into the sea, amid smoke and fire from the burning ways, the roar of artillery, the music of bands, and the cheers of the vast multitude. So swiftly did she leave the ways that two anchors and the powerful steamer R. B. Forbes barely succeeded in bringing her up, close to Chelsea Bridge. The Great Republic was named by Captain Alden Gifford, who performed the ceremony by breaking a bottle of Cochituate water over her bow as she began to move along the ways. This was an innovation that created much comment at the time, and was permitted by Mr. McKay in deference to the wishes of Deacon Moses Grant and a number of energetic Boston women who were pushing the temperance movement and desired to advertise their wares.
During the afternoon she was towed under the shears at the Navy Yard to receive her masts, yards, and rigging, and the work of fitting them was done under the supervision of Lauchlan McKay, her captain. As no vessel before or since ever had such enormous spars, their dimensions are interesting enough to be given in full:
| Masts | Diameters Inches |
Lengths Feet |
Mastheads Feet |
| Fore | 44 | 130 | 36 |
| Top | 24 | 76 | 12 |
| Topgallant | 18 | 28 | 0 |
| Royal | 15 | 22 | 0 |
| Skysail | 11 | 19 | Pole 12 |
| Main | 44 | 131 | 36 |
| Top | 24 | 76 | 12 |
| Topgallant | 18 | 28 | 0 |
