FIRST STEAMSHIP BUILT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAUNCHED AT LONG BEACH.
I Christen Thee General Hubbard, Calls Fair Maid as $ 225,000 Steel Beauty Leaps from Ways at Craig Shipyard and Cleaves the Sunkissed Waters.

LONG BEACH, Dec. 3. 1910—The first steel steamship built on the Southern California coast, was successfully launched this morning, and the Craig Shipbuilding company, as a Long Beach institution, added its first big craft to Pacific coast commerce while whistles shrieked and 10,000 people yelled and clapped their hands. John F. Craig, general manager of the Craig Shipbuilding company, and A. B. Hammond, president of the Hammond Lumber company of San Francisco, owners of the vessel, agreed that the launching of the Gen. Hubbard could not have been more satisfactory. Miss Ruth Craig, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Craig, christened the ship, swinging against its prow a bottle of champagne half hidden in and suspended by intertwined red, white and blue ribbons. It was rumored that the bottle did not break when it crashed against the steel ship, but Mrs. Craig and others on the platform say that report is a mistake and that they heard and saw the bottle break. "I christen thee General Hubbard, said Miss. Craig, and almost at that instant the General Hubbard glided of the ways into the water. The ship leaned to starboard, then righted herself, swung out to the end of her cables, rode gracefully back and forth for a moment or two, then stood still.

WAVES SHAKE SMALL, CRAFT; The advent of the ship into the water caused a series of waves which caused havoc among the twoscore little crafts in the water nearby. The rowboats, sailboats and launches, both large and small, went up and down and rocked threateningly, while those aboard scrambled wildly. and grasped for something to hold to. A big swell swept high on the opposite  bank of the channel, which was lined with several thousand people, and a number were splattered with water, while all had to leap back to escape .being drenched. One woman, who was standing on a pontoon near the shore, was drenched from head to foot and was about to fall overboard headlong when rescued by John Bye, an employee on the improvised ferry line. Immediately after the launching John F. Craig reported its complete success to President Hammond, .and the latter congratulated Mr. Craig and his men upon this consummation of their "grand-achievement." Those's who were on the christening platform with Miss Ruth Craig were President Hammond and wife, San Francisco R. H. Swayne of Swayne & Hoyt, San Francisco and Harry McLeod, Los Angeles, manager for the National lumber; T. A. Graham, general freight and passenger agent for the Southern Pacific; P. E. Hatch, president of the chamber of commerce; Mayor C. H. Windham, Stephen Townsend and wife, the Rev. Henry Irving Rasmus and wife, Mrs. A. T. Covert, Mr. and Mrs. George L. Craig, Toledo, Ohio; Mrs. John F. Craig, Miss Anna Craig, Master George Craig, B. C. Denio and family and Mrs. T. Moyer Green. John Craig jr and several boyfriends were on  the deck of the General Hubbard with some of the shipyard foremen when the ship was launched.

CRAIG DIRECTS WORKERS Shortly; After 9 o'clock the work of preparing of the launching began. Thirty workmen under the ship swung their axes in unison, knocking away the blocks and props, under the personal supervision of General Manager Craig, who, attired in a gray working suit and sweater vest, mingled with the workmen and personally saw to it that every detail was properly attended to. The shipbuilder's face was pale and his eyes shone, while his face did not relax into a happy smile, until the launching was over. The command to knock out the keel blocks was given at 9:39 o'clock, and two minutes later Mr. Craig waved his hat, his signaling to the man at each end of the vessel to chop in two the cables. With one blow each of the workmen severed the cable before him, the trips were released and the ship glided down the ways. The ship entered the water sideways, as is customary. The General Hubbard will be ready for service in about four weeks. Her engines, built at the ship plant, were installed some weeks ago. Otherwise the ship is almost ready to travel. Her hull is painted red below the waterline and black above it. The deck has been given the usual bitumlne treatment. The lifeboats are in position and the name of the vessel is on the prow in big golden letters.

The contract cost of the General Hubbard was $ 225,000. The steamship is 266 feet long. Her beam is 42 feet. She is equipped with a 1500-horse power triple expansion engine and will have. a speed of 12 knots an hour. The ship's draught is 19 feet. The vessel will be used for freight exclusively, under the direction of the National Lumber company, which is subsidiary to the Hammond concern. The vessel has a capacity of 1,500,000 feet of lumber.