The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-23
BESSEMER CITY LAUNCHED WHILE } THOUSANDS YELL
Ceremonial at Mobile Historic Incident in Marine Annals of AIabama-BesSemer
 Sends Delegation

i, Mobile, January 22-(Special 1.-The all- 4 steel steamer Bessemer City, named for the second largest town in Jefferson county, was successfully launched here 4odaN before a crowd of 5000 people
 1t was the most successful of the seven 4 Klaunchings which have been held at the shipyards, according to officials As the bottle of champagne was smashed over the prov by Mrs. Lee Moody of Besse- X mer, sponsor, the electric guiIlotine sev- #ered the ropes which held the ship and #it slid down the greased ways to the xswater. The wave formed when the ship Xstfuck the water spread violently and 4ore the scaffolding from under the Fairfield City, which is under construc- tion.
 2# As the Bessemer City struck the water, the whistles of the plant and of the boats which had gone up the river from Mobile began to blow, and the two banos of the shipyard employees opened. A score of cameras recored the launching. "A photographer of the Pathe Weekly ob- tained the picture.
 ~ CROWD IS PUNCTUAL % The crowd began to gather before 10 o'clock. Later in the morning the party from Bessener, headed by Mayor Jones, and including Mrs. Lee Moody, sponsor, about 20 members of the chamber of commerce of that city and several young women who acted as maids of honor, was brought to the yards in a boat of Athe company. They were taken to the ,Rstand and photographed with officials Y5f the shipyard in the picture of the fPathe News.
 -s-The launching went off without hitch. At Il 80 o'clock a crew of men began knocking away the says. As the whistle blew, which signaled the cutting of the ,la erix,a htrC 1,11r.- dred employees of the company, who saw the completion of almost years work. The vessel was lowed to the docks of the shipyard. Work will start imme- diately on putting the finishing touches to 1t. and it will be ready for the maiden voyage within four or five weeks. On this trip the Bessemer City will bear a cargo of steel for the orient.
 OFFICIALS ABSENT
 None of the officials of the Chickasaw Shipbuilding and Car company of Bir- mingham were present for the lauEch- ing. as they were all held in Birmingham on other business, it was announced. The party from Bessemer which attended the launching was at the Battle house dur ing Saturday afternoon with the local off, ficdals of the Chickasaw Shipbuildins company. A celebration in the nature of q reception was held during the evening on the successful launching of the vessel.
 Among the Bessemer delegation to tne launching yesterday was William H. Fl. Judson, publisher and editor of the Bes- semer weekly. MT Judson is one of the oldest and most influential members of the Alabama Press association. Others in the Bessener party were Mayor B. c. Jones, MT. and Mrs. Lee Moody, Mamie J. Reid, s. r. L. Lipscomb R. R. Me Tyein, MT. and Mrs. F.. l.. Huey, Mir and Mrs. Louis Hoster and son, Mir and Mrs. M. E. Cartwell, W. T. Loveless and son, MT. and Mrs. D. c. Davis and w. H. Judson.
 The launching of the Bessemer City. it is announced, marks the opening of the 1921 programme for the Chickasaw company Five other vessels are under construction, and it is hoped to have them launched at intervals of two months throughout the year. The next ship to be ready will be the Fairfield City Others in the course of construc- tion are the Anniston City, the Memphis City and the Atlanta City. As soon as the ways which were vacated by the Bessemer City have been cleared the keel of the Knoxville City will be laid. When the Fairfield City is launched dur ing the latter part of March, the Chat tanooga City will be begun.
 The Bessemer City is the third largest vessel ever constructed in the Chicka- saw yards, weighing 10000 tons, and be- ing constructed entirely of Alabama steel It is the seventh ship to be launched at