Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-07-20

The battleship Nevada, to be the
largest vessel of the United States
navy, was successfully launched at
the Fore River shipyards at 1890
this afternoon Eleanor Anne Sitbert,
the l0-year-old niece of Governor
Tasker Lowndes Oddie, of Nevada,
who came all the way from Reno,
New, to act as sponsor of the i'm
mense fighting ship, broke pint
bottle over the bow of the big dread
naught, and while all manner OF craft
and thousands of spectators saluted
the new queen of the navy, she slid
gracefully out into the river, says the
Boston Globe.
Among those on the platform were
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Dan
iels, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Governor Cd
die. OF Nevada; Ex-Governor Eugene
N. Foss, of Massachusetts; ex-Con-
gressman Charles G Washburn, OF
Worcester; Lieutenant Commander
Needham l.. Jones. U. S. NJ. aid OF
Secretary Daniels; Senator Key Pitt
man, OF Nevada; Mayor James M.
curley. OF Boston. Mr. and Mrs. Fred
erick ]. Slebert, of Reno. parents OF
the sponsor: Frederick J. Siebert, Jr..
her brother; Col. II. J. Amigo, DR..
John w, Coughlin, of Fall River; AID.
miral Betbeder. of the Argentine
navy; President j. w. Powell. OF the
Fore River company; Capt ]. c.
Coffman, eommandant of the Charles
town navy yard. officers OF the Ar
gentine battleship Riyidavia, and of.
fcers OF the u. s. s. Dolphin.
Others on the launching platform
were Captain and Mrs. J. p Donnelley,
Mr.. and Mrs. Hugh II. Brown, Mrs.
Josephus H. Daniels and her four
sons, Mrs. Franklin d. Roosevelt, Mrs.
Key Pittman, of Nevada; Mrs. Fran
ces G. Newlands. wife OF Senator
Newlands. of Nevada.
The scene when the Nevada, 500
tons heavier than the ponderous Ar
gentine ship. Riyidavia. slid down the
ways was impressive. From the top
OF the massive but clean-cut, bow
flew the naval Jack The state flag
Of Nevada flew from the forward
truck, the Fore River flag from the
main truck and the Stars and Stripes
from its accustomed place at the
stern line of flags Of the interna-
tional code was strung along the $50
feet from stem to stern.
Most OF the work getting the big
boat ready for launching had been
done when the sponsor and her party
arrived She was placed on the launch
ing stand close up against the port
side of the ram bow OF the ship,
while President Powell stood close
beside her and watched the men at
work on the sole pieces under the
bow After the rat-a-tat-tat, denoting
the knocking away OF the shore
pieces had subsidized, there was a sill
ence that was quite oppressie, coming
so soon after the racket of the men
at work with their mighty hammers.
a Chrlsten Thee Nevada" Said Girl.
Suddenly there was rasping
sound, denoting the saving of the
sole pieces, and, as the saws almost
had sunk through the big boards.
President Powell told the little spon-
sor TO strike Smash went the bottle
from her tiny hand against the steel
side of the ship, and then Miss Sic
bert, with high, childish treble, which
was acquiver with enthusiasm, cried:
"I christen thee Nevadal"
There was a little puff-like spot OF
white where the champagne spouted
through the broken glass. there was
creaking and cracking of boards
underneath, and then the big, red hull
seemed to tremble with the excite
ment. then was astir and next started
backward, quickly, for the sea.
Eight tons of grease had beer
spread along the launching ways t6
help this monster on its way to the
water. But so fast did the mighty
mass of steel move that the lubri
cants smoked from the friction Th'
launching cradle was moored to th'