HISTORY
Launch
(Jiří Fiala)
The ship was built in a rela- in Arizona (effective January 1,
tively short period of time at 1915), two bottles were prepaBrooklyn Shipyards in New red for the baptism, one with
York. The period press passio- traditional domestic sparkling
nately held on to the builder’s wine from Ohio vineyards, and
statement that the ship would one with water from the Roobe launched within ten months sevelt Dam on the Salt River,
of the keel being laid, and the Arizona, which was compleNew York Times in particular ted in 1911 but was not filled to
did not hide its enthusiasm in its expected water level until
articles about the world‘s lar- April,1915. Shortly after one
gest and most powerful battle- o‘clock in the afternoon, the
ship. The reality was more so- prepared bottles shattered
bering in the end. After a year against the bow (the bottle of
of construction, about half of champagne was thrown by
the work on the ship was com- Secretary of the Navy Joseph
pleted, which was not launched Daniels, the one with Arizona
until the summer of 1915.
water by Esther Ross).The USS
Arizona was then towed to BroIn the meantime, the name of
oklyn Shipyards for completion
the ship was chosen by the
and final fitting.
political leaders of the United
States, led by Secretary of the Cordelia Esther Ross (NovemNavy Joseph Daniels, in the ber, 1897 – August, 1979) had Launching of the battleship USS Arizona (photo: National Archives).
spirit of the tradition of naming three siblings. She married
battleships after the names of James Wray in Prescott in1924,
individual states in the Union. later remarried, and in August
The election favored the newly 1979 she died childless at a reannexed 48th state of the Uni- spectable age as Esther Ross
on, Arizona, which became part Hoggan, with the second name
of the United States on Februa- coming from her husband, W. G. Esther Ross launching the ship and pictured in the studio (left)
(foto: Library of Congress).
ry 14, 1912.
Hoggans.
On Saturday, June 19, 1915, all of
New York was on its feet. The
shipyards were preparing for
the Christening and launch of
the new battleship USS Arizona, in front of many guests and
high-ranking state, city and
naval officials. According to
a report by the New York Times,
the whole affair was watched
by 75,000 spectators in clear
sunny weather, while others
have written of about at least
50,000. Miss Esther Ross, the
daughter of William W. Ross,
a pharmacist from Prescott, Arizona, who received the
high honor of naming the ship
after his home state, received
the privilege of performing the
Christening. To meet recently
passed alcohol ban legislation
An image from the construction of the battleship USS Arizona
(photo: Library of Congress).
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INFO Eduard
March 2022