Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-31
SHIP MASON CITY
LAUNCHED TODAY
At HARLAN PLANT
Sixteenth Boat Contracted for
With the Emergency Fleet
Corporation.
MISS MUSE THE SPONSOR

The good chip Mason City was SUCCESS
fully launched at sunrise this morning, al
the Harlan plant Of the Bethlehem Ship.
building Corporation, Ltd, gliding into
the Chrisiiana river st IL o'clock
Mrs Elizabeth Muse, the sponsor,
with the words, II christen thee Mason
City" broke the bottle over the bow
and the big hull swiftly and gracefully
slipped into tlfeEsream
The bottle contained champagne cider,
which viii be suhgtituted for champagne
at future christenings.
The sponsor and her party, consisting
Of Mason City and other Iowa people, had
risen early and were met at the Hotel
du Pont, where they are guests, by repre-
sentatives OF the Bethlehem Shipbuilding
Corporation. which built the ship, and
were escorted 70 the Harlan plant, where
everything had been prepared for the
launching The hour was rather early. but
time and tide wait for no man and also
viii not postpone any christening when a
ship of the Emergency Fleet is ready for
the blg splash.
Following the launching a breakfast
was served Ia Harlan diningroom by the
shipbuilding company. complimentary to
the sponsor and her party and then toasts
and responses followed by representatives
of the Bethlehem Co, the Shi pding Board
With the sponsor were Mr.. and Mrs.
William 4. Muse of Mason City, Rev and
Mrs. l.. G. Clark, formerly of Mason City,
but now OF Washington, ID. c., Miss
Merle Marine, formerly of Mason City,
but now of New York, Miss Catherine
komvalankl, formerly Of Mason City, but
now OF Washington, and Sidney Otis of
New York.
The members of the party were shown
every attention by the Bethlehem Com
pany and the representatives Of the Ship
ping Board and besides the social ameni-
ties enjoyed delightful and interesting
visit and inspection of the big shipbuilding
plant.
The steamship Mason City is known in
the Harlan yard as Hull 3466. This YES
sell, the keel of which was laid on SepteIn-
her 2, 1919. is cargo carrier, 34I feet,
6 inches long. has beam of 46 feet, a
depth of 25 feet, and a net tonnage of
5, 100 tons. Oil will be the main fuel in
order to allow more space for cargo and
two emergency coal bunkers are provided.
This Is the sixteenth Emergency Fleet
ship to be launched at the Harlan plant,
and the fourth of this particular class of
ship. When completed il Will be equipped
with first-class cabin for the officers
and a limited number OF passengers and
viii be finished in sumptuous style
The sponsor, Miss Elizabeth Muse of
Mason City, Is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs
William +. Muse, her father being editor Of
The Mason City Globe-Gazette She is a
graduate of Northwestern University In
both the Conservatory of Music and the
College of Liberal Arts, and is a member of
lhe Kappa Gamma Sorority. She spent
year in Porto Rico in educational in |
itrliction for the Federal government,
hen took work in secretarial course a
Columbia, and graduated from New
ork City school of stenography and !
Recently she has been Sc /
ected as private secretary for Mrs. f. NJ. /
Dodson, chairman of the Iowa Womans F
State Central Committee at Des Moines.
The sponsor party will leave Whining
on late tonight or early tomorrow morn
ng They will attend the performance
n The Playhouse tonight.