Bath, Maine's Iron Works pulled off a spectacular maritime double-header on Saturday, December 5th, launching two identical Navy gunboats—the USS Vicksburg and USS Newport—in a single afternoon before more than 6,000 spectators. The Vicksburg slid down the ways at 12:35 p.m., christened by Miss Abbie Trowbridge, daughter of Vicksburg's mayor, while the Newport followed twenty minutes later, blessed by Miss Lafarge, great-granddaughter of Commodore Perry himself. Both vessels, composite-hulled steel-and-wood gunboats rigged as barkentines, displaced 1,000 tons and stretched 200 feet long—smaller than comparable Navy ships but with the copper-sheathed hulls that would let them cruise seven or eight years without docking. The day featured a formal banquet, delegations from both cities, and young Bath women bedecked in American beauty roses on the christening stage.

In 1896, American naval power was on a rising trajectory. The Spanish-American War loomed just two years away, and the nation was aggressively modernizing its fleet. These composite gunboats represented cutting-edge construction—the hybrid steel-and-copper design promised years of uninterrupted service in distant waters, vital for a nation beginning to project power across the Caribbean and Pacific. Bath Iron Works was Maine's industrial jewel, and such launchings were major civic celebrations, proof that American manufacturing could compete globally. The presence of Congressman Hull and state officials underscores how shipbuilding had become woven into the political fabric.

• The Newport's christener, Miss Lafarge, was the great-granddaughter of Commodore Perry—the naval hero who opened Japan in 1853—yet here she is in 1896 breaking champagne on a warship, bridging three generations of American naval dominance.
• The gunboats had 'barkentine rig' with 11,500 square feet of sail area—in the age of steam, these Navy vessels still carried full canvas, a redundancy that would vanish within a decade as coal and oil engines proved reliable.
• The copper-sheathed hull design meant 'the vessel will not need docking for years'—yet these ships would be obsolete within 15 years as dreadnoughts made composite construction seem antique.
• American champagne was used to christen both vessels, not imported French—a detail highlighting post-Civil War industrial nationalism and the growing confidence in domestic production.
• General Hyde, a prominent Bath citizen, hosted both Miss Lafarge and Miss Trowbridge as guests—showing how industrial Maine society treated Navy dignitaries like royalty.

• The USS Newport and USS Vicksburg were both named after American cities with deep naval significance: Vicksburg's river power had been crucial in the Civil War, and Newport, Rhode Island was becoming America's naval center. That same year, 1896, Newport was still a year away from hosting the America's Cup yacht races that would cement it as the nautical capital of the wealthy elite.
• The Bath Iron Works, which built these gunboats, would become the largest private shipbuilder in America. By World War II, it would launch 77 destroyers and other warships—more than 10% of all U.S. Navy surface combat vessels during the war.
• The 'composite' construction method described here—steel frame with copper-sheathed wooden planking below the waterline—was already becoming obsolete. Within five years, all-steel hulls would dominate, and these hybrid ships would look quaintly transitional.
• Congressman Hull of Rhode Island attended the Newport's launch. Rhode Island sent disproportionately powerful naval advocates to Congress throughout this era, wielding influence that would shape shipbuilding contracts for decades.
• The christening bottle broke on the first swing for both vessels—a crucial maritime superstition. A failed christening was considered catastrophic bad luck. The Iron Works' perfect record here reflected both the quality of their vessels and the ceremonial precision of Gilded Age American shipbuilding culture.