Ohio History Journal

46         Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.       LAUNCHING THE SHIP.   BY IDA ECKERT-LAWRENCE. [This poem was written by Mrs. Lawrence and read by her as she stood by President McKinley, upon the occasion of the launching of the "Ohio" at San Francisco, May 18, 1901. Mrs. Lawrence is a native of Richland county, Ohio, and now    a resident of Toledo. She is the author of the well-known little volume of poems entitled "Day Dreams."]

I.   Oh! Star of empire! thou that went before The pilgrim, in the misty days of yore, When glad, the Son of Progress left the throne, To pioneer Hesperian shores alone-- We owe to thee, with every passing hour, A new world-life and liberty and power. With bosom bare, and limbs of sturdy brawn, The manly youth ran thro' the early dawn - His buskined feet touched light the troubled deep, His quest, to wake a dreaming world from sleep. By sandy shores, o'er Alleghany's crest,

He paused to hear the valley's purring rest. Far to the West, the flood-tides ceaseless measure Broke o'er his soul in waves of living pleasure.   II.   Through the wild primeval forest, Crept the youth with wondrous meaning- Blazing trees for future heroes - Waving wands with wizard seeming. From the wigwam, came the cabin; Birds soon flew the rifles crack; And the plying locomotive Drove the saddened red man back.

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Launching the Ship.                      47

 

'Round the camp-fire chieftains marvelled

That the nature-dream was o'er;

Followed they the deer and bison,

Toward a friendly sun-down shore.

From the ashes of the cabin,

Mansions, farms and cities grand-

Lowly kine, and high-bred people

Sprang to bless this happy land.

 

Spirit-of-Ohio - goddess -

Ruled this land of inspiration;

And the son of Progress wed her-

Lo! their children lead the nation.

Proud the sire, -but discontented;

Undismayed--quailed not the wrack--

With his offspring, bold as Hector,

Drove the frontier border back.

 

III.

Afar, where the famed Golden Gate,

Swings low at the close of the day,

Bronzed Progress sits moulding a queen;

War's arbiter-fresh for the fray.

With furnace and smoke and fire,

With tackle and block and blow,

In steel, men clothe this bold desire,

In a fleece of flame below.

 

With hands that are horny with toil,

And a patient steady tread,

The ranks of men file in and out

To gather their harvest of bread-

With hammer and forge and flame,

With rivet and bolt and blade,

They bind her ribs to her monster frame.

'Tis a giant that man hath made.

 

Dark faces emboss with the glow

Of sunlight, o'er labors well done.

Men's arms gather strength with each blow

And the men and the ship are as one.

They know that the forges red glare

Touch oft where the higher sparks lay-

With cheers on the lips of the men,

They'll sigh when the ship heaves away.

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48         Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.

 

Erect in her great wooden stall,

She yearns for her kingdom, the sea;

The Spirit-Ohio shall sever her chains,

And bid the fair captive go free;

To cut the brocade of the deep,

To walk by the feel of the land.

As Love fondly lingers round sleep,

So Faith puts her seal on her hand.

 

 

PERORATION.

Plunge out in thy baptismal fount

Oh! ship of the magical name;

Ride firm o'er the wave in thy pioneer way,

As men in the highway of fame -

Our men in the highway of fame.

 

If like a proud sea-gull, thy fate,

To ride on the billows away,

Over fathomless depths where the sea-monsters mate,

And fight o'er the flotsam of prey -

From lost vessels, the flotsam of prey-

 

The guerdon that hangs round thy name

And the sons of our bountiful soil,

Shall smite thy proud turrets with rancorous flame,

If thou dost e'er shame her with spoil -

Dost shame her with ill-gotten spoil.

 

Sail out on the high seas of State,

If foul blows the South wind or fair;

With homes to protect and the nation defend,

Our sons and our ship will be there -

Brave as Perry our ship will be there.

 

May the lust of the nation be lost

In Life's tide, where the deep soundings are;

Then Captain fear not, with our ensign on high,

To follow the pale of His star -

With cannon to follow His star.

 

Let Mercy stride free o'er the deck,

And Love from the bridge draw the sword;

Then firmly thou'lt scourge, with thy thunderous might,

The foe with the help of the Lord -

Wilt win with the help of the Lord.

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