The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-20
THOUSANDS WITNESS BARGE CHRISTENING;
 LAUNCHING DELAYED
Half of Country Represent ed and Eyes of St. Louis Opened to Possibilities
 of Warrior River
By W. J. BoLEs

By W. !. BoLES St. Louis Mo. April 19.--(SpeciaD.-I the presence of 5000 people, two self propelled steel boats were christened -City of Birmingham" and City of Tus- caloosa" here this afternoon. The high stage of the Mississippi river prevented the launching of these two vessels build ing for the Warrior service, but other wise. everything went off according to schedule.
 | Miss Dorothy Wood and Miss Olive Yer ner. two of Alabama's loveliest daugh- ters, christened the two boats and as the bottles swung by them burst against the prows of the two Warrior river freight ! carriers a military bano struck up Amer l ica'' and a dozen more Mississippi \ river stemboats let off their sirens in noisy acclaim of the event, which marks ! the revival of inland water transportation | in America.
 | Several hundred delegates to the Mis- sissippi valley waterways convention marched behind a military band from the Statler hotel to the yards of the St Louis Boat and En- gineering company to witness the | l CTS of the Birmingham and the ''Fus- caloosa' and the people of Alabama on 1 the event which means the. rehabilita- | tion of river transportation.
 Mayor Kiel introduced w. D. Nesbitt, | personal representative of Gov kilby, who was unable to come to the christen- ing.
 | Mir Nesbitt said it was fitting that GO | years ago st. Louis built iron boats to | rcr the MiSSiSSlDDi ana bottle up it's mouth, and now she IS building steel vessels to carry commerce on the same stream and other rivers in the south
 Today marks milestone in water navi- gation. Birmingham and all Alabama were represented at the christening or the two vessels, each of which has 2,Svo itons capacity.
 Half the country was represented and St Louis opened her eyes to the vast lness of the possibilities of the War lrior river and the Birmingham district which lies at the head of navigation
 Tuscaloosa sent a splendid delegation Ito witness the christening of the Cis, lof Tuscaloosa. sister to the City or bir nningharn the delegation consisting Q
 Miss Olive Werner who christened th' boat, and Mrs c. B. Werner, her mother Prof J. S. Thomas instructor of minine
 and engineering at the University o
 Alabama, and Mrs. Thomas; Victor Fried man and c. G. .Harman.
 Prof Thomas represented the univer- sity and the Tuscaloosa Rotary club
 MT. Friedman the board of trade ana MT Harrnan the lumber association
 General Manager Wood, of the Port of Birmingham corporation. and Henry + lDeBardelben. transportation manager ol the Warrior. remain over tomorrow tf Iconfer with the officials of the company
 building the boats.
 DELEGATIONS ENTERTAINED At 6 o'clock Edward A. Faust, presi. dent of the St Louis Boat and Engineer ling company, and Mrs. Faust entertained lthe Birmingham and Tuscaloosa parties at their million dollar home in Port land place.
 k The state. county. city and all civic and development organizations of Bir'
 mingham and the daily press are rep resented in the party here today.
 w D. Nasbitt bears credentials signed
 by Gov Kilby; Judge William F. Fort represents Jefferson county: H. H. She'll the Civic association; J. Ellis Brown, the city of Birmingham; J. F. Keith. the 7 Wholesale Grocery association and the
 Kiwanis club: Claude Estes the Rea
 Estate exchange and the Community club: Arthur c. Crowder, the chamber of COflIDtTct, w. D. Atltn, the fltfiIto1tt Coal Iron and Railroad company: w j.
 Bfies Civitan club: Henry T. DeBardel-
 ben. Warrior river federal management Charles r. Wood. Port of Birmingham corporation and Warrior river develop ment committee; T.. w. Friedman and " iJ Boles. the daily press: w. o. Nesbitt the Rotary club.
 Brig. Gen. frank T. Hines head of tn
 transportation division of the war de , parement and director of inland water ways, and his aide. Gait. A. F. Manthyr and Federal Manager NJ !. Sandere. o , the Mississippi Warrior waterways mad the trip from Birmingham with tn,
 launching party
 LADIES IN PARTY
 Ladies coming with the party are Mrs Charles F. Wood, Miss Dorothy Wood
 Mrs. Claude Estes. Mrs. w J. Boles
 Mrs. H. H. Shell. Mrs. Arthur c, Crowd CT, Miss Keith. Mrs. w B. Allen, Mist Clara DeBardeiben and Mrs. William k, Fort.
 The delegation arrived here at z o'clocl } this morning over the Illinois Centra and most of the members attended tn, sessions of the Mississippi Valley Water
 way association. which is holding it annual convention here today. They were guests of the association a ] luncheon at the Statler hotel. Gen. Hine,
 had never seen the Warrior river unti This inspection trip last week. He wa most favorably impressed with the strean , and it's possibilities. and announced dur ing the trip here that he intended put
 ting all the transportation equipmen possible on the Warrior with the leas possible delay.
 , There has already been too much de Hay in building the boats and barges fo ithe Warrior, he declared, and he ex pressed the determination to speed u |, the construction work f possible. Theodore Brent, of New Orleans. traf fic manager of the Mississippi- Warrio waterways. joined Gen Hines MT San
 ders and the Birmingham party here to day
 l Gen. Hines goes to- Louisville tomor TOW and expects to be in washington | Ia few days to testify before coneres sional committee on inland waterway ,, land their transportation development The Birmingham party leaves here tr , morrow morning. going by way Of Mem ! phis, and they will arrive in Birminshar esrly Wednesday morning over tn
 Frisco.
 Arguments End April 30
 sy Associated rress Washington. April 1a.--Argument : on pending cases will end April 30. an, ix@ ,s<iffon~ revfe al .