Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-20
DREADNOUCHT arizona
LAUNCHED At BROOKLYN
Newest American Battleship Slides
Down Ways in Presence Of
Immense Gathering.
NAMED WITH WATER AND WINE
Shares With Pennsylvania Honor Of
Being Worlds Largest Fighting
Craft-Daniels Tells of Expert
ments Against Submarine Torpedo.

NEW YORK. juno 19-The new
bat,leship Arizona was successfully
launched at tho Brooklyn Navy-Yard
to-day. The Arizona shares with her
sister ship. tho Pennsylvania. recently
Ialrched at Newport News. the honor
Of being the worlds largest battleship
The Arizona slipped into the water at
LIP o'clock
She vent to the river with the wine
and water OF her christening trickling
In rivulcts down her bow from two
broken bottles that swung. bound to-
Sethcr. by long red white and blue
cord OF silk. Miss Esther Ross. Of
Prescott. Ariz. the sponsor. made a fair
throw as the big hull quivered and
slid slowly forward and the froth Of
The wine spattered her gown and the
clothes OF those in her party.
From tho navy-yard. black with a
holiday throng. from the spans of the
BROOKLYN and Williamsburg Bridges
nom the docks and piers along the
Manhattan and Brooklyn water fronts,
from scores OF craft hugging the far
shore OF the East River and from every
vantage point Of window and house
top in the vicinity many tens of thou
sanis saw the newest of American
hatucships glide down the ways
EVERY STEAMER IN HARBoR
SALUTES NEW .DREADNOUGHT
Two hundred workmen with axes had
been chopping away the restraining
tirnb.rs for three-quarters OF an hour
the nvoca,ion-Bishop Atwood. OF the
Protestant Episcopal Diocese Of Arizona
prayed that She, might be "a terror TO
doors of cvil"-had been said and the
Dig crowd had stood long and patiently
"heh three blasts from a whistle an
nounced that the moment Of prepared
ness had come. In a moment the signal
was echoed from scores Of steamers in
the liver, and their below was taken
UP and swollen by the salute of almost
every steamer in the harbor ;ill the
crashing o! the six navy bands was
lost in the din
The crowd tiptoed and looked ex-
pectanuy at the big hull. the bands
united in playing The Star Spangled
Banner" the ship ;rembled and moved.
the sponsor swung the two bottles. they
broke deafening roar went up from
the crowd. and in few moments the
hattleSh!D's stern was cleavins the
waters OF the East River
UNWIELDING CAPTURE
TAKEN TO MAYNARD
She settled gracefully in the water
and. carried forward by the weight OF
ne! $4,000 tons. swung far over in the
river toward the WILLIAMSBURG Bridge
:, aeet OF little navy tugs. dwarfed by
her towering form. scurried after her,
drew alongside. made tas, and soon
started back with the unwieldy capture
toward the navy-yard docks
from the grand stand the chrtstcn-
ms was Witnessed by Secretary Daniels,
army and navy officers and Representa-
lives Of the city OF New York. includ-
Ing Mayor Mitchell. After the launch
ing. Secretary Daniels was the guest
a, luncheon at the navy-yard.
The state whose name the gigantic
fighter vii! receive was represented by
distinguished delegation headed by
Governor W u. Hunt and Miss Esther
Ross, the sponsor. They brought a
carboy OF water. the first spilled over
the Roosevelt Dam. TO be used in an
unusual double christening
This was said TO be the first vessel
OF the United States Navy TO be named
with both wine and water. The de-
cis:on 10 use champagne as we'll as
water was made by Governor Hunt in
the face Of protests from both National
and State Women's Christian Temper
ance Union leaders. Secretary Daniels
was here for the launching. as we'll as
Admiral Fletcher, commander of the
Atlantic Fleet; Major-General Wood
ard many other army and navy officials
and members OF Congress.
That Navy Department experts now
are experimenting with devices to pro-
tect future American Dreadnoughts
against submarine torpedo attacks
was revealed here to-day by Secretary
Daniels in speech at a banquet fol-
lowing the launching OF the battleship
Arizona. at the Brooklyn Navy-Yard
After describing the work done on
three of the five Dreadnoughts au-
thorized for the navy by the last Con-
gress. the secretary said:
The experts are at present consider
ing the best general type for the two
remaining authorized Dreadnoughts
while experiments are being made with
a view to their protection under the
water against the submarine torpedo,