▁by ▁short ages ▁of ▁sk illed ▁labor . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁ship ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁ready ▁for ▁delivery ▁until ▁almost ▁nine ▁months ▁later . ▁ ▁La unch ▁ ▁Pennsylvania ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 7 2 . ▁The ▁event ▁was ▁considered ▁of ▁such ▁significance ▁that — in ▁an ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 2 - hour ▁day ▁and ▁six - day ▁working ▁week — a ▁half ▁day ▁hol iday ▁was ▁declared ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁city ▁of ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁area . ▁P iers , ▁buildings ▁and ▁ships , ▁including ▁Pennsylvania ▁herself , ▁were ▁decor ated ▁with ▁patri otic ▁b un ting ▁and ▁flags ▁of ▁every ▁description , ▁and ▁a ▁vast ▁crowd ▁of ▁sight se ers ▁thr ong ed ▁every ▁available ▁v antage ▁point ▁along ▁the ▁river , ▁while ▁others ▁watched ▁from ▁the ▁hundreds ▁of ▁boats ▁large ▁and ▁small , ▁many ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁r ented ▁out ▁as ▁exc urs ion ▁vessels ▁for ▁the ▁occasion . ▁At ▁ 1 0 : 1 2 ▁am , ▁William ▁Cr amp ▁gave ▁the ▁order ▁to ▁cut ▁the ▁stays , ▁and ▁Pennsylvania ▁sl id ▁down ▁the ▁ways ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁Del aware ▁River ▁to ▁" the ▁che ers ▁of ▁a ▁vast ▁thr ong , ▁the ▁blow ing ▁of ▁a ▁hundred ▁steam ▁wh ist les , ▁and ▁a ▁sal vo ▁of ▁art illery ." ▁ ▁It ▁would ▁be ▁many ▁more ▁months , ▁however , ▁before ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁ready ▁for ▁service . ▁D iff icult ies ▁in ▁obtain ing