newportnews

This was taken at USS Texas's launching ceremony on 18 May 1912 at Newport News, Virginia.

Secretary Meyer is George Von Lengerke Meyer. As SecNav he had a major role in overhauling the antiquated structure of the navy. See Patrician in the progressive era : a biography of George Von Lengerke Meyer, by Wayne Wiegand, for an excellent biography.

bellhalla and desert11sailor: Thanks to both of you for providing more details on the events taking place in this photograph. We will add to the descriptive information. There is an interesting article in the May 18, 1912 edition of the New York Times about this event here, which also includes information on the apparently controversial choice of choosing Miss Claudia Lyon to do the honors. She was the daughter of Cecil Lyon, an active opponent of then President Taft.

Visiting the Battleship Texas was one of my favorite things after it was retired and placed in Houston, Texas, next to the San Jacinto Monument. It is still there!

This was taken sometime at USS Texas's launching ceremony on 18 May 1912 at Newport News, Virginia.

lifting what appears to be one of the lattice cage mast for a US battleship, several were built there.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_News_Shipbuilding

This crane existed in 1907 already, s. photo in the Daily press., March 24, 1907, Image 21 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045830/1907-03-24/ed-...

And this 1900 article is illustrated by a photo of Hercules in 1898: "In view of the attention which the management has given to the question of the handling of material it is quite natural that the equipment of derricks and cranes should constitute one of the most interesting features of the Newport News yard. First place must be given of course to the 150 ton revolving derrick Hercules. The derrick jib is capable of having its outer end raised or lowered thus giving to the hoisting blocks which depend vertically therefrom a movement of rotation about the center of the derrick, and also one of translation in and out from the center. With the outer end of the jib in its lowest position the hoisting blocks will, on rotation of the derrick, describe the circumference of a circle 207 feet in diameter; with the jib in its highest position the diameter of the circle described is 88 feet. Thus the derrick may operate on weights lying anywhere between these two circles as boundaries. The maximum load of 150 tons can be handled only within a ring the maximum and minimum diameters of which are 147 and 88 feet respectively, but weights not exceeding 70 tons may be handled throughout the entire field of operations. The maximum elevations above mean high water,, for the hoisting blocks, are 118 and 69 feet respectively in the high and lower positions of the jib. The derrick is revolved by duplicate sets of machinery. books.google.com/books?id=Eb1MAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA501&l...

This picture ran in the New York Tribune Review in April, 1918, attributed to Underwood & Underwood. navsource.org/archives/01/pdf/012746.pdf An online source (probably thinking the photo dated from April, 1918, guesses at the ship involved. "Assuming this photograph wasn't aging in a camera somewhere, the mast most likely belongs to the Michigan (BB-27). The only other battleship built within a year of this date was the Mississippi (BB-41), which was commissioned 18 December 1917." www.navsource.org/archives/01/27b.htm