May, 1914, before she Will 20 into com mission unless war breaks o1It iu Fl-e meanwhile and she had to be r1fare+t to completion
 Not in many years has there beer so pretentioue ceremony ss marked the giving of this enormous hRTfInns machine to her element The Preaf- dent Secretary of the Navy Meyer. Gov. Dix, Mayor Gaynor ana @verr, high official of the army and navy who could possibly go to the scens Calder, IS year old daughter of Com gressman William Calder who cfrfa- tened the war craft and 11fs@ Katn- Tyne Fitzgerald, 19 year old dauEfter the flower girl, had practiced for houFT throwing bottles and bouquets at could be performed without a hitch.
 High above the surrounding dock ths great hull of the vessel stood out end, a great stand had been er@cfaa and covered with the national coIorn for the use of the visiting party. All LA6hL 1OnE WOEkLnGn 4AQ DGEN UGINW getting everything in readiness Eazf- ing the watertfght compar tmemkS sx- amintng every inch of the wayB dowu which the vessel glided and He&ffHw ready everything for the cutting aua.v Of the shores.
 A yard workmen retricVsd an cr.- the word s.Hoodoo' being anDiima ~ the monster fighting machine n AH dreadnaught was launched &m6 Atl Calder did not have strength @mumrh to throw the customary bottle or champagne with force enough a&aanst glass. Three times tf1@ girl tried EEat the blow was glancing. Then, m@ fh@ great hull was slipping swiftly beyond reach. She looked appea1n&lT a& ono Of the workers on the atr71etmrs above her head Quick to act, the Ha hauled up the ribboned rope to rDhlelt the bottle was attached, swunB it nlHM and with a mighty blow spread champagne all over the bow of eh8 craft. The christening was auccea&-
 Just before the New York @tarted her journey down the Waysy ft was stated that she represented a dfsplacement Of 10000 tons. To support that wsiRht and make certain that she reached tna water without accident, fully a. nuartw~ of a million feet of lumber had baan used in the construction of the ~cradlG'' carefully spread by the worxmen.
 One picturesque effect was absent from today's launching. when Naval Constructor J. b. Bailey, who har had ~~~ charge of the Warship'S coMStructior. gave the order, Look out below ME failed to couple 1t sy1s wisn t2s 1 ola s t.les no men along the sides to saw off fhe holding timbers. Instead, Bailey pressed a little valve. ImmsdfMteaye fvra1Tlic pressure released two afari fingers which had held the giant na@M in check and the vessel started down the ways 1n as slo1ly 1eysl a 1,napts s1pSs2 1-
 The launching took place at the top of the flood tide. For half am hour before the time set, 70sS0 tho EaMe exception of a narrow course along the Manhattan shore This was n@caUnes what a great warshIp might do whsn she first pIunges into the water. Tho yard officials were taking no ch@nGen charge had all of the sea room needed
 One of the picturesque sights i'm con nection with the launching wms tho best of the navy's ships. It wac ms though they were to bring luck nr their presence; There were the sA@ilI@ szs all our battleshfps now in comnni@slors the Florida, the Connecticut, the laHt word in the battleship line when tho relegated to the reserve neetns tn1 Utah the Delaware and a host oG isH~ ser lights, includ1ng t%ne me sslss.l-a 1S-sss,1l,..
 When finished, the New York wlAA carry a battery of 10 14 inch gunS a@ off 21 knots and will carry 1000 men and 6s officers. She is to be fitted cur with an admira1's cabin and WiN DO used as a flagship
 Three workmen who failed to hear inc signal for all hands to stand away were almost caught under the great ba4fIeei1fp as she bagan to slide down inc ways. They were forced to make g quick ieap for life, clearing the rin1~ bers just in the nick Of time