LAUNCHED BY RADIO.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20483, 8 December 1934, Page 1

LAUNCHED BY RADIO.

Duke Perform* Ceremony From Brisbane. (Received December 8, 8 a.m.) BRISBANE, December 7 The Duke of Gloucester to-night performed the noteworthy task of launching the new Orient liner Orion at Barrow-in-Furness by pressing a button, which sent a wireless impulse halfway round the world. Great cheering marked his action. Owners’ Gratitude. A London message says: Speaking at a luncheon after the launching of the Orion, Sir Herbert Lawrence, chairman of Vickers, Ltd., said that while the proposed England-Australia air service was an important factor for special purposes, great ships would be required for many years. He announced that the owners and builders had sent a cablegram to the Duke of Gloucester in Brisbane, expressing their gratitude for his launching the ship, which was designed to serve the interests of Britain and Australia. WITHOUT A HITCH, (Received December 8, 12.50 p.m ) LONDON, December 7. The wireless arrangements at Bar-row-in-Furness for the launching of the Orion functioned without a hitch The Orion slid smoothly down the slipway and took the water perfectly, after the Duke of Gloucester had pressed a button in Brisbane which broke a bottle of wine across the bows. Ideal weather favoured the launching and the Duke of Gloucester’s speech was amplified throughout the shipyards. Wireless experts hearing the tone signal from Brisbane saw a switch a foot long snap across the operating mechanism, which released the bottle of wine and also withdrew the steel triggers gripping the ship s keel.